Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi محمد حسين طنطاوي
Tantawi in 2002

Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
In office 11 February 2011 – 30 June 2012
Prime Minister	Ahmed Shafik Essam Sharaf Kamal Ganzouri
Deputy	Sami Anan
Preceded by	Hosni Mubarak (as President)
Succeeded by	Mohamed Morsi (as President)
Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement
In office 11 February 2011 – 30 June 2012
Preceded by	Hosni Mubarak
Succeeded by	Mohamed Morsi
Minister of Defense and Military Production
In office 20 May 1991 – 12 August 2012
Prime Minister	Atef Sedki Kamal Ganzouri Atef Ebeid Ahmed Nazif Ahmed Shafik Essam Sharaf Kamal Ganzouri Hesham Qandil
Preceded by	Sabri Abu Taleb
Succeeded by	Abdul Fatah al-Sisi

Personal details
Born	(1935-10-31)31 October 1935 Cairo, Kingdom of Egypt
Died	21 September 2021(2021-09-21) (aged 85) Cairo, Egypt
Political party	Independent
Alma mater	Egyptian Military Academy
Awards	Liberation Order United Arab Republic Anniversary Order Distinguished Service Order Order of the Nile
Military service
Allegiance	Egypt
Branch/service	Egyptian Army
Years of service	1955–2012
Rank	Field Marshal
Commands	Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Battles/wars	Suez Crisis North Yemen Civil War Six-Day War War of Attrition October War Gulf War Sinai insurgency

Mohamed Hussein Tantawi Soliman (born October 31, 1935 – died September 21, 2021) was an important Egyptian military leader and politician. He held the highest military rank, Field Marshal, in the Egyptian Army.

Tantawi was the commander of the Egyptian Armed Forces. He also led the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. This council took charge of Egypt after President Hosni Mubarak stepped down on February 11, 2011. Tantawi was the country's leader until Mohamed Morsi became president on June 30, 2012.

He also served as Egypt's Minister of Defense for a long time, from 1991 until 2012.

Tantawi's Military Journey
- Becoming Minister of Defense
Role in the Egyptian Revolution
Criticisms Faced
His Passing
Awards and Honors
See Also

Tantawi's Military Journey

Field Marshal Tantawi with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, March 7, 2006

Mohamed Tantawi was from the Nubian people. He started his military career by joining the Egyptian Military Academy in 1952. He became an Army officer in 1955.

He fought in several important wars for Egypt. In 1956, he was a platoon commander during the Suez Crisis, also known as the Suez War. He was promoted to Major in 1961 and led an infantry company in Yemen during the North Yemen Civil War.

Later, he was involved in the Six-Day War in 1967 and the War of Attrition from 1967 to 1970. During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, he was a Lieutenant Colonel leading a mechanized infantry battalion.

Tantawi held many important positions in the military. He was a military attaché in Pakistan from 1983 to 1985. This was a key role because Egypt and Pakistan had strong military ties. He also commanded the Republican Guard from 1989 to 1991.

In 1991, he led an Egyptian Army unit in the Gulf War. This war was fought against Iraq to make them leave Kuwait.

Becoming Minister of Defense

On May 29, 1991, Tantawi was appointed as the Minister of Defense and the commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces. He was quickly promoted to the highest military rank, Field Marshal, in 1993.

Some people thought Tantawi might become the president of Egypt in early 2011.

Role in the Egyptian Revolution

Field Marshal Tantawi with U.S. Army General Martin Dempsey, February 11, 2012

On February 11, 2011, President Hosni Mubarak resigned after many days of protests across Egypt. Field Marshal Tantawi then took charge. He led the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

The council made important changes. They dissolved the Egyptian parliament and held a public vote on new constitutional rules. They also called for former government officials, including Mubarak, to be held accountable.

Tantawi mostly stayed out of the public eye during this time. He let other council members give speeches. He also appointed Essam Sharaf as the new Prime Minister. Tantawi met with foreign leaders like British Prime Minister David Cameron and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In November 2011, new protests broke out. Tantawi appeared on national television and promised to speed up presidential elections. He also said the armed forces were ready to hand over power if the people wanted it.

On August 12, 2012, Egypt's new president, Mohamed Morsi, asked Tantawi to retire from his military roles. Tantawi was given the Order of the Nile, a high honor, and became an advisor to Morsi. Many believed his retirement was part of a plan for the military to step back from political power.

Criticisms Faced

Mohamed Tantawi faced criticism in Egypt. Protesters in Tahrir Square often called for him to leave his position.

Nabeel Rajab, a human rights leader, criticized Tantawi for meeting with the King of Bahrain in 2011. Rajab felt this sent a bad message about Egypt's path to democracy.