When Farouk was born, the old King Fuad was troubled by the lack of an heir. Despite having fathered many daughters, Egyptian law at the time prohibited daughters from inheriting the throne. Farouk's birth was thus a cause for great joy, prompting the king to hold a grand feast that lasted three days. Farouk was named crown prince from the moment he was born.
King Fuad spared no effort in raising Farouk to become a wise ruler. At sixteen, Farouk was sent to the UK for further education. However, once free from his father's oversight and surrounded by the temptations of London, Farouk strayed from the path that had been planned for him. During his years in Britain, he engaged in idle activities, gambling, hunting, and socializing with aristocratic peers. He also had relationships with at least a dozen young women.
After the death of the old king, Farouk inherited the throne and found himself in possession of a fortune worth $100 million, 200 cars, and 75,000 acres of fertile land at a young age.
Upon ascending the throne, Farouk's excesses only grew. He had over a hundred regular mistresses, including noblewomen, famous actresses, and common beauties, as well as more than a dozen prostitutes. Essentially, any attractive woman could become his mistress. He also frequently toured the country, ostensibly searching for beautiful women.
Rommel waved his hand and spoke kindly, "Stand up. Are these people your family?"
The soldiers standing guard nearby reported, "General, these women are his mistresses."
"Mistresses? Are you married?" Rommel asked.
Farouk cautiously nodded, "Yes."
Rommel frowned slightly. "You're married, yet you have so many mistresses?"
Surprisingly, Farouk, who had been trembling with fear, suddenly became animated when discussing this topic. "General, in my view, no one's love should be constrained by any form, not even marriage." He spoke with conviction, almost gesticulating as he did so.
Rommel was a devoted man. Throughout history, beautiful women have been drawn to heroes, and Rommel was a household name in Germany, naturally attracting many admirers. However, Rommel always remained loyal to his wife, Lucia. Hearing Farouk's shameless justification, Rommel's expression darkened.
The adjutant noticed Rommel's reaction and gestured to the soldiers. "Teach him a lesson."
The soldiers promptly pinned Farouk to the ground and began beating him.
Having been pampered all his life, Farouk had never experienced such brutality. He screamed and begged for mercy.
Rommel waved his hand. "Enough. Don't kill him. Egypt needs to sign a new treaty with Germany."
Farouk, now bruised and battered, was pulled up. Rommel coldly said, "Farouk, will you pledge allegiance to Germany?"
Farouk, not being a fool, immediately bowed his head in submission. "I am willing to lead all of Egypt in pledging allegiance to Germany. I will issue a nationwide proclamation immediately." Internally, he couldn't help but think that he would have submitted without the beating.
As a playboy, he had no loyalty. To save his life, he was willing to sever ties with Britain entirely.
Rommel nodded. "From this moment, all treaties between Egypt and Britain are null and void."
On August 26, 1936, Britain and Egypt signed the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty.
The treaty stipulated:
- Britain had the responsibility to protect Egypt from foreign aggression, with Egypt under British control during wartime.
- Britain ended its military occupation of Egypt but retained the right to station 10,000 troops and 400 pilots in the Suez Canal area.
- British air forces could fly in Egyptian airspace and use Egyptian airports.
- Britain kept its naval base in Alexandria for eight years.
- Egypt could build its military but had to purchase British weapons and accept training from British military missions.
- Extraterritorial rights in Egypt were abolished.
- Egypt joined the League of Nations, and the British High Commissioner was replaced by an ambassador.
- The 1899 Anglo-Egyptian Condominium Agreement regarding Sudan was restored, allowing Egyptians to move to Sudan.
- Egypt was prohibited from forming political alliances conflicting with this treaty.
"Alright, no problem," Farouk I eagerly nodded. To him, signing a treaty with anyone was acceptable as long as his life was spared.
The adjutant pulled out a thick document from his bag and placed it in front of Farouk I.
Farouk I quickly glanced through it; the contents were almost identical to the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, with "Britain" simply replaced by "Germany."
When he reached the last part of the document, he was taken aback. "Buying the Suez Canal for ten billion Reichsmarks?"
In the 19th century, both Britain and France aimed to expand their influence in the resource-rich East. France sought to connect the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, reaching the East, breaking Britain's control over the Cape of Good Hope route. Britain, protecting its interests, especially in India, opposed the canal and proposed building a railway from Cairo through Suez to the Persian Gulf to strengthen East-West ties.
In 1851, Britain began constructing the railway with Egypt's permission. Not to be outdone, France deceived Egypt into signing a concession agreement in 1854 to build and use the Suez Canal. In 1857, the Universal Suez Canal Company was established.
In the spring of 1859, construction began on the Suez Canal, employing hundreds of thousands of Egyptian laborers. Cholera outbreaks in the Suez area claimed over 100,000 lives. After ten years of arduous work, the canal opened in November 1869.
The Suez Canal's strategic location was highly coveted by British rulers. In November 1874, faced with severe financial crises from the canal's construction costing £12 million, Egypt decided to sell its 44% share in the Suez Canal Company. Britain seized the opportunity, preventing Egypt from selling to France. Using various means, Britain acquired the shares, making the canal jointly owned by Britain and France.
Using its military strength, Britain occupied Egypt in 1882, gaining full control of the Suez Canal and establishing its largest overseas military base there, with nearly 100,000 troops stationed.
The Suez Canal's global significance drew international opposition to British ambitions. In 1888, several Western nations signed the Constantinople Convention, ensuring the canal's safety and free navigation. Britain officially joined the convention in 1904 but maintained a large military presence in the canal zone.
In 1914, during World War I, Germany encouraged Turkish forces to seize Egypt and the canal but failed. After acknowledging Egypt's independence in 1922, Britain retained the right to station troops in the canal area.
Italy's invasion of Ethiopia led Britain, under the pretext of protecting Egypt's "safety" and "stability," to enforce the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, keeping British troops in the canal zone and Alexandria as a British naval base.