Anwar Sadat

Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat in 1980
Born	(1918-12-25)25 December 1918 Mit Abu El Kom, Monufia, Egypt
Died	6 October 1981(1981-10-06) (aged 62) Cairo, Egypt
Nationality	Egyptian
Occupation	Politician, Military Officer
Known for	President of Egypt, Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Anwar Sadat (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981. Sadat was a senior member of the Free Officers who overthrew the monarchy of King Farouk of Egypt in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and a close confidant of President Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Early Life and Career

Anwar Sadat was born in Mit Abu El Kom, Monufia, Egypt, to a poor family. He graduated from the Royal Military Academy in Cairo in 1938 and joined the Egyptian Army. During his early military career, Sadat became involved in anti-British activities and was imprisoned for his political activities.

Political Career

Sadat was a founding member of the Free Officers, a group of nationalist military officers who led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. After the revolution, Sadat held various positions in the government, including Minister of State and Speaker of the National Assembly.

Presidency

Sadat became President of Egypt following the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1970. His presidency is noted for several key events:

• Corrective Revolution: In 1971, Sadat launched the Corrective Revolution, purging the government of Nasserists and consolidating his power.
• Yom Kippur War: In 1973, Sadat led Egypt in the Yom Kippur War against Israel, aiming to reclaim the Sinai Peninsula. The war initially caught Israel by surprise and led to a temporary Egyptian victory.
• Peace with Israel: Sadat is best known for his role in the Camp David Accords, which led to the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in 1979. This made Egypt the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel, for which Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Assassination

On 6 October 1981, during the annual victory parade held in Cairo to celebrate Egypt's crossing of the Suez Canal, Sadat was assassinated by members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. His assassination was motivated by his peace treaty with Israel and his crackdown on Islamist groups.

Legacy

Sadat's legacy is complex. He is praised for his bold peace initiative with Israel, which ended decades of conflict and opened the door for future peace efforts in the region. However, his economic policies and political repression were controversial and led to significant unrest in Egypt.

Also see

• Gamal Abdel Nasser
• Hosni Mubarak
• Yom Kippur War
• Camp David Accords
• Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty