ANATOMY OF A REVOLUTION

THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

By

Lesley Tacuri,
Emily Larcher,

and Nadin Mostafa.

Period 7

Phase1:UnemploymentandEconomicFrustrations
The Egyptian Revolution followed in the path of Tunisia, who had also recently
overthrown their ruler. TheirrevolutionbeganwiththeselfimmolationofMohamedBouazizi,a
longsuffering street vendor under the Tunisian regime. Soon, Bouazizis influence spread to
other nations, including Egypt, which began the ArabSpring.1Similarly,theFrenchRevolution
was influenced by the another country, America, because theyhadparticipatedduringthelatter
in the countrys battle for freedom. The French had soon become enamoured with the idea of
overthrowing amonarchyandfollowingenlightenmentideasinstead.Furthermore,TheEgyptian
Revolution was heavily influenced by the younger population and economic hardships a high
number ofcollegegraduateswerefindingitdifficulttoobtainjobs,alongwithwavesofworkers'
strikes and protests. France had also experienced economic turmoil their role in the American
Revolution had landed them in debt. This conflict was exacerbated by food shortages, which
instigatedoneofthefirstprotestsoftherevolutiontheBreadRiots.
Also, there had been plenty of violent from Mubaraks police force. Khaled Said was
senselessly beaten and killed by Mubaraks police because he had taped avideowhichdepicted
the corrupt of the police force. 2 In addition to this, Wael, a 31yearold Google executive in
charge of marketing for the Middle East and North Africa, helped to catalyze the movement

Green,Duncan."WhatCausedtheRevolutioninEgypt?"TheGuardian.TheGuardian,17Feb.
2011.Web.23Oct.2014.
2
Sharrock,David,JackShenker,andPaulHarris."Egypt:HowthePeopleSpantheWheelof
TheirCountry'sHistory."TheGuardian.TheGuardian,12Feb.2011.Web.24Oct.2014.

against themilitarybrutalitycenteredinTahrirSquaretheyearprior.On June8,2010,Waelsaw

a photograph of a young Egyptian who had been horribly tortured. He used the internet to
expose this violation of human rights, which was titled Kullena Khaled Said, or We AreAll
Khaled Said. Some 36,000 joined the page on the first day, many writing comments, and
conversations began. This group continued and did more national groupmovementstothepoint
where Mubarak had to shut down the internetforfivedays.Asdemonstrationsspreadacrossthe
country, some of the biggest rallies occurred when the Internet was down. 3 During the French
Revolution, Louis XVI sent French troops to Paris in order to dissolve the growing tensions in
the city. However, this eventresultedinthestormingoftheBastille,whereFrenchrevolutionists
fought back with the army, obtaining weapons in process. Nevertheless, both the French and
Egyptian militarycouldnolongerholdauthorityfortheirrespectiveleaders. Aftereighteendays
of protests that spilled out from Cairos Tahrir Square, President Hosni Mubarak handed power
tothemilitarysrulingbody.4

Phase2:AnUncertainGovernment
The first significant change to occur as a result of the Egyptian Revolution was the
resignation of Hosni Mubarak, which occurred on February 11th, 2011, only weeks after the
beginning of the protests. This rapidshiftingovernmentauthoritygreatlycontraststheperiodof
several years it took for the French to overthrow King Louis XVI, and ultimately execute him.
However, during the period of the first years of the French Revolution, King Louis XVIs

King,MaryE."Egypt'sRevolutionBeganLongbefore2011WagingNonviolence."Waging
NonviolenceEgyptsRevolutionBeganLongbefore2011.6Feb.2012.
4"Timeline:WhatsHappenedSinceEgyptsRevolution?"PBS.PBS,17Sept.2013.Web.
3

authority began to dwindle, especially with the creation of the National Assembly, which made
the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, giving French citizens constitutional
rights. Until 1793, Louis XVIs power was greatly reduced until he was executed and France
becamearepublic.
Nevertheless, Mubarak was only driven to resignation, and was succeeded by his prime
minister, Ahmed Shafik. Egypts parliament and constitution were destroyed, with no existing
document to replace it, unlike France, which had already created one before Louis XVIs fall
from power. Subsequently, liberal secularist and members of the Islamic group Muslim
Brotherhood began to clash over the next step writing a constitution or have a democratic
election. Ultimately, the Islamists win the conflict and achievetheirgoalofhavingademocratic
election and a large number of Muslim Brotherhood members are elected into the Egyptian
parliament. Mohamed Morsi, a prominent member of Muslim Brother is elected as president of
Egypt the following year. However, shortly before this event, the Egyptian military seizes
parliament power, resulting in a limited government for Morsi. The Egyptian military gets the
authority create laws and control the national budget. Nevertheless, this leads to a conflict
betweenthesecularEgyptianmilitaryandtheMuslimBrotherhood.
In contrast to France, religion was still a major component to Egyptian politics.
Following the execution of Louis XVI, Maximilien Robespierre, the leader oftheCommitteeof
Public Safety,

not only began to persecute supporters if Louis XVI, but began to

DeChristianize France, which involved destroyed religious symbols and creating a new
calendar

Phase3:EgyptiansfeelinguncomfortableinEgypt
The French and Egyptian revolution, both experienced an unpleasant period full of bloody
conflicts and massacred citizens. The radical phase began after the power of the absolutist leaders
were greatly compromised, then destroyed. After the ending of Louis XVI s reign, The National
convention created the Committee of Public Safety and Maximilien Robespierre took control of it,
which persecuted French citizens tosuspectedtobeLouisXVIsupporters.ThislawledtotheReign
of Terror, which occurred from 17931794. During that period, 40,000 French citizens were killed
by the revolutionist. Similarly, a radical phase began to occur in Egypt as well, a year after the
electionofMohammedMorsi. Although,mainlyallEgyptiansvotedforMorsybecausetheythought
he will change everything, he actually did nothing productive after a year of his election. In The
Guardians article Egyptian activists hope for 'second revolution' a year after Morsi's election.,
author Patrick Kingsley discusses Egypts dissatisfaction with Morsis rule. Kingsley states.
Opposition activists claim an unverifiable 15 million Egyptians have signed a petition demanding
Morsi's removal, and expect a significant proportion of that number to take to the streets on 30
June.5 Largescale demonstrations by the AntiMorsi people for several days which resulted in
Egypt's army chief and now president Abdel Fattah El Sisi to give 48 hours to the Free elected
president, Morsi. The powerful forces of the military cracked down on Morsisupporters at protest
camps in Nahda squares and Rabaa alAdawiya in Cairo, Egypt. Immediately, the President
Mohamed Morsi was removed by the Egyptian Armed Forces on July, 3, 2013 having amid
demonstrations against Morsi's rule. Many protesters who were Morsisupporters amassed near the

Egyptianactivistshopefor'secondrevolution'ayearafterMorsi'selection.,PatrickKingsley,The

guardian,11.28EDTThurs,June,272013

Rabia AlAdawiya Mosque to call for Morsi's return to power and condemn the military, while
others demonstrated in support of the military and interim government.Thegovernmentcrackdown
ofthesehugeprotestsoccurredin "clashes"onAugust,14,2013,inwhichatleast1,000peoplewere
killed. In the CNNs article called One Year of Crackdowns, Greg Botelho explains the conflict
that had resulted from antiMorsi protesting. Botelho reports, The government on Wednesday,
according tostateTV,issuedamonthlongstateofemergency._Theintensityandviolencelingered
into Thursday morning, when state TV reported Morsy backers were attacking police stations,
hospitals and government buildings despite a governmentmandated curfew.6 In the middle of
August, the violence spread by the army against the protesters ,havingdozensofpeoplekilledwho
wish to get freedom, and the government informing a monthlong nighttime curfew. Dead people
were not distinguished whether they were Morsisupporter of AntiMorsi, but the government was
just trying to stop the war going on. Deadly clashes continued for several days, with three
particularly bloody incidents been described by Muslim Brotherhood officials as "massacres"
perpetrated by security forces. Lately, peoplewhowerepartofthisrevolutionbutnotasreligiousas
MorsisupporterswereknownasTheenemiesoftherevolution.

Phase4:EndofthebeginningoftheEgyptianRevolution.

Both the Egyptian and French revolution ended reverting back to the old regime. After the
radical phase of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte, an army commander, performed a

Egyptonedgeafteratleast278killedinbloodiestdaysincerevolution.,ByGregBotelho.JoshLevsandIanLee
,CNN,10:51AMEDT,ThuAugust15,2013
6

coup detat, which give him power to rule France. Although Napoleon created laws and
constitutional rights using Enlightenment ideology, he used his politicalstability toreturnFrancean
absolute power. However, in the Egyptian Revolution, Mohamed Morsi betrayed the revolutionary
not as an emperor, but as a president. In the The Guardian article A year after Morsi, Egypts
revolution is not over, author HA Hellyer explains Morsis mistake to disregard a limited
government. Hellyer states, Many Egyptians have fallen for the false choice between the religious
right andsecuritythroughautocraticsubjugation.However,threeyearsonfromthe uprising,Egypt's
core revolutionaries remain resilient and aware that they have a long road ahead of them. The
revolutionary camp hasn't given up.7 The revolution did not give up and still continuing to see
improvement for Egypt. Many protesters who were Morsisupporters amassed near the Rabia
AlAdawiya Mosque to call for Morsi's return to power and condemn the military, while others
demonstrated in support of the military and interim government. Actually, one of the two sides
succeeded antiMorsi had support from the military, and the President Abdel Fattah el Sisi is from
theMilitarysupport.

Nevertheless, anti Morsi supporters began to succeed, especially with the support of
Morsis successor, Abdul Fattah alSisi. In Al Jazeera Americas article Egyptian protesters
killed on anniversary of deadly government crackdown, the broadcast system reported about
Sisis plan to overthrow Morsis rule. Al Jazeera states, Sisi overthrew Morsi after millions of
people took to the streets demanding his resignation after just one year in office. They accused

AyearafterMorsi,Egypt'srevolutionisnotover.,ByH.A.Hellyer,Theguardian,01.30EDTTue,1,July,2014.

Morsi of monopolizing power and ruining an already dilapidated economy.8 Since people had
specific revolutionary ideals that they needed to be accomplished in their country and the new
elected president did not do what the normal people want after one year in office, therefore, he
must have been overthrown. Although, some Egyptians debated over Sisis ability to rule the
Islamiccountry.
Ultimately, Sisis popularity had grown considerably he has promised the people of
Egypt that he will end the poverty and the political turmoil the the contrunty had been
experiencing.9 Similar to Napoleon, Sisi is using the promise of stabilitytohiscitizensinorder
to gain power. Therefore, Sisi can end the rule of the Islamists give themilitarymoreauthority.
As Napoleon, Sisi canthenrevertEgypttoanabsolutistpower,becauseheisasignificantleader
oftheEgyptianmilitary.

Egyptianprotesterskilledonanniversaryofdeadlygovernmentcrackdown.,AlJazeeraAmerica,
11:00AMETAugust14,2014
8

Monitoring,BBC."WhoIsAbdulFattahAlSisi?"BBCNews.BBCNews,16May2014.Web.02

Nov.2014.

LesleyTacuri
EmilyLarcher
NadinMostafa
SimpletimelineoftheEgyptianRevolution:(bydates)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/10156802/Egypttimelinefromrevolutiontothecurre
ntcrisis.html
DetailedtimelineoftheEgyptianRevolution:(bydates)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/01/201112515334871490.html
MainfivestagesoftheEgyptianRevolution:(revolutionsummarized)
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/06/15/the_five_stages_of_egypt_s_revolution

AnatomyofaRevolutionProject

Outline:
1. Whatwastheeconomic/politicalsystemlikebeforetherevolution?
(TITLE)Optional
a. EconomicalturmoilHighunemploymentratesforcollegegraduates.
b. PoliticalcorruptionpolicebrutalitybyMubaraksforces.
c. ForeignpolicyManyEgyptiansdidnotapproveofthethecountrysrelationshiptheIsraeland
Palestine.

d. Thespreadofvirtualoppositionthroughoutsocialmediasites

2. Whatrevolutionaryideaswerechallengingthestatusquo?Wereideasoreconomicsinfluencingthe
revolutionmore?Werethereanyliberalsaccomplishmentsmadelikelimitingabsolutepower/granting
aconstitution?
(TITLE)Optional
a. Mubaraksresignationtheconstitutionandtheparliamentaredissolvedinthehopesforanew
democraticgovernment.
b. LiberalsecularistsandmembersoftheIslamicgroupMuslimBrotherhoodclashoverthenext
stepwritingaconstitutionorhaveademocraticelection.TheIslamistsgettheirwish.Ultimately,
alargenumberofMuslimBrotherhoodmembersareelectedintotheEgyptianparliament.
c. MohamedMorsi,aprominentmemberofMuslimBrotheriselectedaspresidentofEgypt.The
Egyptianmilitaryseizesparliamentpower,resultinginalimitedgovernmentforMorsiandthe
authoritycreatelawsandcontrolthenationalbudgetfortheEgyptianmilitary.Nevertheless,this
leadstoaconflictbetweenthesecularEgyptianmilitaryandtheMuslimBrotherhood.But,with
theIslamistseditingthenewconstitution,whichincludeslawsofwhichallowtheEgyptian
militarythesameamountofauthoritytheyhadunderMubarak.Soon,thisleadstoanunpopular
opinionofMorsi,alongwiththeaccusationsthatheisabusinghispower.

3. WasthereanythinginthisrevolutionakintotheFrenchRevolutionsradicalphase?
(TITLE) Phase 3: Islamists feeling uncomfortable in Egypt
a. June,30,2012:AfterHosniMubaraksoverthrow,Egyptheldtheirfirstdemocraticelection,
choosingMohamedMorsi.
b. InJuly,3,2013:Ayearafterhiselection,Morsiwasoverthrownbutprosecularprotesters.Hewas
succeededbythemilitaryrule.Thereasonwasthathebetrayedtherevolutionaryideals.(resulting
inbeingremovedbytheegyptianarmedforces)
c. Largescaledemonstrationscontinue,andEgypt'spowerfulmilitarygivesthetwosides48hoursto
resolvetheirdisputes,oritwillimposeitsownsolution.
d. On14AugustInmidAugust,theviolencedirectedbythearmytowardstheprotestersescalated,
withdozenskilled,andthegovernmentdeclaringamonthlongnighttimecurfew.Deadlyclashes
continuedforseveraldays,withthreeparticularlybloodyincidentsbeingdescribedbyMuslim
Brotherhoodofficialsas"massacres"perpetratedbysecurityforces.August,30,2013:alarge
numberofMorsisupporterswereslaughteredbytheEgyptianmilitary,duetothelatters
secularism.
e. June,8,2014:AfterMohamedMorsioverthrow,Egyptheldtheirdemocraticelectionagain,
choosingAbdulFattahElSisi.

4. Didtherevolutionend?Howdidtherevolutionend?
(TITLE) Phase 4: End of the beginning of the Egyptian Revolution
a. Therevolutiondidnotendbecausetheprotestersfromthebeginningoftherevolutionhad
specificrevolutionaryidealsanddidnotyetoccurtillnowlikethehighprizesinfood,
unemploymentofyoungadultsakaeconomicsystem,oldregimeetc.
b. In1791,threeyearsintotheFrenchRevolution,themonarchyhadn'tevenbeenabolishedyet,Louis
XVI'sheadhadnotbeenseveredfromhisbody,andtheTerrorhadyeteventobeimaginedinany
meaningfulsense.TherealityismostlikelythatEgyptianrevolutionisnotoverit'sbarelygotten
going.Wecanonlyhopethathoweverlongittakes,itescapesthemassviolencethathasdoomed
somanyrevolutionsbeforeit.

SimilaritiesBetweentheEgyptianandFrenchRevolution:
EgyptianRevolution:January25th,2011
Present

FrenchRevolution:17891799

Forthirtyyears,Egyptwasruledby
anabsolutistgovernmentleadby
HosniMubarak.

Francehadbeenruledamonarchyfor
centuries,withtheircurrentruler
LouisXVIduringtheFrench
Revolution.

Egyptisreplacedbyanew,
stillreligiousruler,MohamedMorsi,
whoislateraccusedofabusinghis
power.

FranceistakenoverbyNapoleon
Bonaparte,wholaterdeemshimselfas
emperorofFrance,onceagain
redirectingthecountrytoanabsolutist
government.

Duringtheradicalphaseofthe
EgyptianRevolution,hundredsof
Morsisupporterswerebeatenand
killedbythethesecularEgyptian
military.

DuringtheReignofTerror,many
suspectedKingLouissupporterswere
persecutedandkilled.


______________________________________________________________________________

Aim:

InformationCollected:

Whatwasthe
economic/politica
lsystemlike
beforethe
revolution?

Sources:

TheEgyptianRevolutionwasheavily
influencedbytheyoungerpopulationa
highnumberofcollegegraduateswere
findingitdifficultobtainjobs.

Green,Duncan.
"WhatCausedthe
Revolutionin
Egypt?"The
Guardian.The
Whathelpedspreadtheideasofthis
Guardian,17Feb.
revolutionwastheuseofsocialmedia
2011.Web.23Oct.
devices,includingTwitterandFacebook. 2014.
________________
Also,Egyptsforeignpoliciesespecially Sharrock,David,
withIsraelandPalestinewerealsohotly JackShenker,and
debatedandaccusedofbeingcontrolled
PaulHarris."Egypt:
theU.S.
HowthePeople
SpantheWheelof
EgyptfollowedinthepathofTunisia,who TheirCountry's
alsooverthrewtheirruler.Theirrevolution History."The
beganwiththeselfimmolationof
Guardian.The
MohamedBouazizi,alongsufferingstreet Guardian,12Feb.
vendor.Soon,Bouazizisinfluencespread 2011.Web.24Oct.
toothernations,includingEgypt,which
2014.
begantheArabSpring.

Furthermore,therehasbeenplentyof
violentfromMubarakspoliceforce.
KhaledSaidwassenselesslybeatenand
killedbyMubarakspolicebecausehehad
tapedavideowhichdepictedthecorrupt
ofthepoliceforce.
What
revolutionary
ideaswere
challengingthe
statusquo?Were
ideasor
economics
influencingthe

revolutionmore?
Werethereany

Thefirstchangetooccurasaresultofthe
EgyptianRevolutionwastheresignation
ofHosniMubarakonFebruary11th,2011.
Subsequently,Mubaraksprimeminister,
AhmedShafik,takesoverthegovernment,
whichsparliamentandconstitutionare
destroyed.
Shortlyafterwards,liberalsecularistand
membersoftheIslamicgroupMuslim

"Timeline:Whats
HappenedSince
Egypts
Revolution?"PBS.
PBS,17Sept.2013.
Web.26Oct.2014.

liberals
accomplishments
madelike
limitingabsolute
power/grantinga
constitution?

Brotherhoodclashoverthenextstep
writingaconstitutionorhaveademocratic
election.Intheend,theIslamistsgettheir
wish.Ultimately,alargenumberof
MuslimBrotherhoodmembersareelected
intotheEgyptianparliament.

MohamedMorsi,aprominentmemberof
MuslimBrotheriselectedaspresidentof
EgyptthefollowingyearHowever,shortly
beforethisevent,theEgyptianmilitary
seizesparliamentpower,resultingina
limitedgovernmentforMorsi.The
Egyptianmilitarygetstheauthoritycreate
lawsandcontrolthenationalbudget.
Nevertheless,thisleadstoaconflict
betweenthesecularEgyptianmilitaryand
theMuslimBrotherhood.

But,withtheIslamistseditingthenew
constitution,whichincludeslawsofwhich
allowtheEgyptianmilitarythesame
amountofauthoritytheyhadunder
Mubarak.Soon,thisleadstoanunpopular
opinionofMorsi,alongwiththe
accusationsthatheisabusinghispower.

Wasthere
anythinginthis
revolutionakin
totheFrench
Revolutions
radicalphase?

AfterHosniMubaraksoverthrow,Egypt
heldtheirfirstdemocraticelection,
choosingMohamedMorsi,aleaderofthe
IslamicgroupMuslimBrotherhood.

Didthe
revolutionend?

Murray,Warren,
MikeTicher,Shiv
Malik,Adam
Gabbatt,andOliver
Laughland.
However,ayearafterhiselection,Morsi
"EgyptianMilitary
wasoverthrownbutprosecularprotesters. Government
Hewassucceededbythemilitaryrule.
Declares
Monthlong
Furthermore,inthesummerof2013,a
EmergencyasIt
largenumberofMorsisupporterswere
Happened."The
slaughteredbytheEgyptianmilitary,due Guardian.The
tothelatterssecularism.
Guardian,14Aug.
2013.Web.24Oct.
2014.

2012:
MohamedMorsi,wasthefirst

"Profile:
MohammedMorsi."

Howdidthe
revolutionend?

democraticallyelectedleaderforEgypt,
andwasalsoassociatedwiththeIslamic
groupMuslimBrotherhood.

BBCNews.BBC
News,18Dec.
2013.Web.25Oct.
2014.
MorsitakesEgyptinthemidstof
________________
Zeconomicalandpoliticalinstability.
ElHaddad,Waleed.
However,Morsiselectedwasspeculated "IsThistheEndof
tohavebeenfixed.
Egypt's
Revolution?"Al
Furthermore,Morsispowerislimiteddue Jazeera.AlJazeera,
tothetheEgyptianmilitarys[Egypt's
25June2012.Web.
SupremeMilitaryCouncil(SCAF)]
26Oct.2014.
constitutionallaws.Theseamendments
decreasedthepowerofMuslim
Brotherhood,thegroupthatMorsiisthe
leaderof.

MorsifacedharshcriticisminNovember
duehisinabilitytohandlethetheweak
economyandharshpoliticalproblems.
Whatexacerbatedhisproblemwashis
plantousehisIslamisttiestocreateanew
constitution.