Egypt's 2011 Revolution: Causes and International Relations

Introduction

Egypt is one of the oldest countries in existence and the most populous in the Arab world. Its unusual significance stems from its historical, regional, political, and geographical dimensions. In January 2011, mass protests erupted at Tahrir Square in Cairo against the 30-year dictatorship of President Hosni Mubarak. Fueled by social injustice, a deteriorating law-and-order system, and corruption in public office, the protests continued for 18 days and resulted in Mubarak's resignation on 11 February 2011. After an interim period of military control from February 2011 to May 2012, Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood became the fifth president of Egypt on 24 June 2012.

The Egyptian uprising changed the Arab world, inspiring demonstrations in Libya, Syria, and other Muslim-majority countries. Beyond economic, legal, and social challenges, the new regime faced the formidable task of balancing domestic political demands with international commitments. Historically, Egypt had been an ally of the Western world, but with a change in governing ideology and mounting economic, social, and political pressures, the nature of its relationship with the West — especially the United States — remained uncertain.

Attacks in Sinai, fears of extremism, the Syrian uprising, and protests against the video Innocence of Muslims further strained international relations with Western nations. The central challenge was the choice between a more secular and a more Islamic approach to foreign policy. While Egypt had historically been more secular than many Arab states, government ideology could prove a decisive factor in shaping the country's future direction. The dismissive attitudes of some Muslim countries toward Israel could potentially influence Egypt's Islamic government and realign its foreign policies accordingly, affecting the longstanding alliance with the United States. Meanwhile, internal social and economic issues remained unresolved and awaited action from the newly formed government.

According to Trotskyist theory, a political revolution is a deliberate effort to replace a prevailing government or alter its form while leaving property relations intact (Trotsky, 1928). The causes of such a revolution can be ideological, rooted in the ineffectiveness of the current rule, economic distress, social injustice, religious intolerance, or nationalism. The product of political revolution is a change in government, and the aftermath of such an event manifests as uncertainty in both external and internal dimensions. Revolutions have recurred throughout human history but differ in methodology, timing, and ideology; the common element is a major change in culture, society, politics, and economy (Stone, 1966). The first generation of theorists believed that revolution is caused by social psychology, while the second generation holds that revolutions arise from psychological, sociological, and political motivators (Goldstone, 1980). Although many theorists have investigated the causes that lead to revolutions, far fewer have studied their consequences and effects (Lewis-Beck, 1979). This research investigates the internal and external consequences of the Egyptian Revolution as experienced by the Egyptian nation.

Literature Review

International relations is a broad field of political science encompassing the study of foreign affairs and policies within the international system. According to Trevor Taylor (1979), "International relations is a subject which attempts to clarify politics across state borders." Positive relations with other countries play a vital role in securing a nation's interests, economic prosperity, and long-term survival. Cooperation with the rest of the world yields greater security, ensures sovereignty, and enhances trade (Pearson & Rochester, 1988). International relations remain in transition, changing with the rapidly evolving global community and its growing complexities. The field encompasses affairs at many levels of the nation-state, touching on the collective international aspects of politics, history, law, sociology, philosophy, culture, and economics (Wilkinson, 2010).

Comparing older schools of thought — positivist and post-positivist theories — with modern-day issues, the role of international relations among countries has gained considerably more importance, with emphasis on international law, international economic ties, globalization, and world peace amid increasing threats from nuclear arms, terrorism, and global environmental issues. Positivist theories emphasize materialist forces such as military power. Post-positivist theories, by contrast, oppose a purely scientific approach to international relations and instead focus on ethical dimensions, ideologies, normative judgments, values, and principles (Wilkinson, 2010).

The research intends to answer the following questions:

1. What are the causes, and the internal and external effects, of the Egyptian Revolution as faced by the current regime?

Conclusion

The contribution from this research would prove valuable, as the research questions relate to recent events on which few similar studies have been conducted. Furthermore, it would add significant value to the broader concept of political revolution and its effects on the internal and external factors of a country. It would also provide recommendations related to international relations with the Western world to the current Egyptian authorities.