WHAT WERE THE CAUSES OF THE YOM KIPPUR WAR OF 1973?

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Ponmuhil Ravichandran

Investigation the Yom Kippur War 1973:

WHAT WERE THE CAUSES OF THE YOM KIPPUR WAR OF 1973?

PLAN OF INVESTIGATION:

In this investigation one will find the long term and short term causes of the Yom Kippur war. This was achieved by reading various sources about the war and the events that were prior to the war. Thus for this investigation the research question is called “what were the causes of the Yom Kippur war of 1973.” By researching about the war one came across various sources some very reliable and some not so dependable thus the evaluation of sources shows how reliable and valuable the investigation’s two main sources are. From each source of the sources one took the liberty of extracting relevant information about the war thus all the events that were related to the war are shown in the summary of evidence section. Finally, the analysis and conclusion part of the investigation came about by taking all the evidence into account and analyzing each cause, and then making an over all conclusion relating to all the causes, analysis, and the whole investigation.

SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE:

The causes of the Yom Kippur war one can date it back all the way to November 2 1917. This day was the day when the British assured the Jews that in Palestine they would gain a national home which they could call as their own. The British assured the Jews this by issuing the Balfour Declaration (). However, the day Israel gained its own state on May 15 1948 the majority of the Arabs felt insecure and unjust. Thus, the Arabs on the same day declared war on the newly Jewish state of Israel, which in the end the Israelis managed to win; one can say that this is another long term cause of the Yom Kippur war (Israel and the Arabs).  In the following year on April 3 1949, an armistice was reached by the two sides even though this meant that the war had stopped, one can say it was still a negative event and a cause for the war of 1973. This was so due to the armistice gave way for Israel to gain 50% more land then what was given to them by the U.N which again the Arabs felt it was unjust (). However, 7 years later on October 29 1956 Israel invades the Sinai region which was Egyptian they did this in retaliation to the Egyptians closing the Suez Canal to the Israelis. As well as that the Israelis wanted to stop soviet arms being used and reached by the Egyptians. Clearly a long term cause of the ’73 war due to it almost triggered another war in the region (History of Israel). On May 1964 the infamous PLO, Palestine liberation organization was founded, whose soul aim was the destroy Israel. Alongside with the creation of this organization a charter was made as well for the organization which stated an immediate “liquidation” of the state of Israel. This was an organization which would eventually trouble Israel for a long time and still continues today to do so. 3 years later, on May 1967 Nasser, president of Egypt once again closes the Tiran straits to Israeli ships, and ignores UN peace keepers in the region. Again he did this to put pressure and create a military front off between the two nations in hope that the other Arab nations would back him if another war broke out. This time the USA intervenes to ease pressure in the region but Nasser’s clear intentions of war ends the talks as a failure and leaves the straits closed to the Israelis (Israel and the Arabs). Thus in the same year on June 5 the offensive Arab nation of Egypt got what it wanted another full scale war with Israel, the 6 day war officially commenced on this day. The Egyptians were backed by the Syrians and the Jordanians but still managed to lose the war against Israel (History of Israel). However, these causes were only long term causes of the cause of the Yom Kippur war, the short term cause was the war of attrition. This “war” consisted of several skirmishes which were launched by Nasser of Egypt on the Suez Canal. This had continued until August 1970 where a cease fire was signed between the two nations (Israel and the Arabs). However, the war of attrition was stalemate and both sides gained heavy casualties. Short after the cease fire was signed, Nasser had died and his successor was Sadat who set up talks between the two nations, which Israel ignored even when Sadat threatened to wage war if a peaceful solution was not found. Thus on October 6 1973 the Yom Kippur war began, (Israel and the Arabs).

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EVALUATION OF SOURCES:

The two sources that I chose to evaluate are “Israel and the Arabs” by Maxime Rodison and “A History of Israel” by Howard M.Sachar. Both sources during my investigation proved to be very helpful, however the two sources each had its values and limitations.

The values of these two source, I feel were plentiful. The values of the source “Israel and the Arabs” were that the author Maxime Rodinson had served the Syrian army and had traveled the Middle East region for quite a long time. He also joined the communist party ...

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