From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

'Abdel Hakim 'Amer (Arabic: عبد الحكيم عامر) ‎ (December 11, 1919– September 14, 1967) was an Egyptian military general and political leader. 'Amer was born in Astal (Egypt), Samallot, in the Al Minya Governorate in 1919. After finishing grade school, 'Amer attended the Cairo Military Academy and was commissioned into the Egyptian Army in 1939. In 1948, he served in the first Arab-Israel War.

'Amer, who was said to have a "gentle, warm and impulsive nature", played a leading role in the military coup that overthrew King Farouk of Egypt in 1952 which brought General Naguib and Colonel Nasser to power. The following year, 'Amer was made Egypt's Chief-of-Staff. In 1956, 'Amer was appointed commander-in-chief of the joint military command established by Egypt and Syria. He also led the Egyptian forces against both the Israeli and allied British-French forces during the 1956 Israeli War, also known as the Suez Crisis.

In 1964, 'Amer was made first vice-president to Nasser and deputy supreme commander, with the power to rule for 60 days if the president was disabled or killed. 'Amer's distinguished career came to a sudden end after Egypt's defeat by Israel in the Six-Day War in June of 1967, and he was relieved of all his posts and forced into early retirement. Nasser earlier was struggling to keep 'Amer's unrealistic military expectations checked. But in August later that year, 'Amer, along with over 50 Egyptian military officers and two former ministers, were arrested for allegedly plotting a coup to overthrow Nasser.

On September 14, 1967, 'Amer was approached in his jail cell by high-ranking Egyptian officers where he was given a choice to remain there and stand trial for treason, which would inevitably have ended with his conviction and execution, or die an honorable death by taking poison. Like Rommel, 'Amer chose the latter option and received a full military burial. Anwar Al Sadat, who later became president of Egypt, expressed his opinion that if he was in the same position as 'Amer position, he would have done the same soon after the Six-Day War.^{[citation needed]}

Abdel Hakim 'Amer was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on May 13, 1964 ^[1]

1. ^ (Russian)Biography at the website on Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia