Kingdom of Libya
Libya, 1951–1969. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Kingdom of Libya, known as the United Kingdom of Libya from 1951 to 1963, was a constitutional monarchy in North Africa. The unified kingdom came into existence upon independence on 24 December 1951 from the United Kingdom and France and lasted until a bloodless coup d'état on 1 September 1969. The coup, led by Muammar Gaddafi, overthrew King Idris and established the Libyan Arab Republic. Under the constitution of October 1951, the federal monarchy of Libya was headed by King Idris as chief of state, with succession to his designated male heirs.
Seat of power: Benghazi
Rulers
Mustafa Ben Halim
Prime Minister of Libya, 1954–1957
Ben Halim was the Prime Minister of Libya from 12 April 1954 to 25 May 1957. As prime minister, Ben Halim prioritized building relationships and alliances with the West, notably Great Britain, the United States, and France.
Portrait of Mustafa Ben Halim: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
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Abdul Majid Kubar
Prime Minister of Libya, 1957–1960
He served as the Prime Minister of Libya from 26 May 1957 to 17 October 1960. A financial scandal centred on the cost of a road being built from Fezzan to Sabha led to his downfall.
Portrait of Abdul Majid Kubar: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Muhammad Osman Said
Prime Minister of Libya, 1960–1963
He was the Prime Minister of Libya from 17 October 1960 to 19 March 1963.
Mohieddin Fikini
Prime Minister of Libya, 1963–1964
He was the Prime Minister of Libya from 19 March 1963 to 22 January 1964. Fikini presented his resignation and King Idris accepted it on 22 January 1964.
Portrait of Mohieddin Fikini: Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, Public domain, file
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Hussein Maziq
Prime Minister of Libya, 1965–1967
He was Prime Minister of Libya from 20 March 1965 to 2 July 1967.
Portrait of Hussein Maziq: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Abdul Hamid al-Bakkoush
Prime Minister of Libya, 1967–1968
He was Prime Minister of Libya from 25 October 1967 to 4 September 1968. In 1968, during his term in office, Libya created, with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), in order to coordinate production, refining, transport, and commercialization of oil between the three countries.
Portrait of Abdul Hamid al-Bakkoush: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Abdul Qadir al-Badri
Prime Minister of Libya, 1967–1967
He served as Prime Minister from 2 July to 25 October 1967.
Portrait of Abdul Qadir al-Badri: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Wanis al-Qaddafi
Prime Minister of Libya, 1968–1969
He was the tenth Prime Minister of Libya from 4 September 1968 to 31 August 1969, when his government was overthrown by Muammar Gaddafi (no relation).
Portrait of Wanis al-Qaddafi: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Culture
- The Constitution was drafted under the auspices of the United Nations, and was seen to include significant mechanisms for the protection of human rights.
- Tripoli and Benghazi served alternately as the national capital.
- After oil was discovered in Libya in 1959, the king oversaw the emergence of a growing oil industry that rapidly aided economic growth.
Picture
Idris was King of Libya from 24 December 1951 until his ousting in the 1969 Libyan revolution.
Image: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.