You are on page 1of 14

Types of wars.

1.Civil War.
A civil war is a war fought within a single country between or among
different groups of citizens who want to control the government and
do not recognize another groups right to rule. Civil wars are almost
always total wars because each side feels compelled to destroy the
enemys political support base. Regional rifts, such as the American
Civil War (1861 to 1865) between the North and the South,
characterize some civil wars, whereas other civil wars have been
fought among ethnic rivals, religious rivals, and rival clans.
Revolutions can spark civil wars as well.
2.Revolutionary War.
This occurs when the general population of a country rises up
against its own government, in order to overthrow it and replace it.
The best examples of this would be The American Revolutionary War
and The French Revolution.
3.Wars of religion.
This is when a large number of people, from the same country or
different countries, take up arms against the people of another
religion, or even different sects of the same religion.
The best examples of many countries banding together for the sake
of religion, to fight another religion, would be the Crusades, The 30
Years war in Europe, and The War of the Spanish Succession.
4.World War.
When many countries all over the world go to war against each
other, while united through alliances against the opposing side.
The Best examples of this would be WWI and WWII, although it may
be said that the 7 Years War of 1756 to 1763 was also a world war,
in that it was fought mainly in North America and in Europe, while
minor sea engagements spread to the Caribbean and other places.
5.Cyber War.
This is a very new form of warfare, dealing with the attacks on
another country's computer systems, mainly through the internet.
This could be done through misinformation, such as false reports
placed in another country's most popular media, to virus attacks to
shut down internet communications completely.
A good example of this would be the garbage and misinformation
coming out of the Middle East today, from such sources as Al
Jazeera, Al Qaida, and the Taliban. Their victories could be said to
occur when people of the target country begin to believe bizarre
conspiracy theories, or think that we a re losing in Iraq, when we are
actually winning, and nearly finished there.

6.Guerrilla War.
This is Spanish for "little war". This is when there is a part of a
population of a country, much smaller than the established part,
who take to fighting in jungles and forests in little groups, always
hiding and attacking only by surprise, usually on people who can not
fight back.
Good examples of this would be the Malay war of the 1950's,
Vietnam, and present-day Columbia.
7.Proxy War.
As another answerer had said, this is when two major countries, for
whatever reasons, can not openly fight each other, so they involve
themselves in smaller conflicts, supporting either side, practicing for
a possible future war against each other. The goals of the conflict
itself usually become minor to the big picture of the two big
countries indirectly fighting.
A good example of this would be the Afghanistan War of 1979-1989.
The Soviets entered to support a failing communist government,
only to be embroiled in a long guerrilla war with the Mujahedeen,
supported by the U.S.
8.Insurgency.
This is when the majority of a country has a popular elected
government, yet some small elements of the population refuse to
accept the reality, and carry out attacks usually on defenceless
people, to scare them into reversing their support for the
government.
The best example of this would be the Iraq War Sadam Hussein.
9.Class or caste war.
This is when a whole group of a certain class rise up in rebellion
against another class.
The best examples of this would be the Russian Revolution, and
Cambodia in 1975-79.
10.Wars of Unification.
This is when one strong state of a group of states, begins a series of
wars to unite all the states into one country.
The best examples of this would be the Unification of Germany
under Bismarck, and the Unification of Italy under Garibaldi and
Maximillian.
11.Wars of Nationalism.

This occurs when the people of one country suddenly feel that they
are better than the people of another country, and therefore should
be ruled by them.
Good examples of this would be Japan and Korea, Japan and China,
and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
12.Wars for Resources.
This is when the people or government of a country decides that it
needs the resources of another country, in order to survive or
prosper.
It can also be of different peoples of the same country.
Good examples of this would be Darfur today, over water and arable
land, or Japan's drive for the Indonesia oilfields at the beginning of
WWII in the Pacific.
13.Wars of Genocide.
This happens when one group of people decide that another group
of people aren't fit to live, and must be exterminated causing
extremely large number of victims.
A good example of this would be Rwanda a few years ago.
14.Total War.
A total war is a war in which combatants use every resource
available to destroy the social fabric of the enemy. Total wars are
highly destructive and are characterized by mass civilian casualties
because winning a total war often requires combatants to break the
peoples will to continue fighting. World Wars I and II were total
wars, marked by the complete destruction of the civilian economy
and society in many countries, including France, Germany, the
Soviet Union, Italy, Great Britain, and Japan.
15.Cold War.
A cold war is a state of conflict between nations that does not
involve direct military action but is practiced primarily through
economic and political actions, propaganda, and acts of espionage
or proxy wars conducted by substitutes. The substitutes are typically
states that are "satellites" of the conflicting nations, i.e., nations
allied to them or under their political influence. Opponents in a cold
war will often provide economic or military aid, such as weapons,
tactical support or military advisors, to lesser nations involved in
conflicts with the opposing country. The best example of this would
be the Cold War of 1946 to 1991, in Europe and elsewhere, between
the Warsaw Pact and NATO.
16.Biological Warfare
Biological warfare is the employment in war of microorganisms to
injure or destroy people, animals, or crops; it may also be called

germ or bacteriological warfare. Limited attempts have been made


in the past to spread disease among the enemy; e.g., military
leaders in the French and Indian Wars tried to spread smallpox
(variole) among the Native Americans. Biological warfare has
scarcely been used in modern times and was prohibited by the 1925
Geneva Convention. However, many nations in the 20th century
have conducted research to develop suitable military
microorganisms, including strains of smallpox, anthrax, plague, and
some nonlethal agents. Such microorganisms can be delivered by
animals (especially rodents or insects) or by aerosol packages, built
into artillery shells or the warheads of ground-to-ground or air-toground missiles and released into the atmosphere to infect by
inhalation.

Important wars and dates:


The 20th and 21st centuries were dominated by wars and conflicts.
Some of these, like World War I and World War II, were large enough
to encompass nearly the entire world. Others, like the Chinese Civil
War, remained local yet still caused the death of millions of people.
All of these wars, conflicts, revolutions, civil wars, and genocides
shaped these centuries. Below is a chronological list of the major
wars of the 20th and 21st century.
1898-1901 Boxer Rebellion
1899-1902 Boer War
1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War
1910-1920 Mexican Revolution
1912-1913 First and Second Balkan Wars
1914-1918 World War I
1915-1918 Armenian Genocide
1917 Russian Revolution
1918-1921 Russian Civil War
1919-1921 Irish War of Independence
1927-1937 Chinese Civil War
1933-1945 Holocaust
1935-1936 Second Italo-Abyssinian War (also known as the Second
Italo-Ethiopian War or the Abyssinian War)
1936-1939 Spanish Civil War
1939-1945 World War II
1945-1990 Cold War
1946-1949 Chinese Civil War resumes
1946-1954 First Indochina War (also known as the French Indochina
War)

1948 Israel War of Independence (also known as the Arab-Israeli


War)
1950-1953 Korean War
1954-1962 French-Algerian War
1955-1972 First Sudanese Civil War
1956 Suez Crisis
1959 Cuban Revolution
1959-1973 Vietnam War
1967 Six-Day War
1979-1989 Soviet-Afghan War
1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War
1990-1991 Persian Gulf War
1991-1995 Third Balkan War
1994 Rwandan Genocide

Afghanistan War (also known as: "Operation Enduring Freedom,")


(2001-Present) --United States, Afghan government vs. Taliban and
al-Qaida. As of 01-07-04, the guerilla war in Afghanistan is heating
up again, due in part to the emphasis American military is now
putting on Iraq, and to the Taliban now apparently having regrouped
itself after being ousted from power in 2001/2002.
al-Qaida War (also known as: "Operation Enduring Freedom," "Global
War on Terror ") (at least 1998-Present) --United States vs. al-Qaida
network of Osama bin Laden. The American public first became
aware of al-Qaida in August of 1998, when the terrorist group blew
up two U.S. Embassies in Africa. The U.S. soon responded with
Tomahawk Cruise Missile attacks on an al-Qaida training camp in
Afghanistan and a suspected chemical weapons factory in Sudan.
The factory turned out to not be related to any terrorist group.
Terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
(September 11, 2001)--Terrorists, belonging to Osama bin Laden's
al-Qaida organization, hijacked four United States commercial
passenger planes and flew them into the World Trade Center in New
York City and the Pentagon in Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in
Pennsylvania.
U.S. Operations Against al-Qaida in Somalia (2006-Present)

Baluchistan War (2003-Present) --Pakistan Government vs. Baluch


rebels. This is the latest in a series of rebellions by the Baluch
ethnic group in the region of Pakistan known as Baluchistan. The
Pakistanin governement is fighting this war concurrently with the
War in Waziristan.
Bangladesh Army Mutiny of 2009
Burundi Civil War (1994-Present) --Burundi Government vs. Hutu
rebels
Central African Republic Army Mutiny (May 28, 2001-Present)-Central African Republic government, Libya and rebels from Congo
(Front for the Liberation of Congo) vs. C.A.R. Army rebels. Following
a failed army coup on Monday the 28th, fighting between loyal and
rebel troops escalated. Forces from Libya, Congo and possibly Chad
entered the C.A.R. to help the government. The rebel forces
continue to operate in the border areas, provoking clashes between
the C.A.R. and Chad.
Chad Rebellion (2005-Present) --Chadian rebels and Sudanesebacked mercenaries attacked the Chadian capital in an attempt to
overthrow President Derby. With the aid of French military
intelligence, the rebels were beaten back. The battle cost at least
350 lives. Most of the Chad countryside is in rebel hands. This is
related to the ongoing Darfur War.
Chechen War (also known as: the Second Chechen War) (1999Present) --Russian Government vs. Chechen irregulars/insurgents.
After the initial Russian invasion of semi-independent Chechnya in
1999, the conflict settled down to a classic guerilla war pitting the
Russian military and security forces against both urban and ruralbased guerilla fighters. Over the past several years, the Chechens
have taken the war to Russia's heartland with several deadly
terrorist attacks against Russian civilian targets, the most famous
such attack being the seizure of a Moscow movie theater, which
resulted in hundreds of casualties.
Colombian Civil War (1964-Present) --Colombian Government (with
increasing aid from the United States vs. Marxist rebels and various
narcotics cartels.
Cote de Ivorie (Ivory Coast) Civil War (2002-Present) --Ivory Coast
Government vs. (mostly) Muslim rebels. France has several
thousand "peacekeeping" troops in the nation, but France clearly

favors the government. As of 01-07-04, it appears that the


government forces are attempting to dislodge a long-term cease-fire
that has held for several months.
Darfur War (Feb. 2003-Present) --The Sudanese region of Darfur is in
rebellion against the Sudanese government. In response to the
rebellion, the government is sponsoring the Arab "Janjaweed"
militias, who are conducting a campaign of genocide on the civilian
population of Darfur, as well as launching attacks on refugees in
neighboring Chad. This is related to the recent Chad Rebellion.
The Ethiopia-Somalia War(2006- Present): In the latest phase of
the long Somali Civil War, Ethiopia intervened in late 2006 to aid the
internationally-recognized Somali government based in the city of
Baidoa. The Transitional Government of Somalia (TGS) is opposed by
the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), an Islamist group that seized control
of the national capital of Mogadushu earlier in 2006 from a coalition
of warlords.
Gaza War 2008-2009
Gaza War 2012: Operation Pillar of Defense--Israel's latest Gaza War
against Hamas
Georgia-Russia War (2008)-The 2008 war between Georgia and
Russia, which began as a war between Georgia and South Ossetia.
Honduras Coup of June 2009
India-Bangladesh Border Conflict (April 18-April 20, 2001) India vs.
Bangladesh. --Bangladesh border troops seized a village near the
border, which Bangladesh has claimed in the past. At least 18 troops
were killed from both sides.
India's Maoist Insurgency/Naxalite Guerrilla War (May 25, 1967Present): Beginning with a peasant uprising in the town of Naxalbari,
this Marxist/Maoist rebellion sputters on in the Indian countryside.
The guerrillas operate among the impoverished peasants and fight
both the government security forces and the private paramilitary
groups funded by wealthy landowners. Most fighting takes place in
the states of Andhra Pradesh, Mahrashtra, Orissa and Madhya
Pradesh.
Iraq War (also known as: "Operation Iraqi Freedom," "Operation
Telic", Gulf War II, The Third Persian Gulf War) (2003-2011) --"The
Coalition of the Willing" (United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy,
Poland, Thailand, Bulgaria) vs. Iraqi irregular forces/insurgents, AlQaida in Iraq (Zarqawi's group), and various Shiite and Sunni

militias--By far the most visible, most controversial, and most


significant conflict on earth at the moment. President Bush
considers this a vital part of the overall Global War on Terror, while
many, including significant numbers of Americans, do not agree that
this is a legitimate part of the anti-terror campaign. Regardless of its
inclusion or not in the Global War on Terror, the war in Iraq
continues, despite the Dec. 2003 capture of Saddam Hussein.
Israel-Palestinian War (also known as: al-Aqsa Intifada, 2nd Intifada)
(2001-2005) -Israel vs. Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Islamic Jihad
and other Palestinian militias and guerilla groups. While overall
violence has subsided, Palestinian suicide attacks still occur so as do
Israeli strikes at Palestinian targets. Both types of actions often
initiate a new cycle of attacks. Since the death of Yasser Arafat and
the successful Palestinian elections, the prospect of a lasting peace
are somewhat improved.
Israel-Syrian Conflict (1948-Present) -Israel vs. Syria. Israel and Syria
first clashed in 1948-1949, as Syria joined other Arab nations in the
First Arab-Israeli War. Subsequent full-scale wars between them
erupted in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, and
the 1982 Israeli Invasion of Lebanon. In-between these major wars,
the two enemies often clash along their mutual border and also in
neighboring Lebanon, which Israel has invaded several times, and
where the Syrian military kept an occupation/peacekeeping force
from the mid 1970s to the Spring of 2005. Below are clashes since
from 2001 onward.
Israeli Airstrike on Syrian Forces (July 1, 2001)- Israeli warplanes
struck a Syrian Army radar post and anti-aircraft site in Lebanon in
retaliation for a Hezbollah attack on the Israel-Lebanon border in an
area called the Cheba Farms. Israel believes Syria controls the
Hezbollah and struck the Syrians in order to "send a message."
Israeli Airstrike on Syrian Forces (April 15, 2001)-Israel dropped six
bombs on a Syrian Army radar post in Lebanon in retaliation for a
Hezbollah attack on the Israel-Lebanon border. Israel believes Syria
controls the Hezbollah. Three Syrian troops died in the attack.

ISIS War (2014-Present) -The Islamic State's attempt to


carve out a new Caliphate out of Syria and Iraq grew out of
the civil wars in those two Arab states. Beginning in August
2014, the United States and other nations began an
intervention in this conflict.
Terrorism in France.

France is at war, President Franois Hollande announced


in an address to the French Congress just three days after
coordinated attacks in Paris claimed by the Islamic State.
Though French authorities meted out some very strong
rhetoric and action in response to the attacks in Paris, the
fact is France was already at war with jihadi terrorist
organizations. Since early 2015, France has been engaged in
three significant military operations, all directly connected
to the terrorist threat. (There is a fourth operation still
ongoing in the Central African Republic though not directly
related to the fight against jihad.)
Korean Conflict (1950-Present) --North Korea vs. South Korea and
the United States. Following the well-known Korean War of 19501953, cross-border incursions continued, as did naval battles, and
North Korean acts of terrorism directed at South Korea and United
States forces stationed in the South.
Border Clash (November 21, 2001)--The first cross-border shooting
of the year between North and South Korea. North Korean troops
fired several shots at a South Korean guard post. The South Koreans
returned fire.
Macedonian Albanian Uprising (2001) --Macedonian Government vs.
ethnic Albanian rebels. The Albanian rebels sought recognition and
autonomy from the government. NATO and U.S.-backed peace talks
resolved the conflict.
Mount Elgon insurgency --(2005-2008) The Sabaot Land Defence
Force militia revolted in the Mount Elgon area, Western Kenya. The
Kenyan military defeated the militia in 2008
Nepal Civil War (1996-Present) --Nepal Government vs. Marxist
rebels. The rebels seek to destroy the Royal Monarchy and replace it
with a Marxist/Maoist system. Attacks continue as both sides seek to
gain an advantage over the other.
Sa'dah al-Houthi Rebellion in Yemen (2004-Present)-While this war
remained localized in northern Yemen for years, and sparked a short
Saudi intervention against the Shiite Houthis, recent political
upheavals in Yemen aided the Houthi cause, enabling the rebels to
occupy the capital city in 2014.
Solomon Islands Unrest (2006) Solomon Islands Government,
Australia, New Zealand vs. rioters --Following the election of a new
Prime Minister, severe rioting broke out which drove many islanders
of Chinese descent out of the Solomons. Australia and New Zealand
sent troops to restore order. The riots began on April 18.

Sri Lankan Civil War (19832009)


Thailand Political Unrest (2006 Present) Thail government vs.
Protesters --Thailand's current political crisis began in 2006.
Thai Muslim Rebellion (2003 Present) Thailand vs. Muslim
Separatists --Thailand's Muslim population, located in the south near
the border with Malaysia, rebelled in 2003. A similar campaign of
violence hit the south in the 1970s and 1980s.

Thai-Myanmar (Burma) Border Conflict (Feb., 2001 and May, 2001)


Thailand vs. Myanmar (Burma)--Myanmar's very long civil war
spilled over into Thailand on at least two occasions in 2001.
Ukraine Civil War (2014-Present)-Pro-Russian rebels, with military aid
from Russia, have seized Crimea and large swaths of eastern
Ukraine.
Waziristan War (2003 Present) Pakistan vs. Taliban/al-Qaida
Insurgents--Muslim extremists allied with the Afghan Taliban and the
al-Qaida terrorist network battle Pakistani troops in the mountainous
Waziri region of northwest Pakistan.

Islamic State
The Origins of the Islamic State
From early terrorist beginnings to the current Islamic State War
The Islamist Jihadist group now known as The Islamic State had
its origins in the radical Sunni Jihadist movement fostered by Osama
bin-Laden and his al-Qaida group. What is now called The Islamic
State has had many names as it evolved from a minor branch of alQaida to become the central belligerent in the current regional
Middle East War.
In 1989, a Jordanian-born Islamist militant named Abu Musab alZarqawi, like many other Jihadist militants, travelled to Afghanistan,
intending to fight against the occupying Soviet Union. Arriving too
late to participate in the fighting (the Soviets withdrew from that
war in 1989), Zarqawi instead befriended Osama bin-Laden, who
had been instrumental in recruiting and supplying Jihadists from the
Arab nations who went to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets. Soon
after meeting bin-Laden, Zarqawi returned home to Jordan in the
early 1990s and founded a local militant group called Jund al-Sham
(Soldiers of Sham) in 1991. (NOTE: the word "Sham" is Arabic for
the region encompassing, generally, modern Syria, Jordan, Lebanon,
and Palestine/Israel. In English, Sham is often translated as the
word Levant).
Arrested in 1992 for militant activities involving weapons and
explosives, Zarqawi was released from a Jordanian prison in 1999.
He continued his active militancy, and was implicated in the
"Millennium Plot" to bomb Jordanian HOTELS and several targets in
the United States. Zarqawi fled Jordan, returning to Afghanistan
where he again connected with bin-Laden. The al-Qaida leader
provided money and resources for Zarqawi to open up a militant
training camp in Afghanistan. It was during this time period that he
set up the group Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (Organization of
Monotheism and Jihad), also known by the initials JTJ.
Following the al-Qaida attack on the United States, American forces
invaded Afghanistan, Zarqawi and his group fought alongside alQaida and the Taliban against American forces. After being wounded
in the Afghanistan War, Zarqawi left Afghanistan, reportedly moving
between Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Zarqawi and his followers had camps
in Iraq and in Syria, and his presence in Iraq (which most likely was
not with the permission of Saddam's government), was one of the
justifications for the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, as his group was
considered (rightfully so) as a branch of al-Qaida.
Following the invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein,
Zarqawi and his JTJ became the best known and most violent of the
Sunni resistance groups, quickly earning a reputation for brutality,
JTJ used suicide bombers, improvised explosive devices, video-taped

beheadings of foreigners, bombings of Shi'ite mosques, and many


attacks on U.S. and Coalition forces.

On October 17, 2004, JTJ pledged allegiance to bin-Laden and alQaida, and changed its name to Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad
al-Rafidayn, but is best known by the name al-Qaida in Iraq.
In January, 2006, al-Qaida in Iraq joined with five other Sunni groups
to form the Mujahideen Shura Council, to further coordinate their
resistance to the U.S. forces and to the Shi'ite-dominated Iraqi
government.
The United States attempted to kill or capture Zarqawi multiple
times, and June 7, 2006, a targeted U.S. airstrike destroyed
Zarqawi's safe house in the Iraqi city of Baqabah, killing him and
others.
In October of 2006, the Mujahideen Shura Council re-organized and
renamed itself as the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), now led by Abu
Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, due to the death of
Zarqawi. The Islamic State of Iraq continued the tactics begun by
Zarqawi, with beheadings and bombing attacks on civilian targets.
This newly named group retained allegiance and connections with
al-Qaida.
After the death of al-Masri in 2010, al-Baghdadi became the sole
leader of ISI and, in conjunction with al-Qaeda, sent Abu Mohammad
al-Golani to Syria in 2012 to start a Syrian branch of al-Qaeda to
take part in the new Syrian civil war. This Syrian branch of al-Qaida
became known as Jabhat al-Nusra lAhl as-Sham (Support Front
for the People of the Sham). The shortened version of the name,
The Nusra Front, is the best-known name for this group.
On April 8, 2013, al-Baghdadi declared that his group, al-Qaida in
Iraq, had merged with the Nusra Front to form the Islamic State of
Iraq and al-Sham (known both as ISIL and ISIS). Al-Golani disputed
this merger, and appealed to the leader of the main branch of alQaida, Ayman al-Zawahiri (who had taken over following bin-Laden's
death), to resolve the dispute. The al-Qaida leader sided with alGolani and the Nusra Front, and told al-Baghdadi to confine his
activities to Iraq. Al-Baghdadi and the Islamic State of Iraq and alSham then broke away from al-Qaida, launching attacks on the
Nusra Front in Syria.
On June 29, 2014, al-Baghdadi declared himself the leader of a
worldwide caliphate (claiming authority of all the world's Muslims),
and renamed his group as The Islamic State.
Thus, we can trace the lineage of the current Islamic State from the
beginnings of al-Zarqawi's Jund al-Sham to the JTJ, to al-Qaida in
Iraq, the Mujahedeen Shura Council, to the Islamic State of al-Sham

to the Islamic State. So, while the American intervention in Iraq that
began in June, 2014 to stop the military advances of the Islamic
State was the first official action against the current Jihadist
organization, in reality, the U.S. has been fighting this group since
the 2001 Invasion of Afghanistan in a military sense, even though
the U.S. and her allies have been targets of the terrorist activities of
this group since 1999. Looked at through the prism of the history
and origins of the Islamic State all the way back to the beginning of
Zarqawi's terrorism in 1999 and 2000, and his leadership of Jund alSham in the Afghanistan War, the U.S. has been battling this
organization since before the start of the so-called "War on Terror."

1967 Six-Day War


The Six-Day War took place in June 1967. The Six-Day War was
fought between June 5th and June 10th. The Israelis defended the
war as a preventative military effort to counter what the Israelis saw
as an impending attack by Arab nations that surrounded Israel. The
Six-Day War was initiated by General Moshe Dayan, the Israelis
Defence Minister.
The war was against Syria, Jordan and Egypt. Israel believed that it
was only a matter of time before the three Arab states co-ordinated
a massive attack on Israel. After the 1956 Suez Crisis, the United
Nationshad established a presence in the Middle East, especially at
sensitive border areas. The United Nations was only there with the
agreement of the nations that acted as a host to it. By May 1967,
the Egyptians had made it clear that the United Nations was no
longer wanted in the Suez region. Gamal Nasser, leader of Egypt,
ordered a concentration of Egyptian military forces in the sensitive
Suez zone. This was a highly provocative act and the Israelis only
viewed it one way which Egypt was preparing to attack. The
Egyptians had also enforced a naval barrier, which closed off the
Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping.
Rather than wait to be attacked, the Israelis launched a hugely
successful military campaign against its perceived enemies. The air
forces of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq were all but destroyed on June
5th. By June 7th, many Egyptian tanks had been destroyed in the
Sinai Desert and Israeli forces reached the Suez Canal. On the same
day, the whole of the west bank of the Jordan River had been
cleared of Jordanian forces. The Golan Heights were captured from
Syria and Israeli forces moved 30 miles into Syria itself.
The war was a disaster for the Arab world and temporarily
weakened the man who was seen as the leader of the Arabs
Gamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt. The war was a military disaster for

the Arabs but it was also a massive blow to the Arabs morale. Here
were four of the strongest Arab nations systematically defeated by
just one nation.
The success of the campaign must have surprised the Israelis.
However, it also gave them a major problem that was to prove a
major problem for the Israeli government for decades. By capturing
the Sinai, the Golan Heights and the West Bank of the Jordan River,
the Israelis had captured for themselves areas of great strategic
value. However, the West Bank also contained over 600,000 Arabs
who now came under Israeli administration. Their plight led many
young Arabs into joining the Palestinian Liberation Organisation
(PLO), a group that the Israelis deemed a terrorist organisation.
Israeli domestic policies became a lot more complicated after the
military successes of June 1967.

You might also like