Yemen Arab Republic

Yemen, 1962–1990. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Yemen Arab Republic was formed in 1962, when a coup in the capital Sana'a saw Nasserist military officers overthrow the monarchy and proclaim a republic. The overthrow triggered an 8-year civil war that ended with the defeat of the monarchists and the victory of pro-republican forces. The following years were marked by political instability, civil conflicts, frequent political assassinations and military coups: the country was ruled by a military junta from 1962 to 1967 and again from 1974 to 1978. On May 22, 1990, the YAR united with the PDRY (South Yemen) to form the current Republic of Yemen, under the leadership of Saleh.

Seat of power: Sanaa

Rulers

Abdullah as-Sallal

President of Yemen Arab Republic, 1962–1967

Al-Sallal led the revolutionary forces that deposed King Muhammad al-Badr and brought the Kingdom of Yemen to an end. His government abolished slavery in Yemen. He was later ousted in a bloodless coup led by Abdul Rahman Al-Iryani and exiled to Egypt.

Portrait of Abdullah as-Sallal: Unknown photographer, Public domain, file

Abd ar-Rahman al-Iryani

President of Yemen Arab Republic, 1967–1974

Originally a leader of the Free Yemeni Movement opposition group during the time of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen, al-Eryani served as Minister of Religious Endowments under North Yemen's first republican government and later became the only civilian politician to have led Northern Yemen. He was eventually overthrown by Ibrahim al-Hamdi and died in exile.

Portrait of Abd ar-Rahman al-Iryani: Alain Saint Hilaire, Public domain, file

Ibrahim al-Hamdi

President of Yemen Arab Republic, 1974–1977

During his rule, he cemented the central government's control over the country, and planned to end tribal loyalty and Yemen's medieval social classes by proclaiming all Yemenis as equal. He primarily sought to calm tribal feuds and regional conflicts, which had been prevalent under previous rulers.

Portrait of Ibrahim al-Hamdi: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file

Ahmed Hussein al-Ghashmi

President of Yemen Arab Republic, 1977–1978

President al-Ghashmi reinstated the 1970 Constitution, which had previously been suspended by al-Hamdi, the country's previous president, in 1974. On 11 October 1977, al-Hamdi was assassinated and al-Ghashmi took over the country.

Portrait of Ahmed Hussein al-Ghashmi: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file

Ali Abdullah Saleh

President of Yemen Arab Republic, 1978–1990

A veteran and officer of the North Yemen civil war, Saleh consolidated power and restored civilian rule after al-Ghashmi's assassination in 1978. Despite military defeat against South Yemen in the Second Yemenite War, a rebellion, and multiple coup attempts, Saleh, though challenged with stagnant economic growth and significant poverty, had managed to bring stability to North Yemen by the mid 1980's.

Portrait of Ali Abdullah Saleh: European Union, European Parliament, file

Abdul Karim Abdullah al-Arashi

President of Yemen Arab Republic, 1978–1978

Following President Ahmed Al-Ghashmi's assassination, He was appointed Chairman of the Presidential Council of the former Yemen Arab Republic (also known as North Yemen) from June 24 to July 18, 1978.

Portrait of Abdul Karim Abdullah al-Arashi: The original uploader was يوسف حسين at Arabic Wikipedia., Public domain, file

Culture

The YAR eventually managed to establish good relations with many Arab states and the United States, for which it served as a counterweight to communist South Yemen, but it maintained ties with the USSR, relying on the weapons it purchased from it.
Relative stability began with the rise to power of Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was able to successfully consolidate his position in the government.
The Old City of Sanaa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a distinctive architectural character, most notably expressed in its multi-story buildings decorated with geometric patterns.

Picture

At an elevation of 2,300 metres (7,500 ft), Sanaa is the seventh highest capital city in the world.

Image: Dan from Brussels, Europe, CC BY-SA 2.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.