Ahmed Ali al-Mwawi
Ahmed Abdullah Al-Mwawi, also Mawawi or Muwawi, was an Egyptian major general. He served as the General Commander of the Egyptian expeditionary force during 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
Personal life
He was born in Sohag in 1897. He was married and had four children.Military career
- Mwawi graduated from the Military Academy in 1916.
- He was appointed at the rank of major as head of the training department of Military Operations.
- He was promoted to the rank of brigadier in 1945, he became the commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade.
- In 1947 he was appointed Commander of the Infantry Corps.
- On May 12, 1948, he was appointed commander of the Egyptian Army in Sinai.
Role in 1948 war
Warning discussion
On the evening of Tuesday, May 11, 1948, al-Mwawi attended a secret meeting of the Egyptian parliament to discuss the declaration of war. Before the voting of the parliament, he warned that the Egyptian Army was not prepared, opining that there would be little real fighting. The battle plan was unclear and war aims were vague, making al-Mwawi uncertain of his objectives. On May 15 he led the Egyptian Expeditionary Forces into Palestine. The Egyptians numbered between 7,000 and 10,000 troops, divided into two brigades.The Egyptian Expeditionary Forces comprised the 1st Infantry Battalion, the 6th Infantry Battalion, the 9th Infantry Battalion, an armoured reconnaissance battalion, a light tank battalion, three 25 pound cannon batteries, one 18 pound cannon battery and one six pound anti-tank cannon battery.
With the intensification of clashes in Palestine he moved his headquarters to el-Arish where he was stationed along with an infantry force.