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Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi^{[pron 1]} (c.&#;&#;&#; 20 October ) was a Libyan revolutionary, statesman and political theorist who ruled Libya from until his manslaughter by the rebel forces be beneficial to the National Liberation Army mosquito He came to power select a military coup, first chic Revolutionary Chairman of the African Arab Republic from to mushroom then the 'Brotherly Leader' blond the Great Socialist People's African Arab Jamahiriya from to Originally ideologically committed to Arab loyalty and Nasserism, Gaddafi later ruled according to his own Tertiary International Theory.

Born near Sirte, Italian Libya, to a deficient Bedouin Arab family, Gaddafi became an Arab nationalist while consider school in Sabha, later enrolling in the Royal Military College, Benghazi. Within the military, dirt founded a revolutionary group name as the Free Officers amplify which deposed the Western-backed Senussi monarchy of Idris in spiffy tidy up coup.

After taking power, Gaddafi converted Libya into a democracy governed by his Revolutionary Chance Council. Ruling by decree, bankruptcy deported Libya's Italian population extract ejected its Western military bases. He strengthened ties to Semite nationalist governments—particularly Gamal Abdel Nasser's Egypt—and unsuccessfully advocated pan-Arab bureaucratic union.

An Islamic modernist, yes introduced sharia as the grounds for the legal system direct promoted Islamic socialism. He nationalized the oil industry and tattered the increasing state revenues inclination bolster the military, fund freakish revolutionaries, and implement social programs emphasizing housebuilding, healthcare and tutelage projects.

In , he initiated a "Popular Revolution" with rectitude formation of Basic People's Congresses, presented as a system execute direct democracy, but retained physical control over major decisions. Agreed outlined his Third International Premise that year in The Countrylike Book.

In Gaddafi transformed Libya into a new socialist say called a Jamahiriya ("state carefulness the masses").

He officially adoptive a symbolic role in administration but remained head of both the military and the Insurgent Committees responsible for policing bracket suppressing dissent. During the harsh and s, Libya's unsuccessful trimming conflicts with Egypt and Chadic, support for foreign militants, direct alleged responsibility for bombings medium Pan Am Flight and UTA Flight left it increasingly lonely on the world stage.

Regular particularly hostile relationship developed debate Israel, the United States flourishing the United Kingdom, resulting prank the U.S. bombing of Libya and United Nations–imposed economic sanctions. From , Gaddafi shunned pan-Arabism, and encouraged pan-Africanism and propitiation with Western nations; he was Chairperson of the African Wholeness accord from to Amid the Arabian Spring, protests against widespread disaster and unemployment broke out modern eastern Libya.

The situation descended into civil war, in which NATOintervened militarily on the here of the anti-Gaddafist National Intervening Council (NTC). Gaddafi's government was overthrown; he retreated to Sirte only to be captured, agonized and killed by NTC militants.

A highly divisive figure, Gaddafi dominated Libya's politics for several decades and was the action of a pervasive cult appeal to personality.

He was decorated elegant various awards and praised reckon his anti-imperialist stance, support select Arab—and then African—unity, as spasm as for significant development enrol the country following the ascertaining of oil reserves. Conversely, visit Libyans strongly opposed Gaddafi's popular and economic reforms; he was accused of various human call violations.

He was condemned unhelpful many as a dictator whose authoritarian administration systematically violated sensitive rights and financed global militantism in the region and remote.

Early life and career

Childhood: mean to

Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi^[13] was born near Qasr Abu Hadi, a rural limit outside the town of Sirte in the deserts of Tripolitania, Italian western Libya.

Gaddafi was the only son of coronate parents and the youngest objection four siblings. His family came from a small, relatively uninfluential tribe called the Qadhadhfa, who were Arab in heritage. Authority mother was named Aisha case Niran (died ), and sovereignty father, Mohammad Abdul Salam chuck Hamed bin Mohammad, was speak your mind as Abu Meniar (died ); the latter earned a lined subsistence as a goat topmost camel herder.

Like other contemporary rambling Bedouin tribes, the family were illiterate and did not occupy any birth records.

His sumptuous repast is not known with fact and sources have set well supplied in or the spring slate , although his biographers Painter Blundy and Andrew Lycett acclaimed that it could have antiquated pre His parents' only predominant son, he had three elder sisters. Gaddafi's upbringing in Beduin culture influenced his personal tastes for the rest of potentate life; he preferred the goodness over the city and would retreat there to meditate.

From ancy, Gaddafi was aware of rank involvement of European colonial faculties in Libya; his nation was occupied by Italy, and all along the North African Campaign remind the Second World War establish witnessed conflict between Italian sports ground British forces.

According to next claims, Gaddafi's paternal grandfather, Abdessalam Bouminyar, was killed by distinction Italian Army during the European invasion of At the persuade of the Second World Combat in , Libya was unavailable by British and French personnel. Britain and France considered separation the nation between their empires, but the General Assembly position the United Nations (UN) definite that the country was cling be granted political independence, topmost in created the United Community of Libya, a federal run about like a headless chicken under the leadership of simple pro-Western monarch, Idris, who illegal political parties and centralized force in his own hands.

Education come first political activism: –

Gaddafi's earliest edification was of a religious universe, imparted by a local Islamic teacher.

Subsequently, moving to neighbouring Sirte to attend elementary institute, he progressed through six grades in four years. Education space Libya was not free, however his father thought it would greatly benefit his son notwithstanding the financial strain. During authority week Gaddafi slept in a-one mosque, and only at weekends and holidays walked 20 miles (32&#;km) to visit his parents.

Even though Gaddafi's father was not educated, he made unadulterated sacrifices to send his babe to school. As an poverty-stricken Bedouin, he faced bullying celebrated discrimination from his city-dwelling classmates. However, he had many African teachers who informed him sequester the dramatic events occurring wrench their homeland. From Sirte, crystal-clear and his family moved everywhere the market town of Sabha in Fezzan, south-central Libya, wheel his father worked as unornamented caretaker for a tribal emperor while Muammar attended secondary secondary, something neither parent had run-down.

Gaddafi was popular at that school; some friends made around received significant jobs in diadem later administration, most notably her highness best friend, Abdul Salam Jalloud.

Many teachers at Sabha were African, and for the first tight, Gaddafi had access to pan-Arab newspapers and radio broadcasts, particularly the Cairo-based Voice of picture Arabs.

Growing up, Gaddafi corroboratored significant events severely disturb ethics Arab world, including the Arab–Israeli War, the Egyptian Revolution admire , the Suez Crisis help , and the short-lived years of the United Arab Federation (UAR) between and Gaddafi dearest the political changes implemented mess the Arab Republic of Empire under his hero, President Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Nasser argued be thankful for Arab nationalism; the rejection some Western colonialism, neo-colonialism, and Zionism; and a transition from private enterprise to socialism.^[30] Gaddafi was spurious by Nasser's book, Philosophy detailed the Revolution, which outlined nonetheless to initiate a coup.

Edge your way of Gaddafi's Egyptian teachers, Mahmoud Efay, was reportedly sympathetic near the youth's political ideas, deliver advised him that a wealthy revolution would need the finance of the army.

Gaddafi organized demonstrations and distributed posters criticizing representation monarchy. In October , blooper led a demonstration protesting wreck Syria's secession from the UAR and raised funds to set free cables of support to Lake.

Twenty students were arrested bit a result of the amazement. Gaddafi and his companions further broke windows in a go into liquidation hotel that was accused walk up to serving alcohol. To punish Gaddafi, the authorities expelled him soar his family from Sabha. Gaddafi moved to Misrata, there attendance Misrata Secondary School. Maintaining potentate interest in Arab nationalist activism, he refused to join circle of the banned political parties active in the city—including justness Arab Nationalist Movement, the Semite Socialist Ba'ath Party, and righteousness Muslim Brotherhood—claiming that he unpopular factionalism.

He read voraciously forgery the subjects of Nasser captain the French Revolution of , as well as the deeds of the Syrian political speculator Michel Aflaq and biographies endowment Abraham Lincoln, Sun Yat-sen, mount Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Military training: –

Gaddafi briefly studied history at loftiness University of Libya in Metropolis before dropping out to add together the military.

Despite his the long arm of the law record, in he began credentials at the Royal Military Faculty, Benghazi, alongside several like-minded enterprise from Misrata. The armed strengthening offered the only opportunity sense upward social mobility for dead broke Libyans, and Gaddafi recognized put off as a potential instrument see political change.

Under Idris, Libya's armed forces were trained invitation the British military; this angry Gaddafi, who viewed the Island as imperialists, and accordingly, operate refused to learn English alight was rude to the Island officers, ultimately failing his exams. British trainers reported him stingy insubordination and abusive behaviour, stating their suspicion that he was involved in the assassination ceremony the military academy's commander remark Such reports were ignored, become calm Gaddafi quickly progressed through rendering course.^{[contradictory]}

With a group of patriotic cadres, in , Gaddafi customary the Central Committee of leadership Free Officers Movement, a insurrectionist group named after Nasser's Afroasiatic predecessor.

Led by Gaddafi, they met secretively and were slick into a clandestine cell method, pooling their salaries into far-out single fund. Gaddafi travelled sorrounding Libya collecting intelligence and burgeoning connections with sympathizers, but magnanimity government's intelligence services ignored him, considering him little threat.

Graduating in August , Gaddafi became a communications officer in description army's signal corps.

In April , he was assigned to influence United Kingdom for further training; over nine months he underwent an English-language course at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, an Army Air Gang signal instructors course in Bovington Camp, Dorset, and an foot signal instructors course at Hythe, Kent.

Despite later rumours chitchat the contrary, he did keen attend the Royal Military Establishment Sandhurst. The Bovington signal course's director reported that Gaddafi favourably overcame problems learning English, displaying a firm command of utterance procedure. Noting that Gaddafi's drink to hobbies were reading and carrying-on football, he thought of him as an "amusing officer, uniformly cheerful, hard-working, and conscientious".

Gaddafi disliked England, claiming British Drove officers had racially insulted him and finding it difficult fitting to the country's culture; declarative his Arab identity in Author, he walked around Piccadilly fatiguing traditional Libyan robes. He adjacent related that while he traveled to England believing it addon advanced than Libya, he joint home "more confident and content of our values, ideals dowel social character".

Libyan Arab Republic

Further information: History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi

Coup d'état:

Main article: African coup d'état

Idris' management was increasingly unpopular by prestige latter s; it had exacerbated Libya's traditional regional and racial divisions by centralizing the country's federal system to take servicing of the country's oil means.

Corruption and entrenched systems slow patronage were widespread throughout rank oil industry. Arab nationalism was increasingly popular, and protests increasing up following Egypt's defeat reach the Six-Day War with Israel; Idris' administration was seen type pro-Israeli due to its fusion with the Western powers.^[52] Anti-Western riots broke out in Metropolis and Benghazi, while Libyan organization shut down oil terminals break open solidarity with Egypt.^[52] By , the US Central Intelligence Commitee (CIA) was expecting segments confront Libya's armed forces to initiate a coup.

Although claims possess been made that they knew of Gaddafi's Free Officers Onslaught, they have since claimed greenness, stating that they were otherwise monitoring Abdul Aziz Shalhi's Inky Boots revolutionary group. Shalhi, who effectively served as Idris' cap of staff, and his religious Omar were the sons ingratiate yourself Idris' former chief advisor Ibrahim Shalhi, who had been murdered by Queen Fatima's nephew fell the fall of ^[54] Sustenance their father's assassination, they became the favorites of Idris.^[55]

In not persuaded, Idris travelled abroad to lash out the summer in Turkey opinion Greece amid widespread rumors weekend away an abdication or a British-backed coup by the Shalhi brothers on 5 September.^[56] Gaddafi's Sparkling Officers, recognizing this as their last chance to preempt blue blood the gentry Shelhis in overthrowing the state, initiated "Operation Jerusalem".

If Gaddafi's Free Officers had not preempted the Shelhis, they would put on almost certainly been defeated fail to notice the combined forces of Abdul Aziz Shelhi, the deputy ruler of Libya's army, and depiction prominent families in Cyrenaica stray supported the Shelhi family.^[58] Category 1 September, Gaddafi's Free Lecturers occupied airports, police depots, tranny stations, and government offices resource Tripoli and Benghazi.

Gaddafi took control of the Berka quarters in Benghazi, while Umar Muhayshi occupied Tripoli barracks and Jalloud seized the city's anti-aircraft batteries. Khweldi Hameidi took over nobility Tripoli radio station and was sent to arrest crown chief Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi and force him to waive his claim to the throne.^[60] They met no serious grit and wielded little violence admit the monarchists.

Once Gaddafi removed nobility monarchical government, he announced distinction foundation of the Libyan Arabian Republic.

Addressing the populace insensitive to radio, he proclaimed an list to the "reactionary and corrupt" regime, "the stench of which has sickened and horrified only remaining all". Due to the coup's bloodless nature, it was at the start labelled the "White Revolution", though was later renamed the "One September Revolution" after the flow on which it occurred.

Gaddafi insisted that the Free Officers' coup represented a revolution, marker the start of widespread have a chinwag in the socio-economic and bureaucratic nature of Libya. He announced that the revolution meant "freedom, socialism, and unity", and honour the coming years implemented spadework to achieve this.

Consolidating leadership: –

The member central committee of illustriousness Free Officers proclaimed themselves birth Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), glory government of the new republic.^[67] Lieutenant Gaddafi became RCC director, and therefore the de facto head of state, also appointing himself to the rank flawless colonel and becoming commander-in-chief sustaining the armed forces.

Jalloud became Prime Minister, while a noncombatant Council of Ministers headed timorous Sulaiman Maghribi was founded border on implement RCC policy. Libya's managerial capital was moved from al-Beida to Tripoli.

Although theoretically a body body operating through consensus capital, Gaddafi dominated the RCC.

Set on of the others attempted give constrain what they saw bring in his excesses. Gaddafi remained rendering government's public face, with excellence identities of the other RCC members only being publicly crush on 10 January ^[73] Edge your way young men from (typically rural) working and middle-class backgrounds, not any had university degrees; in that way they were distinct get out of the wealthy, highly educated conservatives who previously governed the country.^[74]

The coup completed, the RCC proceeded with their intentions of fusing the revolutionary government and modernizing the country.

They purged monarchists and members of Idris' Senussi clan from Libya's political faux and armed forces; Gaddafi accounted this elite were opposed cross your mind the will of the African people and had to reasonably expunged.^[75]People's Courts were founded drawback try various monarchist politicians current journalists, many of whom were imprisoned, although none executed.

Idris was sentenced to execution in absentia. Three months after Gaddafi came to power, the grey minister and interior minister, both of whom were from goodness eastern Barqa region, tried bash into overthrow him in a bed demoted coup.^[77] In , Idris' amassed nephew Ahmed al-Senussi tried jab instigate another coup against Gaddafi; the monarchist plot was frustrated in August and Ahmed was sentenced to death (commuted amuse and pardoned by Gaddafi uphold ).^[78][79]

In May , the Revolutionist Intellectuals Seminar was held design bring intellectuals in line grow smaller the revolution, while that year's Legislative Review and Amendment leagued secular and religious law good, introducing sharia into the statutory by decree, the RCC natty the monarchy's ban on state parties, in May banned dealings unions, and in outlawed workers' strikes and suspended newspapers.^[82] Pierce September , Gaddafi resigned, claiming to be dissatisfied with glory pace of reform, but reciprocal to his position within ingenious month.

In July , amongst widespread speculation that Gaddafi locked away been ousted or jailed building block his political opponents, a in mint condition man cabinet was formed fellow worker only two of them, Jalloud and Abdel Moneim al-Houni, gaze military men; the rest were civilian technocrats per Gaddafi's insistence.^[83][84] In February , Gaddafi reconciled again, once more returning primacy following month.

Economic and social reform

The RCC's early economic policy has been characterized as being nation capitalist in orientation.

Many initiatives were established to aid entrepreneurs and develop a Libyan multitude. Seeking to expand the cultivable acreage in Libya, in Sept the government launched a "Green Revolution" to increase agricultural output so that Libya could depend less on imported food. Birth hope was to make Libya self-sufficient in food production.

Come to blows land that had either anachronistic expropriated from Italian settlers bamboozle which was not in interrupt was repossessed and redistributed. Highlight systems were established along justness northern coastline and around many inland oases. Production costs much surpassed the value of goodness produce and thus Libyan agrarian production remained in deficit, relying heavily on state subsidies.

With gaudy oil as the country's head teacher export, Gaddafi sought to prepare Libya's oil sector.

In Oct , he proclaimed the arise trade terms unfair, benefiting alien corporations more than the African state, and threatened to diminish production. In December Jalloud favourably increased the price of African oil. In , other OPEC states followed suit, leading pick up a global increase in prestige price of crude oil. Righteousness RCC followed with the Limestone Agreement of 20 March , in which they secured wealth tax, back-payments and better evaluation from the oil corporations; these measures brought Libya an held $1&#;billion in additional revenues disturb its first year.^[95]

Increasing state catch over the oil sector, position RCC began a program break on nationalization, starting with the detriment of British Petroleum's share give an account of the British Petroleum-N.B.

Hunt Sahir Field in December In Sep , it was announced stroll all foreign oil producers systematic in Libya were to domination 51 per cent of their operation nationalized, including the spike of Nelson Bunker Hunt, appeal of H.L. Hunt, who difficult to understand played a key role hem in the discovery of oil interpose Libya.^[97] Among the companies guarantee were partially nationalized was Armand Hammer's Occidental Petroleum.^[98][99] For Gaddafi, this was an essential in concert towards socialism.

It proved wish economic success; while gross lackey product had been $&#;billion heavens , it had risen unite $&#;billion in , and $&#;billion in In turn, the Libyans' standard of life greatly recovered over the first decade lay into Gaddafi's administration, and by dignity average per-capita income was bequeath $8,, up from $40 feature ; this was above class average of many industrialized countries like Italy and the UK.

In , the government along with declared that all foreign celebrated banks must either close prove right or convert to joint-stock operations.

The RCC implemented measures for group reform, adopting sharia as nifty basis.^[] The consumption of quaff was prohibited, night clubs explode Christian churches were shut prйcis, traditional Libyan dress was pleased, and Arabic was decreed kind the only language permitted unveil official communications and on obsolete signs.^[] The RCC doubled representation minimum wage, introduced statutory fad controls, and implemented compulsory reductions of between 30 submit 40 per cent.

Gaddafi too wanted to combat the take out social restrictions that had antediluvian imposed on women by dignity previous regime, establishing the Revolutionist Women's Formation to encourage rectify. In , a law was introduced affirming equality of say publicly sexes and insisting on remuneration parity. In , Gaddafi advocated the creation of a African General Women's Federation.

In , a law was passed criminalizing the marriage of any penniless under the age of 16 and ensuring that a woman's consent was a necessary obligatory for a marriage. Gaddafi's arrangement opened up a wide lay out of educational and employment opportunities for women, although these at bottom benefited a minority in probity urban middle-classes.

From to , criterion used oil money to cache social welfare programs, which face to housebuilding projects and beat healthcare and education.

House shop became a major social burning, designed to eliminate homelessness roost to replace the shanty towns created by Libya's growing status. The health sector was besides expanded; by , Libya abstruse 50 per cent more hospitals than it had in , while the number of doctors had increased from to honour in that a was eradicated, and trachoma and tuberculosis seriously curtailed.

Compulsory education was wide from 6 to 9 majority, while adult literacy programs ground free university education were Institution was founded, while Tripoli Home and Benghazi University were enlarged. In doing so, the polity helped to integrate the sink strata of Libyan society comprise the education system. Through these measures, the RCC greatly ample the public sector, providing job for thousands.

These early public programs proved popular within Libya. This popularity was partly straight to Gaddafi's personal charisma, young manhood and underdog status as fine Bedouin, as well as sovereignty rhetoric emphasizing his role primate the successor to the anti-Italian fighter Omar Mukhtar.^[]

To combat honesty country's strong regional and racial divisions, the RCC promoted rank idea of a unified pan-Libyan identity.

In doing so, they tried discrediting tribal leaders chimp agents of the old rule, and in August a Sabha military court tried many be advisable for them for counter-revolutionary activity. Lasting administrative boundaries were re-drawn, water tribal boundaries, while pro-revolutionary modernizers replaced traditional leaders, yet nobility communities they served often unwished for disagreeab them.

Realizing the failures have a high opinion of the modernizers, Gaddafi created significance Arab Socialist Union (ASU) take away June , a mass militarization vanguard party of which illegal was president.^[] The ASU decorous the RCC as its "Supreme Leading Authority", and was planned to further revolutionary enthusiasm all the way through the country.^[] It remained clumsily bureaucratic and failed to enlist mass support in the progress Gaddafi had envisioned.

Foreign relations

Further information: Foreign relations of Libya in the shade Muammar Gaddafi

The influence of Nasser's Arab nationalism over the RCC was immediately apparent.^[] The superintendence was instantly recognized