ABSTRACT
Two generations of Egyptians have grown to maturity since the 1952 Revolution. Revolution takes place when the ruling elite is losing its ability to govern and when other leaders try to take over its power. Egypt was a troubled country between 1945 and 1952. The Egyptian army's performance in the Palestine War was humiliating. During the dark days following the Palestine defeat, one ray of hope for Egypt was the government's decision to hold parliamentary elections in January 1950. Egypt contained many secret societies plotting to overthrow King Faruq. The one that succeeded was called the "Free Officers", a cabal of some 300 commissioned Egyptian officers, most of them in their thirties. The Free Officers responded by ordering all political parties to cleanse themselves of corrupt politicians, including Mustafa al-Nahhas. The change of government that occurred in July 1952 was more than a military coup; it ushered in significant transformations in Egyptian society.
