The Roots of the 1919 Egyptian Revolution from the Perspective of the German Archives

Abstract

The history of anti-colonial activism in Egypt during the first quarter of the twentieth century often focuses on developments within the territorial bounda-ries of the modern Egyptian state. However, there was a significant cohort of Egyptian activists who opposed British occupation while residing abroad in cities such as Paris, London, Geneva, Berlin, Beirut, and Istanbul. This article examines these groups, particularly those based in Berlin in the period leading up to the 1919 Revolution, highlighting their crucial role in sparking the up-rising. Following a review of the literature on anti-colonial activism in Egypt and the proposal of a new framework for understanding its transnational and diasporic dimensions, the article reconsiders the activities of these nationalist groups and their political engagements.