Dabour Hub EGEgyptian Curriculum 2026/2027
The affair of 4 February 1942

The affair of 4 February 1942

Point 5 of 9 — Lesson 24: Egypt from the 1936 Treaty to the Cairo Fire (1936-1952)Question bank: 0 questions (0 with pictures)

05The affair of 4 February 1942

Causes

  • Under Hussein Sirri Pasha's government a clash occurred between Britain and King Farouk because of his Axis sympathies.
  • When Axis forces reached the Egyptian frontier through the fall of Benghazi to the forces of General Rommel, the Palace stirred demonstrations chanting "Forward, Rommel!" on 2 February 1942.

Events

  • Britain met this by intervening to overthrow the Palace's rule and appoint a ministry headed by Mustafa al-Nahas, delivering an ultimatum the same day.
  • When the leaders and the King rejected the ultimatum, Britain moved tanks that surrounded the Abdeen Palace on 4 February 1942 and intended to depose the King from the throne.
  • The King accepted the ultimatum at the last moment and entrusted Mustafa al-Nahas, head of the majority party, with forming a ministry; whereupon the British ambassador withdrew the plan to depose him.

Results

  • The Wafd government cooperated with Britain to ward off the danger of the fascist Axis, providing significant military aid that helped England defeat the Axis.
  • As the war neared its end, Britain feared the Wafd government would demand the evacuation of British forces from Egypt, so it allowed Farouk to dismiss the Wafd ministry and appoint one of the minority ministries, so that the people would be busy struggling for the constitution rather than against England — this happened in October 1944.
  • The affair of 4 February had a great effect on the army officers' sense that their dignity had been insulted, so they held several meetings at the officers' club in Zamalek to consider the situation.

📝 Question bank for this point

0 questions linked to this point only, 0 of them with pictures.