The 1919 Egyptian revolution was the founding event for modern Egypt's nation state. It is viewed as that unique moment in the country's history when Muslim, Christian and Jewish Egyptians, throughout the country and from all strata of society, united behind the demand for independence from British rule. As the key executive, legislative and judicial institutions of contemporary Egypt emerged in the wake of the Revolution, 1919 is considered the birth year of modern Egypt and imprinted in the nation's collective memory.

So far there has been no text that looks at the causes, consequences and legacies of the 1919 Egyptian Revolution. This book addresses that gap, with Egyptian and non-Egyptian scholars discussing a range of topics that link back to that crucial event in Egyptian history. Across nine chapters, the book analyzes the causes and course of the 1919 revolution; its impacts on subsequent political beliefs, practices and institutions; and its continuing legacy as a means of regime legitimation. The chapters reveal that the 1919 Egyptian Revolution divided the British while uniting Egyptians. However, the "revolutionary moment" was superseded by efforts to restore Britain's influence in league with a reassertion of monarchial authority. Those efforts enjoyed tactical, but not long-term strategic success, in part because the 1919 revolution had unleashed nationalist forces that could never again be completely contained. The book covers key issues surrounding the 1919 Egyptian Revolution such as the role played by Lord Allenby; internal schisms within the British government struggling to cope with the revolution; Muslim-Christian relations; and divisions among the Egyptians.