Jamal Abd al-Nasir [Nasser]

Nasser was born on 15 January 1918 in Alexandria where his father worked as a post office clerk. Nasser was born at a time when Egypt was still a British colony, a situation which led to the growth of the movement for Egyptian independence led by the Wafd, a broadly-based anti-colonial front, the revolutionary upsurge of 1919-21 and in 1922 a limited independence which left Egypt still dominated by Britain. Nasser was educated in Cairo and Alexandria and as a schoolboy began to take part in student politics and demonstrations against the monarchy, especially when he attended the Al Nahda al Misria secondary school in Cairo. He became the chairman of the executive committee of Cairo school students and immersed himself in the study of politics and the works of Arab nationalists and other anti-imperialist writers. While he was still at school Nasser came into contact with many of the main nationalist parties in Egypt including the Wafd, the National Party and the Misr el Fatat, or Young Egypt Party. In 1935 in Cairo, Nasser organised school student demonstrations against continued British interference in Egyptian affairs. When police opened fire on the demonstrations two students were killed and Nasser himself was shot and wounded. Political agitation in Egypt led to a new treaty with Britain, which still limited Egyptian sovereignty and gave Britain the right to maintain an occupying force of 10,000 troops in the country.