This article is about secret Egyptian pro-Axis society and royalist political movement. For other uses, see
Iron Guard (disambiguation).
The Iron Guard of Egypt was a secret pro-
Axis society and
royalist political movement formed in
Egypt in the early 1930s[1] and used by
King Farouk for personal and political vendettas.[2] The guard was involved in attacks on Farouk's declared enemies,[3] operating with a license to kill, and is believed to have taken orders from Farouk personally.[4] Its other functions included protecting Farouk, serving as a
special operations force, and gathering military intelligence.[5]
History and members
Thought to have been formed during the 1930s[6] by
Aribert Heim (this claim is backed by the appearance of the Iron Guard of Palestine[7] and the
Iron Guard of Romania in the same time period),[8] It was made up mostly of army officers and was connected to the
Free Officers, a secret military group.[9] The Iron Guard ceased operations in 1952.[8]
Twelve members of the Iron Guard were
court-martialed in Cairo on October 2, 1952, on charges of instigating and carrying out assassinations.[8] They included General Amer, who was charged with the murder of an army maintenance corps lieutenant,
hashish smuggling, and desertion.[8] Five of the members were charged with murdering al-Banna.[8]
^Reid, Donald M. (1982). "Political Assassination in Egypt, 1910-1954". The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 15 (4). Boston University African Studies Center: 625–651.
doi:
10.2307/217848.
JSTOR217848.