Reconstructing the self and the American : Civil War veterans in khedival Egypt
Author(s)
Advisor
Weisbrode, KennethDate
2020-08Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
Between 1869 and 1878, American officers from both sides of the Civil War were
recruited into the Egyptian Army. The former foes collaborated in reforming the
khedival military by reorganizing the units and professional training, building up
defenses, exploring territories down to Equatorial Provinces, and mapping the
peripheries. As an earlier example of ex-Confederate-Union amalgamation, the
Egyptian experience provided the veterans, whom post-war economic and political
conditions in the United States pushed for new quests to restore their professional
and economic dignity. This dissertation narrates the story of their sojourn in Egypt,
their activities, how they were able to reconcile in a profoundly foreign setting, and
the sense of alienation in the host society, which contributed to this (re)constructed
national identity.