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Suez crisis 1950's
Suez Crisis: 1956-57 essay
The Suez Canal crisis of 1956
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Henry Kissinger who was United States Secretary of State sent a message to Sadat’s by way off his emissary Ismail in which Kissinger offered having Israel withdraw their troops from Sinai, this returning all of Sinai to Egyptian control, minus a few strategic points. No reply to Kissinger’s offer was ever given because Sadat was unwavering in his desire to go to war. The only thing that may have prevented this would have been the United States being able to fulfill all of the demands of the Arab nations in a short period of time.
Egypt began building up its military forces in 1972. The Soviet Union sent them antiaircraft missiles, antitank weapons including an antitank guided missile, jet fighters, and tanks. The Soviets also helped the Egyptian army with improving their fighting and military tactics. In July of 1972 Sadat rewrote the Egyptian foreign policy to be more favorable to the United States after banishing nearly 20,000 Soviet military advisors from the country. Neither the United States nor the Soviet Union wanted the Middle East to go to war as they realized that this would farther destabilize the region. In a meeting with President Nixon, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev suggested that Israel return to its pre-1967 borders. In 1973 President Sadat threatened
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war with Israel and executed a number of military procedures that put the Israeli military on alert. During this time Israel was aware of two things (1) Egypt wanted to regain the entire region of Sinai, but would only go to war if they were able to obtain MiG-23 fighter bombers and scud missiles.
This would make it possible for them to neutralize the Israeli military and prevent the Israelis from attacking Egyptian infrastructure. (2) Syria would only go to war against Israel if Egypt joined them. Israel was not overtly concerned with Egypt actually going through with their threat to attack Israel. This was because the fighter-bombers and the scud missiles had just arrived in August of 1973 and they expected it to take at least four months for the Egyptians to adequately train their
military. The blasé attitude of the Israeli government would come back to bite them a couple months later. The Israeli government organization called AMAN had been aware of the Arab States plan to go to war and to cross the Suez Canal since mid-1973. They were also aware that the Arab states intended to send divisions to Mitla and Gidi and that they planned to capture Sharm el-Sheikh. The mistake of Aman was not believing that the Arab States would actually go through with their intention of going to war. There was a number of reasons for the Israelis and their allies to believe that war was not imminent, such as (1) the ineffectiveness of the Egyptian Army due to the loss of the Soviets (2) the false information that was supplied to Israel in regard to the lack of personnel and maintenance issues on the weapons (3) the Egyptians also made sure that information about the lack of spare parts got back to Israel (4) President Sadat had spent so much time threatening was that no one actually thought he would go through with it. In both May and August of 1973 Egypt’s Army engaged in military exercises near the border. This cause Ashraf Marwan in inaccurately declare that there would be a surprise attack on Israel in May 1973. The Israeli army initiated their troops to respond to these exercises only to discover that the Arab States were not engaging in any activities near the border that they would have to be concerned about. These military exercises were red herrings designed to distract the Israeli military while the Arab States made and implemented their actual war plans. The Ramadan War The Ramadan War which is also referred to as the Yom Kippur War, October War and the 1973 Arab-Israeli War was a war that was fought by a coalition of Arab states. They were led by Egypt and Syria. The war was against Israel and it lasted from Oct 6 to Oct 25 1973 with the majority of the fighting occurring in the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights. These were territories that had been occupied by Israel since the Six Days War in 1967. The territories of Sinai and Golan Heights had belonged to Egypt and Syria respectively and they wanted to regain the lands. The President of Egypt Anwar Sadat had also wanted to be able to reopen the Suez Canal. The war started when the Arab coalition attached the Israeli positions in a joint surprise attack. Egypt attacked first by crossing the Suez Canal which was a cease fire line. This was followed by Egypt advancing into the Sinai Peninsula. In the course of three days Israel was able to stop the Egyptian offensive. During this time the Syrians had planned their attack on Golan
Michael C. C. Adams' book, The Best War Ever: America and World War II, attempts to dispel the numerous misconceptions of the Second World War. As the title suggests, Americans came out of the war with a positive view of the preceding five turbulent years. This myth was born from several factors. Due to the overseas setting of both theaters of the war, intense government propaganda, Hollywood's glamorization, and widespread economic prosperity, Americans were largely sheltered form the brutal truth of World War II. Even to this day, the generation of World War II is viewed as being superior in morality and unity. The popular illusion held that 'there were no ethnic or gender problems, families were happy and united, and children worked hard in school and read a great number of books.' (115)
In the Middle East, by July 1956, tensions were rising. The Egyptians were denied funds from the Us, Britain and the World Bank for the creation of their Aswan dam to affiliation with the Soviet Union. In desperate need of funds for the dam project, the Egyptian government had nationalize the Suez Canal Company, froze its assets in Egypt, and proposed to use canal tolls to pay for the dam (Hillmer, 1999, p. 226). In fear of the Egyptians cutting off the transportation of Arabian oil and Asian goods, the British, French, and Israel secretly planned an attack on Egypt. Meanwhile, the Israelis and the Arab states, including Egypt, were having an arms race. Israel was concerned with self-preservation while the Arabs, who had opposed Israel's creation, wanted to destroy it. The Americans opposed the British, French, and Israeli invasion of Egypt because it didn't want to offend the Arab states where US oil companies were drilling. On the other hand, the US was wiling to supply Israel with weapons if the Soviet Union sent arms to the Egyptians. Such military support could inevitably have lead to a nuclear war. Through ties with Britain, Canada was expected to aid in the invasion pf Egypt but Canada was reluctant and saw how much actions might put their relationship with the Americans in danger.
All of the history of the United States, foreign policy has caused many disputes over the proper role in international affairs. The views, morals and beliefs of democracy in Americans, makes them feel the need to take leadership of the world and help those countries whom are in need. The foreign policies of President Eisenhower will eventually led to the involvement of the United States in the Vietnam War. President Eisenhower’s role with these policies were based on his military type strategies to safeguard a victory in the Global Cold War. President Eisenhower’s foreign policies led to an effective involvement in the Cold War and enviably the Vietnam War from an American perspective. President Eisenhower’s foreign policies when implemented would facilitate the goal of containing communism, and also
Over the course of the history of the United States, specific foreign policies have affected the methods in which the U.S. involves itself around the globe. Specifically, certain policies have affected U.S. involvement in Latin America.
...d took control of the Gaza Strip once again. Anwar el-Sadat then became president after Gamal Abdel Nasser died in 1970. In an effort to take control of the Sinai Peninsula, Anwar el-Sadat attacked the Israelis. After a cease-fire, the United Nation’s troops then returned to keep things peaceful. Israel then later withdrew and was only allowed to use it for non-military purposes. In 1978 a peace treaty was established between Egypt and Israel which influenced more peace in the Middle East. Although a formal treaty was signed in 1979. In 1981 Sadat was assassinated and Mohamed Hosni Mubarak followed him in presidency. The Sinai Peninsula was then returned to Egypt in 1982 after the Israeli troops withdrew from the region. Mubarak embraced Sadat’s policies and managed to climb to the top and be once again making Egypt known as one of the leaders of the Arab world.
However, it is worth mentioning that this general rule of US inactiveness in the face of the Israeli adventures was broken only once, namely, in the Suez Crisis, when the US intervened to address the imbalances caused by the tripartite aggression against Egypt in 1956, and forced Israel to relinquish the territories it had occupied; the Sinai desert. During this crisis President Eisenhower credibly threaten to withhold US aid to Israel after the Suez War. This balanced policy towards the conflicting parties rendered the Middle East system in a better equilibrium and cleverly de-escalated an international crisis.
In 1991 in the Persian Gulf Israel was continuously bombed by Iraq. If Israel would have fought back chances are there would have had most of the Arabian countries join in with Iraq to eliminate the common enemy. Therefore the problems are yet not resolved yet it seems there is never a perfect solution to any problem. Bibliography 1. Holocaust : the Jewish tragedy Gilbert,Martin, COLLI 1986 2.
It is impossible to accurately describe the major events that occurred during the cold war without mentioning the war in Vietnam. From its start, this war has been very controversial concerning its purposes and effects on the countries involved. Both sides of this war lost a great number of soldiers and most of these men and women were not even sure why they were fighting. To this day, there is still a lot of uncertainty about the events that took place during this heated time in south Asia. One of the biggest questions raised is why the United States felt it was their responsibility to ever got involved and what were they trying to gain by sending in their troops. A look at the history of the cold war and its relation to the Vietnam War can answer a lot of these uncertainties. Many of the decisions made by the officials involved in this war would not have been made if it were not the cold war and its effects on the countries involved.
As we approach the next Presidential election the topic of American foreign policy is once again in the spotlight. In this paper, I will examine four major objectives of U.S. foreign policy that have persisted throughout the twentieth century and will discuss the effect of each on our nation’s recent history, with particular focus on key leaders who espoused each objective at various times. In addition, I will relate the effects of American foreign policy objectives, with special attention to their impact on the American middle class. Most importantly, this paper will discuss America’s involvement in WWI, WWII, and the Cold War to the anticipated fulfillment of these objectives—democracy, manifest destiny, humanitarianism, and economic expansion.
Failure of the Détente Between the Superpowers The French word ‘détente’, which the Oxford English Dictionary describes as “the easing of strained relations, especially in a political situation” (www.oed.com), first appeared in this context when a German newspaper used it to describe the visit of a British monarch at the beginning of the 20th century (Froman, 1991). In this essay, I will attempt to explain the cold war détente between the superpowers of the USA and the USSR in the 1970’s, concentrating first on its positive developments between 1971 and 1973 and then on the events that lead to its ultimate failure, symbolised by the soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The first real steps of relaxation of tensions were taken with the Moscow summit and the signing of the SALT 1 (Strategic Arms Limitations Talks) agreement in May 1972. The SALT agreement was a staring point for attempts to control nuclear arms, to restrict the impact and spread of nuclear weapons and to secure a balance due to ‘Mutual Assured Destruction’ (the notion that a nuclear attack from one side would lead to a retaliation from the other and therefore both sides would be greatly damaged) between the two superpowers and were to be followed up by further arms limitations talks within the next five years (Kent and Young, 2004). Also, agreements were reached on lowering the risk of accidental confrontation and on cooperation in science, health and environmental issues.
This situation was actually a conflict between the US and the Soviet Union where the former had deployed missile launchers in Italy and in Turkey and the latter in Cuba. After several days of tense negotiations, the two belligerents reached an agreement to dismantle their missile facilities. The Cold War was also fought as a race to space, with the Soviet Sputnik 1 being the first satellite to orbit earth in 1957; Yuri Gagarin being the first human in space in 1961; and culminating with the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing under the presidency of Richard Nixon. As nuclear war represented a threat to the entirety of the world according to the mutually assured destruction doctrine, Nixon was a firm defender of the easing of tensions with the U.S.S.R. Richard Nixon, as a president, considered foreign affairs to be far more interesting than domestic affairs. From roughly 1969 to 1979, a period known as the détente, initiated by Nixon’s election, was materialized by the several summits held between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. during that
...ed to nationalize the Suez Canal through which three fourths of all European oil is passed. After several months of negotiations Britain, France and Israel attacked Egypt and retook the canal. United Nations condemned their actions and forced them to give up the canal to Egypt once again. As a result of the Eisenhower convinced Congress to approve the Eisenhower Doctrine that would “assist any nation in the region that required aid against aggression from any nation controlled by International Communism.” The Eisenhower administration was very careful not to alienate any Middle Eastern countries that could provide the country with a steady supply of oil and this affected his foreign policy and the policy of containment.
Golda Meir wanted to call up the reserves in preparation for a war, but listening to military and intelligence advice, she did not do so. Once Egypt and Syria attacked, however, it was too late, resulting in over 2,700 casualties. Golda Meir was forced to hear the despair of the parents of the victims as they shouted at her in the streets. Although Israel eventually won the war, many blamed her for the lives lost (Pogrebin, “Golda Meir”). Another action taken was signing Interim Agreements with Egypt and Syria where Israel gave up land in exchange for peace (Rolef, “Meir, Golda”).
The Soviet Union, desirous of gaining a foothold in the Middle East and supporting Arab nationalism, financed the construction of the Aswan Dam in Egypt, an endeavor previously promised by the United States. The Soviets employed the use of hard power, providing armaments to the Egyptians from Czechoslovakia as well as the threat of nuclear missiles to the region if British, French, and Israeli forces refused to withdraw. The United States, however, employed publicly the use of soft power, encouraging diplomacy, and economic sanctions to end the conflict. Also unlike the Soviet Union, who tended to react strongly and with threats rather than negotiation to conflict, the United States employed flexible deterrent options in the conflict, which provide escalation options during the initial stages of conflict (Pike, 2000 – 2016, para. 1). The United States employs flexible deterrent options for three principle purposes: to fortify affiliates, dissuade prospective antagonists, and expand influence. In the Suez Crisis, the United States dissuaded the Soviet Union from further involvement in the conflict; indicating nuclear assault provided irredeemable escalation and threatening economic and diplomatic sanctions on England, France, and Israel. France, with other conflicts brewing on their horizon and England unable to overcome the United States’ international power in the post-World War II era, backed down from the conflict. Two days later, Israel withdrew troops from Egypt, also unwilling to lose the United States as a political ally. Both hard and soft power as well as flexible deterrent options exhibit facets of instruments of national power, which utilize diplomatic, informational, military, and economic (DIME) tools to achieve a desired result. In coexistence with the United Nations and the United States’ allies around the world, instruments of
In 1978, the Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel and the President Anwar al-Sadat of Egypt have met in Camp David, and in 1979, they signed a peace treaty. Also, after peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, Syria has changed its military posture against Israel and began to moderate its attitude. On the other hand, some argue that reprisal raids of Israel, such as Qibya and Gaza raids resulted in political and military undesired outcome. For instance, Unit 101 and paratrooper commandoes destroyed Arab villages and killed Arabs mostly women and children near to West Bank in order to prevent further fedayeen attacks comes from