Page "Muhammad Naguib" Paragraph 11

In 1949, Naguib secretly joined the Free Officers movement, and a year later he was promoted to the rank of Major-General.

The general is considered one of Egypt's few heroes from the war in Palestine and enjoyed wide respect in the country.

The Free Officers, led by Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser were young members of the military – all under thirty-five and all from peasant or lower-middle-class backgrounds.

Nasser's goal was to overthrow King Farouk and end the British domination of Egypt and Sudan.

Knowing that officers of such youth would not be taken seriously, he asked General Naguib to assume leadership of the movement.

While this proved successful in strengthening the Free Officers, it would later cause great friction between the two men.

Despite his disapproval of his fellow military top brass, Naguib remained in the army in order for the Free Officers not to lose their highest-ranking officer and most influential member, although many today argue that his position on the top was merely a figurehead leader to the revolutionary Free Officers Movement to lend credibility to the group.