Mohamed Hussein Tantawi was an Egyptian military officer and statesman, widely known for his leadership role in the Egyptian Armed Forces and his brief tenure as de facto leader of Egypt following the 2011 revolution. Born on October 31, 1935, in Cairo, Tantawi embarked on a military career that spanned over five decades. He graduated from the Egyptian Military Academy in 1956, just before the Suez Crisis, and went on to participate in several of Egypt's major military conflicts, including the Six-Day War in 1967, the War of Attrition, and the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

Tantawi rose through the ranks and by the early 1990s had achieved the position of Minister of Defense and Military Production, a role he held from 1991 to 2012. He was also appointed Field Marshal, the highest rank in the Egyptian military. For much of the 1990s and 2000s, Tantawi was a close ally of President Hosni Mubarak and was seen as a steady, conservative figure in the Egyptian government. His role as defense minister made him a key player in Egypt’s internal and external security matters, and he maintained a cautious stance toward political reform, supporting the stability of Mubarak’s regime.

In 2011, when widespread protests erupted across Egypt as part of the Arab Spring, Tantawi played a critical role. Following Mubarak's resignation in February 2011, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which Tantawi chaired, assumed power in Egypt. During this transitional period, Tantawi effectively became the de facto head of state. Under his leadership, SCAF oversaw a turbulent political transition, which included parliamentary elections, constitutional amendments, and the organization of the presidential election. However, Tantawi's tenure as leader was marked by criticism over the military's heavy-handed response to protests and the slow pace of democratic reforms.

In June 2012, Egypt held its first post-revolution presidential elections, resulting in the election of Mohamed Morsi, a candidate from the Muslim Brotherhood. Shortly thereafter, Morsi dismissed Tantawi from his position as defense minister and appointed Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as his replacement. Following his removal from office, Tantawi retreated from public life, though his legacy remained influential in the military and political realms.

Tantawi passed away on September 21, 2021, at the age of 85. He is remembered as a pivotal figure in modern Egyptian history, particularly for his leadership during a time of great upheaval and his long service to the country’s military establishment. His role in the post-Mubarak transition remains controversial, with some viewing him as a stabilizing force and others criticizing him for perpetuating military control over Egyptian politics.

REFERENCE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Hussein_Tantawi