Sadat, (Muhammad) Anwar (1918-1981)

Egyptian politician, president 1970-81. Succeeding Nasser as president in 1970, he restored morale by his handling of the Egyptian campaign in the 1973 war against Israel. In 1974 his plan for economic, social, and political reform to transform Egypt was unanimously adopted in a referendum. In 1977 he visited Israel to reconcile the two countries, and he shared the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1978 with Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin for their efforts towards the Israel-Egypt peace treaty of 1979. Although feted by the West for pursuing peace with Israel, Sadat was denounced by the Arab world. He was assassinated by Islamic fundamentalists and succeeded by Hosni Mubarak.