Farouk

Farouk (färOOk') [key], 1920–65, king of Egypt (1936–52), son and successor of Fuad I. After a short regency he acceded (1937) to the throne. A constitutional monarch, Farouk was frequently at odds with the Wafd, the largest Egyptian party. Because of his pro-Axis sympathies during World War II, the British imposed upon him a pro-British premier in 1942. General corruption, added to his defeat in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, eventually led to the military coup of 1952, headed by Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdal Nasser. Farouk was forced to abdicate; he fled the country and found refuge abroad.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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