Idris I of Libya

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Idris I (Arabic: إدريس الأول) (March 12, 1890 - May 25, 1983) was the first King of Libya, reigning from 1951 to 1969. Born Sidi Muhammad Idris al-Mahdi al-Senussi (Arabic: محمد إدريس بن السيد المهدي بن محمد السنوسي), he was the grandson of Sayyid Muhammad bin 'Ali as-Senussi, the founder of the Senussi Muslim sufi order. He inherited the position of head of the order in 1916 following his uncles Sayyid Ahmad as-Sharif bin Sayyid Muhammad as-Sharif as-Senussi resignation. He was recognized by the British under the new title Emir of the territory of Cyrenaica, a position also confirmed by the Italians in 1920.

Politically, Idris spent the early part of his career attempting to negotiate independence for his territory, Cyrenaica. in 1922 after the Italians began waging military campaigns against the Libyan hinterland he went into exile. Egypt then served as his base in a guerrilla war against the colonial Italian authorities. In 1942 Idris returned to Libya, after Britain occupied Libya. Idris then formed an official government.

During World War II (Look here for photograph taken with Major Winston Forman [1]), Idris supported the United Kingdom and brought the Cyrenaican nationalists to fight alongside the Allies against the Axis, which had occupied Libya. With the defeat of the German's army under Erwin Rommel, he was finally able to return to his capital, Benghazi.

He was also invited to become emir of Tripolitania, another of the three traditional regions that now constitute modern Libya (the third is Fezzan). By accepting he began the process of uniting Libya under a single monarchy. From Benghazi, Idris led the team negotiating with the United Kingdom and the United Nations over independence. Independence was achieved on December 24, 1951, and Idris was proclaimed the King of Libya.

To the chagrin of Arab nationalists at home and supporters of Pan-Arabism in neighboring states, Idris maintained close ties with the United Kingdom and the United States, even after they intervened against Egypt during the 1956 Suez Crisis. Another threat to his regime was his failure to produce a male heir to succeed him to the throne. The economy prospered from its oil fields and the presence of the American Air Force's Wheelus Air Base near Tripoli, but the king started to suffer from poor health.

On September 1, 1969, while Idris was in Turkey for medical treatment, he was deposed by the Libyan army under the leadership of Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi in a bloodless coup. In the instant of Idris's abdication, his heir Sayyid Hasan ar-Rida al-Mahdi as-Sanussi became king, but he reigned for less than one day and was then deposed. Idris lived in Greece for a while but went into exile in Egypt, and died in Cairo in 1983.

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Preceded by Sayyid Ahmad	Sheikh of the Senussi 1916 - 1969	Succeeded by Sayyid Hasan
Preceded by unknown	Emir of Cyrenaica 1917 - 1951	Succeeded by merger into Kingdom of Libya
Preceded by unknown	Emir of Tripolitania 1929? - 1951	Succeeded by merger into Kingdom of Libya
Preceded by creation of monarchy	King of Libya 1951 - 1969	Succeeded by Sayyid Hasan