Muhammad Fawzi, Former Egyptian defense minister
Egypt, People, 2/19/2000

The death of former Egyptian Defense Minister Muhammad Fawzi following a long struggle with illness was announced in Cairo on Wednesday. He was admitted to the al-Jalaa hospital in Masr al-Jidida several days ago after he had a complete coma that lasted until his death.

Lt. Gen. Muhammad Fawzi is considered the most important among the Egyptian Army officers in the 20th century.

Late Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser assigned to him the task of rebuilding the armed forces following the setback of 1967 between Israel and the Arabs as well as to draw a plan for crossing the Suez Canal to restore the occupied Arab lands as well as in leading the war of attrition after the war of 1967 which inflicted great losses on the Israeli side.

Under Lt. Gen. Fawzi, the Egyptian army prepared the crossing of the canal under the name "Granit 1." This was due to be implemented in August 1970 but was postponed until June 1971. After the death of President Gamal Abdul Nasser, Fawzi submitted his resignation from all military posts.

Lt. Gen. Fawzi was born in 1915. He graduated from the military academy in July 1936 and then joined the anti-aircraft army weapons. He took part in the second world war and had assumed several military posts in positions on the Egyptian coast from Marsa Matrouh to Alexandria. He also took part in the Arab war against Israel in 1948, and he was then the leader of the liaison unit in al-Arish. He was then appointed as the leader of the anti-aircraft artillery in Palestine and took part effectively in the 1948 war against Israel.

Until 1951 he worked as a teacher of topography at the military academy and as a teacher at the army military academy in 1951 until the launching of the Egyptian revolution in 1952, led by Gamal Abdul Nasser.

In 1967 he was appointed as a general commander for the armed forces in Egypt, just 6 days after the war started. In 1968 he was appointed as defense minister in Egypt and in 1969 as a leader of the Arab troops in confrontation of Israel, and he stayed in this post until May 13, 1971.

Lt. Gen. Fawzi occupied higher military posts, including the post of commander of the joint African troops and the secretary general for military affairs in the Arab League during the 1960s.

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