Saad Zaghloul Pro- or Anti-Concession Extension of the Suez Canal 1909-1910

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Guidance Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The years 1909-1910 witnessed one of the most critical chapters in the history of the Suez Canal. The attempt of the British occupation to obtain ratification from the Egyptian General Assembly for extending the concession of the Suez Canal Company to 2008 made a great stir among the Egyptians and provoked new furies of national agitation against the British. Although there was a unanimous condemnation for the proposal, Saad Zaghloul played a different role in dealing with the problem. He staunchly defended the project in the Assembly that he had originally rejected, an act that caused many to accuse him of being complicit with the British. Despite the fact that the vehement opposition to the project led the Assembly to turn it down, Zaghloul’s assessment of the situation raised a lot of questions concerning his involvement with the occupation and his relations with the Nationalists during this period. In light of the General Assembly Meetings, this paper is an endeavor to reveal the ambivalent role played by Zaghloul in this issue.

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