1969 Libyan revolution

Coup d'état by the Free Officers movement 1969 Libyan revolution the Arab Cold War Nasser Qaddafi Atassi 1969.jpg 300px Gaddafi at an Arab summit in Libya, shortly after the September Revolution that toppled King Idris. Gaddafi sits in military uniform in the middle, surrounded by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser (left) and Syrian President Nureddin al-Atassi (right) 1 September 1969 Libya Free Officers victory Overthrow and abolition of the Monarchy Establishment of Libyan Arab Republic Start of Muammar Gaddafi's rule Flag of Libya (1951).svg Kingdom of Libya Flag of Cyrenaica.svg Cyrenaican Defence Force (CYDEF) Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Free Officers movement Flag of King Idris I.svg Idris I Flag of Libya (1951).svg Abdel Aziz El Shelhi Flag of Libya (1951).svg Omar Ibrahim El ShelhiLittle Douglas 2013 To the Shores of Tripoli: America, Qaddafi, and Libyan Revolution 1969–89 https://www.jstor.org/stable/24701340 The International History Review 35 1 70–99 10.1080/07075332.2012.742448 24701340 154177382 0707-5332 2023-02-10 2023-09-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20230920100632/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24701340 live subscription Flag of Libya (1951).svg Hasan as-Senussi Flag of Libya (1951).svg Wanis al-Qaddafi Flag of Libya (1951).svg Abdul-Aziz Shennib Flag of Libya (1951).svg Mustafa Ben Halim Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Muammar Gaddafi Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Abdessalam Jalloud Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Umar Muhayshi Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Khweldi Hameidi Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Bashir Saghir Hawadi Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Mustafa Kharoubi Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Abdel Moneim al-Houni Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Mohammed Najm Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Abdel Fatah Younis Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Khalifa Haftar Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Omar El-Hariri Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Awad Ali Hamza1970-01-11 Libya Names 12 Members Of Revolutionary Council en-US The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1970/01/11/archives/libya-names-12-members-of-revolutionary-council.html 2023-02-07 0362-4331 2023-02-07 https://web.archive.org/web/20230207145117/https://www.nytimes.com/1970/01/11/archives/libya-names-12-members-of-revolutionary-council.html live Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Mukhtar Abdullah al-QarawiNyrop Richard F. https://books.google.com/books?id=PUlk3hsvMkIC&dq=Bashir+Saghir+hawaadi+car+accident&pg=PA141 Area Handbook for Libya Studies American University (Washington, D. C. ) Foreign Area 1973 U.S. Government Printing Office en Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Sayyid Gaddaf al-Dam Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Massoud Abdelhafid Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Sayyid Gaddaf al-Dam Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Ali Treki Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg Ali Kanna Unknown 70 0 0 The 1969 Libyan revolution or coup d'état, also known as al-Fateh Revolution or 1 September Revolution, was a coup d'état and revolution carried out by the Free Officers movement, a group of Arab nationalist and Nasserist officers in the Libyan Army, which overthrew the Senussi monarchy of King Idris I and resulted in the formation of the Libyan Arab Republic. The Free Officers movement was led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. The government of Idris was increasingly unpopular by the late 1960s due to internal mismanagement, and the rise of Arab nationalist sentiment further weakened his regime. On 1 September 1969, while Idris was in Turkey, a group of Libyan Army officers under the leadership of Gaddafi launched a coup from Benghazi and quickly established control over the country. The coup was bloodless and received enthusiastic support from the public. Crown prince Hasan as-Senussi relinquished his claim to the throne, and Libya was declared a free and sovereign republic by the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC). Gaddafi, in his capacity as RCC chairman, became the de facto head of state. He would then rule Libya for 42 years until his death in 2011. Background The discovery of significant oil reserves in 1959 and the subsequent income from petroleum sales enabled the Kingdom of Libya to transition from one of the world's poorest nations to a wealthy state. Although oil drastically improved the Libyan government's finances, resentment began to build over the increased concentration of the nation's wealth in the hands of King Idris. The kingdom also made little effort in attempting to unite the country and poorly managed Libya's internal affairs.Khatib Lina Lina Khatib https://books.google.com/books?id=2FxiAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA78 Taking to the Streets: The Transformation of Arab Activism Lust Ellen 2014-05-20 JHU Press 978-1-4214-1311-2 78 en 2023-04-16 2023-06-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20230616040033/https://books.google.com/books?id=2FxiAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA78 live This discontent mounted with the rise of Nasserism, Ba'athism, and Arab nationalism/socialism throughout the Arab world.Syed Muzaffar Husain https://books.google.com/books?id=eACqCQAAQBAJ Concise History of Islam Akhtar Syed Saud Usmani B. D. 2011-09-14 Vij Books India Pvt Ltd 978-93-82573-47-0 437 en 2023-04-16 2023-03-31 https://web.archive.org/web/20230331014738/https://books.google.com/books?id=eACqCQAAQBAJ live John Ronald Bruce St https://books.google.com/books?id=8cWxEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA311 Historical Dictionary of Libya 2023-03-15 Rowman & Littlefield 978-1-5381-5742-8 311 en 2023-04-16 2023-09-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20230920104820/https://books.google.com/books?id=8cWxEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA311 live By 1969, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was expecting parts of the Libyan Armed Forces to launch a coup. Although they claimed that they knew of Gaddafi's Free Officers movement, they had since ignored it, stating that they were instead monitoring Abdul Aziz Shelhi's Black Boots revolutionary group.Blundy David http://archive.org/details/qaddafilibyanre00blun Qaddafi and the Libyan revolution Lycett Andrew 1987 Boston : Little, Brown Internet Archive 978-0-316-10042-7 53–59 Shelhi, who effectively served as Idris' chief of staff, and his brother Omar were the sons of Idris' longtime chief advisor Ibrahim Shelhi, who had been murdered by Queen Fatima's nephew in the fall of 1954.1955-07-04 LIBYA: Family Troubles https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,807255,00.html live Time en-US 0040-781X https://web.archive.org/web/20230210080151/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,807255,00.html 10 February 2023 2023-02-10Straw Sean William 2011-07-12 Anglo Libyan relations and the British military facilities 1964-1970 https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11983/ 2023-07-11 eprints.nottingham.ac.uk en 2023-07-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20230711090232/https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11983/ live After their father's assassination, the Shelhi brothers (including another brother, Busiri, who was killed in a car accident in 1964) became the favorites of Idris.Qaddafi – The Man and His Rise to Power – Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training https://adst.org/2013/08/qaddafi-the-man-and-his-rise-to-power/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230210074629/https://adst.org/2013/08/qaddafi-the-man-and-his-rise-to-power/ 10 February 2023 2023-02-10 adst.org The Shelhi family, who was highly influential in Cyrenaica, was considered "utterly corrupt" and Idris' reliance on them caused discontent among the Libyan people.Vandewalle Dirk https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/history-of-modern-libya/83CEF8FC8ED364E5946C40A3AC54E008 A History of Modern Libya 2012 Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-01939-3 2 Cambridge 70–78 2023-07-11 2023-07-12 https://web.archive.org/web/20230712071819/https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/history-of-modern-libya/83CEF8FC8ED364E5946C40A3AC54E008 live The British, who had a major military presence in Libya and close ties with Libya's army high command, also considered a coup inevitable.Owen Roger https://scholar.harvard.edu/ero/publications/state-power-and-politics State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East 2004 Routledge 978-0-415-29713-4 London; New York 54 2023-07-11 2023-07-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20230711090240/https://scholar.harvard.edu/ero/publications/state-power-and-politics live Then British Defence Secretary Denis Healey later wrote in his memoir in 1991 that "it was obvious that the monarchy was likely to fall at any moment to an army coup", and that the Shelhi family would be the most likely to overthrow the monarchy.Healey Denis https://books.google.com/books?id=TrBePgAACAAJ The Time of My Life 2006 Politico's 978-1-84275-154-1 322 en 2023-08-18 2023-09-26 https://web.archive.org/web/20230926085454/https://books.google.com/books?id=TrBePgAACAAJ live The British purportedly favored a Shelhi takeover because they feared the Crown Prince, Hasan as-Senussi, would fall under Nasserite influence and Libya would become a client state of Egypt and by extension, the Soviet Union. Thus, the British considered the Shelhi brothers more likely to continue Idris' pro-Western policy.2011-10-19 For Amal, life (re)begins at 75 https://www.arabnews.com/node/395340 2023-07-01 Arab News en 2023-07-18 https://web.archive.org/web/20230718173311/https://www.arabnews.com/node/395340 live Coup By April 1969, the Shelhi brothers further consolidated their power. Abdul Aziz Shelhi had become the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Army and Omar Shelhi became the royal counselor. Omar also married the daughter of a former Prime Minister in an "ostentatious ceremony" that further embittered the Libyan people.Wright John https://books.google.com/books?id=WB50sqpZKk8C A History of Libya 2012 Hurst 978-1-84904-227-7 114 en In mid-1969, Idris travelled abroad to Turkey and Greece during widespread rumors of a coup by the Shelhi brothers on 5 September. In August 1969, Idris offered to abdicate while on holiday in Greece after reports of the distribution of anti-Idris publications became known to him.Simons Geoff 1993 Libya: The Struggle for Survival https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-349-22633-7 en 159–163 10.1007/978-1-349-22633-7 978-1-349-22635-1 2023-07-11 2023-07-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20230711090228/https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-349-22633-7 live subscription Gaddafi's Free Officers recognized 1 September as their chance to overthrow the monarchy before the Shelhi brothers, initiating "Operation Jerusalem".Bearman Jonathan Qadhafi's Libya 1986 Zed Books 978-0-86232-434-6 52 en On 1 September 1969, a group of about 70 young army officers known as the Free Unionist Officers Movement and enlisted men mostly assigned to the Signal Corps gained control of the government and abolished the Libyan monarchy. The coup was launched at Benghazi; and, within two hours, it was completed. Army units quickly rallied in support of the coup and, within a few days, military control was established in Tripoli and elsewhere throughout the country. The Free Officers occupied airports, police depots, radio stations, and government offices in Tripoli and Benghazi. Gaddafi captured the Barqa barracks in Benghazi, Umar Muhayshi took over Tripoli barracks and Jalloud seized the city's anti-aircraft batteries. Khweldi Hameidi captured the Tripoli radio station and was sent to arrest crown prince Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi and force him to give up his claim to the throne. Upon being arrested, Abdul Aziz Shelhi reportedly said, "No, you fools, the coup is not tonight!"Fathali, 'Umar Ibrahim 'Umar Ibrahim Political Development and Social Change in Libya Palmer Monte Lexington Books 1980 Lexington, Massachusetts 40Download by pid https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/downloads/05741v93z?locale=en 2023-07-10 escholarship.mcgill.ca 2023-09-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20230920095400/https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/downloads/05741v93z?locale=en live Popular reception of the coup, especially by younger people in the urban areas, was enthusiastic. Fears of resistance in Cyrenaica and Fezzan proved unfounded. No deaths or violent incidents related to the coup were reported.BBC News: 1969: Bloodless coup in Libya The Free Officers movement, which claimed credit for carrying out the coup, was headed by a twelve-member directorate that designated itself the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC). This body constituted the Libyan government after the coup. In its initial proclamation on 1 September, the RCC declared the country to be a free and sovereign state called the Libyan Arab Republic, which would proceed "in the path of freedom, unity, and social justice, guaranteeing the right of equality to its citizens, and opening before them the doors of honourable work". The rule of the Turks and Italians and the "reactionary" government which were overthrown were characterised as belonging to "dark ages", from which the Libyan people were called to move forward as "free brothers" to a new age of prosperity, equality, and honour."First Decree of the revolution". (1 September 1969) at EMERglobal Lex https://web.archive.org/web/20120319134440/http://www.emerglobal.com/lex/law-1958-162 2012-03-19 for the Edinburgh Middle East Report. Retrieved 31 March 2010. People of Libya! In response to your own will, fulfilling your most heartfelt wishes, answering your most incessant demands for change and regeneration, and your longing to strive towards these ends: listening to your incitement to rebel, your armed forces have undertaken the overthrow of the corrupt regime, the stench of which has sickened and horrified us all. At a single blow our gallant army has toppled these idols and has destroyed their images. By a single stroke it has lightened the long dark night in which the Turkish domination was followed first by Italian rule, then by this reactionary and decadent regime which was no more than a hotbed of extortion, faction, treachery and treason. —Gaddafi's radio speech after seizing power, 1969 right 25em right The RCC advised diplomatic representatives in Libya that the revolutionary changes had not been directed from outside the country, that existing treaties and agreements would remain in effect, and that foreign lives and property would be protected. Diplomatic recognition of the new government came quickly from countries throughout the world. United States recognition was officially extended on 6 September. Post-coup events In view of the lack of internal resistance, it appeared that the chief danger to the new government lay in the possibility of a reaction inspired by the absent King Idris or his designated heir, Hasan ar Rida, who had been taken into custody at the time of the coup along with other senior civil and military officials of the royal government, including Abdul Aziz Shelhi. Within days of the coup, however, Hasan publicly renounced all rights to the throne, stated his support for the new government, and called on the people to accept it without violence. On 2 September 1969, Omar Shelhi, who had fled Libya, contacted British Foreign Minister Michael Stewart in London and requested British intervention, by force if necessary, but Stewart refused to offer British support. On 5 September 1969, Omar Shelhi travelled to the United States, but received a frosty reception from the Nixon administration and was only received by a middle-ranking US representative at the United Nations. On 4 September 1969, Idris, in an exchange of messages with the RCC through Egypt's President Nasser, dissociated himself from reported attempts by Omar Shelhi to secure British intervention and disclaimed any intention of coming back to Libya. In return, he was assured by the RCC of the safety of his family still in the country. At his own request and with Nasser's approval, Idris took up residence once again in Egypt, where he had spent his first exile and where he remained until his death in 1983. On 7 September 1969, the RCC announced that it had appointed a cabinet to conduct the government of the new republic. An American-educated technician, Mahmud Sulayman al-Maghribi, who had been imprisoned since 1967 for his political activities, was designated prime minister. He presided over the eight-member Council of Ministers, of whom six, like Maghrabi, were civilians and two – Adam Said Hawwaz and Musa Ahmad – were military officers. Neither of the officers was a member of the RCC. Hawwaz and Ahmad would soon be implicated in a failed coup against the RCC in December 1969. The Council of Ministers was instructed to "implement the state's general policy as drawn up by the RCC". The next day the RCC promoted Captain Gaddafi to colonel and appointed him commander-in-chief of the Libyan Armed Forces. Although RCC spokesmen declined until January 1970 to reveal any other names of RCC members, it was apparent from that date onward that the head of the RCC and new de facto head of state was Gaddafi. Analysts were quick to point out the striking similarities between the Libyan military coup of 1969 and that in Egypt under Nasser in 1952, and it became clear that the Egyptian experience and the charismatic figure of Nasser had formed the model for the Free Officers movement. As the RCC in the last months of 1969 moved to institute domestic reforms, it proclaimed neutrality in the confrontation between the superpowers and opposition to all forms of colonialism and imperialism. It also made clear Libya's dedication to Arab unity and to the support of the Palestinian cause against Israel. The RCC reaffirmed the country's identity as part of the "Arab nation" and its state religion as Islam. Parliamentary institutions from the kingdom were dissolved with legislative functions being assumed by the RCC, and the prohibition against political parties was continued, in effect from 1952. The new government categorically rejected communism – in large part because it was atheist – and officially espoused an Arab interpretation of socialism that integrated Islamic principles with social, economic, and political reform. See also 1952 Egyptian revolution 1969 Libyan coup attempt 2013 Libyan coup attempt 2014 Libyan coup attempts Cultural Revolution in Libya References collapsed Category:1969 in Libya Category:1969 in politics Category:1969 conflicts Category:September 1969 in Africa Category:1960s coups d'état Category:1960s revolutions Category:Arab nationalism in Libya Category:Arab nationalist rebellions Category:Cold War rebellions Category:History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi Category:Islamism in Libya Category:Coups d'état in Libya Category:Military history of Libya Category:Muammar Gaddafi Category:Nasserism Category:Republicanism in the Arab world Category:Revolutions in Libya Category:Socialism in Libya Category:Socialist revolutions Category:History of Benghazi