Role of External Factors in Supporting Egyptian Military During the Protest Events of 2011–2013

Abstract

The author argues that robustness of the Egyptian army significantly depends on external financial aid, and a broad network of sponsors and supporters which also plays a key role in survival and stability of the existing regime. The author analyses the role of external factors on the robustness of the Egyptian military during protests of 2011–2013 in Egypt and its link to the peculiarities of the country’s development in previous decades. The article concludes that during the past decades of Egypt’s development such conditions emerged for creation of a strong military and coercive apparatus which allowed it to penetrate all major sphere of state (politics, economy, finance, etc.), obtain vast networks of international donors, and to secure financial, military-technical and political support from external actors which helped it to survive during volatile times. All of these allowed the military to become rigid enough to maintain power and resist any major transformation of the existing regime. The author argues that the role of external factors in support of Egyptian military was one of the key reasons of its robustness and survival.