Military History of Modern Egypt from the Ottoman Conquest to the Ramadan War

Egypt has one of the oldest civilizations and proudest national histories in the world with a tradition of a well-maintained, advanced and relevant military force. These experiences provided guidance for developing victory in some of the most significant campaigns of Middle Eastern history, from Ottoman Empire conquered Egypt in 1517 AD to the Egyptian-Israeli conflict of 1973. This monograph provides an overview of that history, decisive campaigns, and the features of that military experience in former times that could be useful, in the opinion of the author, for the education of Egyptian military officers today and in the futures--as one element in continuing improvement in Egyptian military and operational art. Some of the key lessons learned from modern Egyptian military history are: The need for speed and mobility. The importance of support structures -- both an industrial base for producing weaponry, and strong logistical supply system for campaigns. Attention to strategic and tactical planning to assure that the enemy is engaged at times, in places, and under conditions of one's choosing The practice, following Clausewitz, of using war as "a continuation of politics by other means". Conclusions and recommendations based on this analysis address how to apply learned lessons from Egyptian military history to current and future officer education. An advanced course, beyond the mid-career staff college, applying lessons from history to current doctrine, theories, and campaign planning, could provide a useful framework for using lessons learned from history for current and future military practice.