The Six Day War was a war in the Middle East between Israel and the following Arab countries, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The three Arab nations all had the desire to eliminate Israel, but the result of these brisk 6 days was an Israeli victory. The Six Day War took place between June 5th to June 10th in 1967 and involved Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Israel was the victorious side in the quick, six day warfare that took place.The war arose because of Palestinian guerrilla warfare attacks from Syria which increased tension between Israel and Syria. Syria was afraid that Israel would attack them, so they went to Egypt for support. This caused Egypt to order the withdrawal of peacekeeping troops in the Sinai Peninsula and caused them to sign a defense treaty with Jordan.
Israel, on the other hand, was surrounded by Arab nations and feared an attack from them as well. Thus, in order to protect themselves they launched a strike against the three Arab nations, Syria, Jordan ,and Egypt, on June 5th, 1967. The Israeli troops captured the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Band of the Jordan River, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Today, Israel still occupies all of the captured territory except for the Sinai Peninsula, which it gave back to Egypt in 1982. The end of the war resulted not only in a territorial victory for Israel, but after the Six Day War, Israel became known as the superpower in the Middle East.
Prisoners of War
Pre-War Conflicts
Conflict between Arabs and Israelis
Known to be a continuation of first two wars
Egypt decided to keep out United Nation troops from the Sinai Peninsula
Also blockaded Israel's port of Eilat under international war
Arab threatens to destroy Israel
Syria, Jordan, Egypt:
King Hussein, the king of Jordan.
King Hussein: On July 20th, 1951, King Abdullah was assassinated. One witness was his
grandson Hussein ibn Talal who shockingly survived the attacks. Hussein's father was next
in line to be granted the throne, but was later forced to abdicate after just one year because of his mental health. The sixteen year old, Hussein, was crowned king of Jordan on August 11th, 1952. In 1956, Anti-imperialism that was starting to spread was Hussein's main focus. He convinced Britain and the United States to help defeat the rise of Nasser. The six day war was one of Hussein's most challenging tasks. He tried to avoid it, but Nasser's closure of the Tiran Straits forced him to join the war. If he did not join the war he would have risked losing his legitimacy, integrity, and Kingdom. Hussein was the first Arab leader to converse with Israel. He talked with Israel on a regular basis, and started to form an acquaintance between Arab and Israel. Hussein was later on viewed as a promoter of peace. In 1994, Hussein signed a peace treaty with Israel.
President Nasser
Israel:
The largest military figure in Israel was General Moshe Dayan. As the Israeli world predicted a forthcoming war, the nation elected General Moshe Dayan as Prime Minister. Dayan was fully aware that if a war were to break out, Israel would not stand a chance against 3 Arab countries. This lead him to his military tactic of opting for a short lived attacks against the three separate countries.. After the 6 days, Israel had acquired 3 times as much territory as they had and took over 1 million extra Arabs. The Israeli had no idea what to do with the territory they had now gained, and had the intentions to give it back once peace had been found, but that peace was never settled and thus to this day Israel is in control of the land they conquered.
The above image represents the territory that Israel gained from the Six Day War.
Time Line of Major Events:
In the first quarter of 1967 there were over 270 border "incidents" causing rising concern in Israel. June 5, 1967: Israeli Air Force wiped out most of Egypt's warplanes, and moved its forces against Egyptian troops. Israel then destroyed Jordan's Air Force and sent troops to take Arab East Jerusalem. June 6: Israel extended it's air attack to Syria, which gained nearly complete control of the skies. Israeli forces encircle Jerusalem. June 7: Israel took full control of Jerusalem. Jordanian forces were pushed form the Jordan river to The West Bank. June 8: Israeli forces reach the Suez canal, the Israeli Air Force then tears into retreating Egyptians. A cease-fire is then put into effect. June 9: After several days of attack from Syria, Israel moved against Syrian forces in the Golan Heights. June 10: After Israel taking the Golan Heights, a cease fire is declared on that front.
The Six-Day War's death toll: Egypt, about 11,000 troops. Jordan, about 6,000. Syria, about 1,000. Israel, about 760.
Impact of the Six Day War:
The Six Day War had a great impact on all countries involved. The landscape of the Middle East was vastly changed, and the perspective of Israel on itself and the world's perspective on Israel were both changed. There is still much controversy of the land that Israel had captured in 1967; for example, in today's world the much heated debate between Israel and Palestine for the Gaza Strip is directly related to the Six Day War.
This cartoon shows that the Arab countries were, in reality, a lot stronger than Israel, but with the help of the US Israel was able to defeat and gain the territory they did.
Analysis: The Six Day War began on June 5, 1967, when Israel launched air strikes that destroyed Egypt's air force and then launched a ground attack into the Sinai before moving against Syria in the Golan Heights and taking the West Bank area from Jordan. By June 10, Israel had expanded its territory more than three times and ruled over an additional million Arabs. Having hoped simply to escape annihilation, Israeli leaders had no plan to deal with this situation. They decided to continued to occupy these territories, initially as bargaining chips for eventual peace negotiations. But peace was never settled, as the Arabs asked the United Nations (UN) to resolve the situation, and the Israelis never responded to the UN's ambiguous ruling in Resolution 242.
Questions:
1. What was the main point of the Six Day War?
2. What was the territorial gain?
3. Who were the main leaders, and what did they accomplish?
1967 - Six Day War
The Six Day War was a war in the Middle East between Israel and the following Arab countries, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. The three Arab nations all had the desire to eliminate Israel, but the result of these brisk 6 days was an Israeli victory. The Six Day War took place between June 5th to June 10th in 1967 and involved Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Israel was the victorious side in the quick, six day warfare that took place.The war arose because of Palestinian guerrilla warfare attacks from Syria which increased tension between Israel and Syria. Syria was afraid that Israel would attack them, so they went to Egypt for support. This caused Egypt to order the withdrawal of peacekeeping troops in the Sinai Peninsula and caused them to sign a defense treaty with Jordan.
Israel, on the other hand, was surrounded by Arab nations and feared an attack from them as well. Thus, in order to protect themselves they launched a strike against the three Arab nations, Syria, Jordan ,and Egypt, on June 5th, 1967. The Israeli troops captured the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Band of the Jordan River, the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. Today, Israel still occupies all of the captured territory except for the Sinai Peninsula, which it gave back to Egypt in 1982. The end of the war resulted not only in a territorial victory for Israel, but after the Six Day War, Israel became known as the superpower in the Middle East.
Pre-War Conflicts
Syria, Jordan, Egypt:
King Hussein: On July 20th, 1951, King Abdullah was assassinated. One witness was his
grandson Hussein ibn Talal who shockingly survived the attacks. Hussein's father was next
in line to be granted the throne, but was later forced to abdicate after just one year because of his mental health. The sixteen year old, Hussein, was crowned king of Jordan on August 11th, 1952. In 1956, Anti-imperialism that was starting to spread was Hussein's main focus. He convinced Britain and the United States to help defeat the rise of Nasser. The six day war was one of Hussein's most challenging tasks. He tried to avoid it, but Nasser's closure of the Tiran Straits forced him to join the war. If he did not join the war he would have risked losing his legitimacy, integrity, and Kingdom. Hussein was the first Arab leader to converse with Israel. He talked with Israel on a regular basis, and started to form an acquaintance between Arab and Israel. Hussein was later on viewed as a promoter of peace. In 1994, Hussein signed a peace treaty with Israel.
Israel:
The largest military figure in Israel was General Moshe Dayan. As the Israeli world predicted a forthcoming war, the nation elected General Moshe Dayan as Prime Minister. Dayan was fully aware that if a war were to break out, Israel would not stand a chance against 3 Arab countries. This lead him to his military tactic of opting for a short lived attacks against the three separate countries.. After the 6 days, Israel had acquired 3 times as much territory as they had and took over 1 million extra Arabs. The Israeli had no idea what to do with the territory they had now gained, and had the intentions to give it back once peace had been found, but that peace was never settled and thus to this day Israel is in control of the land they conquered.
Time Line of Major Events:
In the first quarter of 1967 there were over 270 border "incidents" causing rising concern in Israel.
June 5, 1967: Israeli Air Force wiped out most of Egypt's warplanes, and moved its forces against Egyptian troops. Israel then destroyed Jordan's Air Force and sent troops to take Arab East Jerusalem.
June 6: Israel extended it's air attack to Syria, which gained nearly complete control of the skies. Israeli forces encircle Jerusalem.
June 7: Israel took full control of Jerusalem. Jordanian forces were pushed form the Jordan river to The West Bank.
June 8: Israeli forces reach the Suez canal, the Israeli Air Force then tears into retreating Egyptians. A cease-fire is then put into effect.
June 9: After several days of attack from Syria, Israel moved against Syrian forces in the Golan Heights.
June 10: After Israel taking the Golan Heights, a cease fire is declared on that front.
The Six-Day War's death toll: Egypt, about 11,000 troops. Jordan, about 6,000. Syria, about 1,000. Israel, about 760.
Impact of the Six Day War:
The Six Day War had a great impact on all countries involved. The landscape of the Middle East was vastly changed, and the perspective of Israel on itself and the world's perspective on Israel were both changed. There is still much controversy of the land that Israel had captured in 1967; for example, in today's world the much heated debate between Israel and Palestine for the Gaza Strip is directly related to the Six Day War.
Analysis:
The Six Day War began on June 5, 1967, when Israel launched air strikes that destroyed Egypt's air force and then launched a ground attack into the Sinai before moving against Syria in the Golan Heights and taking the West Bank area from Jordan. By June 10, Israel had expanded its territory more than three times and ruled over an additional million Arabs. Having hoped simply to escape annihilation, Israeli leaders had no plan to deal with this situation. They decided to continued to occupy these territories, initially as bargaining chips for eventual peace negotiations. But peace was never settled, as the Arabs asked the United Nations (UN) to resolve the situation, and the Israelis never responded to the UN's ambiguous ruling in Resolution 242.
Questions:
1. What was the main point of the Six Day War?
2. What was the territorial gain?
3. Who were the main leaders, and what did they accomplish?
Works Cited:
"Six-Day War." World History: The Modern Era. 2009. ABC-CLIO. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://www.worldhistory.abc-clio.com>.
Image 2: http://www.honestreporting.com/a/images/communiques/upload1/zapirodishonestreporter.jpg. 04-21-09.
Image 1: http://www.honestreporting.com/a/images/communiques/upload1/zapirodishonestreporter.jpg. 04-21-09.
"Six-Day War." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2006. Answers.com 21 Apr. 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/six-day-war
"Six-Day War." The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Answers.com 21 Apr. 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/six-day-war