Middle East, Wars of

The Middle East is the customary name used by Western countries for Eastern countries in West Asia and Egypt in North Africa that are closer to Europe.

The so-called "Middle East War" refers to the large-scale war between Arab countries and Israel in the Middle East from 1948 to 1982. This was the longest war after the Second World War. Arab countries refer to countries where the Arab ethnic group makes up the majority, mainly distributed in the Middle East in Asia and northern Africa. Israel is a country founded by the Jews. The dispute between the Arab world and Israel has a long history. Historically, both the Arab and Jewish nations have established states in Palestine (located between the Mediterranean Sea, the Dead Sea, and the Jordan River). In the 30th century BC, the Canaanites who originally lived in the Arabian Peninsula moved to the coastal and plain areas of Palestine to settle. In the 13th century BC, the Hebrews, the ancestors of the Jews, conquered the Canaanites and established the Hebrew Kingdom in Palestine. Since then, Palestine has been conquered by foreign nations such as the Persian Empire, Greece, Rome and Turkey, and the Jews were forced to live all over the world. At the end of the 19th century, the Zionist movement emerged, advocating that Jews scattered around the world could return to Palestine and establish a Jewish-majority country. When Britain occupied Palestine in 1917, there were 660,000 Arabs and only 90,000 Jews in the area. However, Britain and the United States tried their best to support the Zionist movement in order to control the Palestinian area and the Suez River. Under their planning, Jews who had settled all over the world immigrated to Palestine in large numbers. Since then, the conflicts between the Arab and Israeli ethnic groups have deepened day by day, and bloody incidents have continued to occur. On November 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly, controlled by the United States and Britain, passed a resolution to establish an Arab state and a Jewish state in Palestine, and to divide Jerusalem between the two countries. The Arab world widely opposed this resolution, did not establish an Arab state, and firmly opposed the Jewish state. Founding of the country. On May 14, 1949, the Jews announced the establishment of the State of Israel in Palestine. On May 15, the Arab countries fought the first Middle East war with Israel. As a result, the Arab countries lost. Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon successively signed armistices with Israel. agreement. After the war ended, many problems were left behind, which gradually led to the second, third, fourth, and fifth Middle East wars. It was not until 1989 that the "Palestinian State" was finally established, and the Middle East issue, especially the issue of Palestinian statehood, came to an end.

The First Middle East War (also known as the Palestine War)

In November 1947, the second United Nations General Assembly passed the resolution on the partition of Palestine. Provides for the establishment of two Arab and Jewish states in Palestine and the internationalization of the city of Jerusalem. Arab countries firmly opposed the partition resolution and the establishment of a Jewish state. On May 14, 1948, the British Mandate for Palestine ended. The Jews declared the establishment of the State of Israel that afternoon. The next morning, Egypt, Transjordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and other Arab countries dispatched 40,000 troops (later increased to 60,000) to attack Israel, occupying large areas of Jerusalem's East City (Old City), Beersheba and other areas, and approaching Israel Tel Aviv, the "temporary capital". When the war began, the Israeli armed forces numbered approximately 30,000 people. After emergency expansion, procurement of weapons, and unification of the armed forces of various factions, the number finally grew to 100,000, and counterattacks and offensives were launched in July, October, and December. Due to internal conflicts, the lack of unified command, and the constraints of imperialism, Afghanistan was defeated. The Afghan army lost about 15,000 people; the Israeli army lost about 6,000 people. From February to July 1949, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria signed armistice agreements with Israel respectively. With the exception of Gaza and parts of the West Bank, all Palestine is occupied by Israel. Nearly a million Palestinian Arabs were driven from their homes.

The Second Middle East War (also known as the Anglo-French-Israeli invasion of Egypt or the Suez Canal War)

In 1956, Britain, France and Israel used Egypt to take back the Suez Canal Company and ban Israeli ships. Through the canal and the Strait of Tiran, it launched an attack on Egypt in an attempt to regain control of the canal and suppress the Arab national liberation movement. On October 29, an Israeli paratrooper battalion airborne at the Mitra Pass in the Sinai Peninsula, and ground troops also crossed the border into Sinai to cooperate with the British and French attacks. At that time, Egypt's total military strength was about 150,000, with more than 500 tanks and more than 250 combat aircraft (only more than 100 were operational).

In order to concentrate his forces to defend the canal, Egyptian President Nasser ordered the 30,000 troops stationed in Sinai to withdraw to the canal zone. The Israeli army dispatched 10 brigades, with armored troops taking the lead in the assault, and occupied the Sinai and Gaza areas within 5 days. On the 31st, the British and French coalition forces dispatched more than 100 ships of various types (including more than 10 aircraft carriers and cruisers), and first attacked the Egyptian sea and air force bases with more than 200 aircraft to gain control of the sea and air; on November 5, in Port Said, Parachutes and helicopter landings were implemented at key points near Fuad Port; on the 6th, 22,000 landing troops were dispatched to occupy the above-mentioned ports. The Egyptian military and civilians resolutely resisted the aggressors, especially in the battle to defend Port Said. They fully mobilized and armed the masses, united the military and civilians, fought bravely, and took advantage of the contradictions between the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France. With the support of people all over the world, Britain and France France and Israel were forced to agree to a ceasefire and troop withdrawal late at night on the 6th. The Egyptian army suffered more than 1,600 casualties and lost more than 210 aircraft; the British, French and Israeli troops suffered more than 200 casualties and lost about 20 aircraft. British and French troops withdrew in December. Since then, the United States has further intervened in Middle East affairs. The Israeli army withdrew from Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula in March of the following year (UN troops were stationed in Gaza and the Gulf of Aqaba coast), but obtained navigation rights through the Strait of Tiran.

The Third Middle East War (also known as the June 5th War)

In 1967, the conflict between Afghanistan and Israel and the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union for the Middle East intensified. Israel further expanded outwards with the support of the United States. , on the pretext that Egypt (then known as the United Arab Republic) blocked the Gulf of Aqaba, it launched a surprise attack on Arab countries on June 5. Taking advantage of the Egyptian army's lax alertness during breakfast and before officers went to work, the Israeli army concentrated on using 200 aircraft to attack various Egyptian air force bases, destroying most of the Egyptian aircraft on the ground, and then destroyed a large number of Syrian and Jordanian aircraft; and dispatched 22 The brigade carried out multi-directional rapid assaults, occupying the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza within 4 days, then captured the East City of Jerusalem and the West Bank, and captured the Syrian Golan Heights on the 10th. Egypt underestimated the Israeli raid and suffered heavy losses. Jordan, Egypt, and Syria were forced to agree to ceasefires. As a result, Israel occupied more than 65,000 square kilometers of Arab territory, and hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs were driven out of their homes (Table 1 Summary statistics of the military strength and war losses of both Arab and Israeli sides in the Third Middle East War).

After the third Middle East War, the confrontation between Afghanistan and Israel continued to develop. In October 1967, an Egyptian naval vessel used a ship-to-ship missile to sink the Israeli destroyer Eilat, setting a record for the first missile to sink a warship. Beginning in the second half of 1968, the Egyptian artillery troops launched large-scale shelling against the Israeli forces on the east bank of the canal. The Israeli army began to carry out strategic air strikes on the west bank of the canal, including the areas around Cairo, in the second half of 1969. Both sides also sent commandos to sneak attacks on each other. A ceasefire occurred in August 1970. The two-year battle was called a "war of attrition." Afghanistan and Israel received new weapons and equipment from the Soviet Union and the United States respectively to prepare for the next war. The intensified competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for the Middle East was an important international cause of the Fourth Middle East War.

The Fourth Middle East War (also known as the October War)

In October 1973, Egypt and Syria fought to regain their lost territory and get rid of the "no war, no peace" caused by the United States and the Soviet Union. situation, war against Israel. Iraq, Jordan, Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Kuwait, Tunisia and the Palestine Liberation Organization sent troops or aircraft to the war. Egypt (President Sadat) attempted to regain part of the lost territory on the east bank of the canal, creating conditions for subsequent negotiations to regain the Sinai Peninsula. Syria (President Assad) attempts to regain the entire Golan Heights. In order to achieve the suddenness of the attack, Egypt and Syria adopted various deceptive measures such as repeated mobilization, demobilization, and military exercises. They also selected the time for the war to occur during the Islamic month of Ramadan (Muslims fast during the day) and the Jewish Day of Atonement (believers fast on that day and stop general official duties). activities), concealing attack intentions and attack timing. After Israel invaded and occupied parts of Egypt and Syria in 1967, it expanded its defense depth and built the Bar-Lev Defense Line on the east bank of the canal and the Golan Heights, switching to a defensive strategy. The Israeli army relies on its powerful air force, tank troops and reconnaissance intelligence system. It is arrogant and paralyzed and neglects its vigilance. Until a few hours before the war started, the Israeli high command (Prime Minister G. Meir, Defense Minister M. Dayan, etc.) still believed that Egypt and Syria did not dare to launch an attack. They only stationed 4 brigades in the Sinai Peninsula and only 3 brigades in the Golan Heights. A trip. At 14:00 on October 6, Egypt and Syria used their superior forces to launch simultaneous sudden attacks on the Sinai Peninsula (western front) and Golan Heights (northern front) under the cover of artillery, aviation firepower and air defense fire nets.

On the northern front, three Syrian infantry divisions broke through the Israeli defense line that day. On the 7th, two more armored divisions were deployed to reach an area several kilometers away from the Israeli mainland. On the western front, the Egyptian army forced its way across the canal in coordination with the navy and air force. Three infantry divisions of the 2nd Army quickly broke through the Barlev Defense Line north of the Great Bitter Lake, and two infantry divisions of the 3rd Army quickly broke through the Barlev Defense Line south of the Great Bitter Lake. The infantry carried Anti-tank missiles and rocket launchers took the lead in passing through the gaps between the support points of the Israeli army, destroying a large number of Israeli tanks; the engineering troops quickly breached the embankment, opened 60 channels in 9 hours, and erected 12 pontoon bridges to protect 2 armored divisions and 2 mechanized divisions. Wait for the follow-up troops to cross the river. The navy engaged in naval battles with Israeli warships and used naval guns to support ground force attacks. On the 10th, the Egyptian army stopped its large-scale offensive as planned. Despite heavy losses and being extremely passive, Israel quickly mobilized reserve troops, increasing its total strength to nearly 400,000. It focused on the northern front first to contain the Syrian offensive and implement local counterattacks, and concentrated on using its main air force to attack the Syrian ground forces. and air defense missile positions and air strikes on large cities in the rear of Syria. On the 11th, three Israeli divisions went on the offensive and crossed the 1967 ceasefire line, threatening the Syrian capital Damascus. They also attacked the Iraqi and Jordanian troops aiding Syria and seized the initiative on the northern battlefield. Subsequently, the Israeli army turned its focus to the western front. When the Egyptian army launched its second large-scale attack with 1,000 tanks on the 14th, the Israeli army invested 800 tanks, infantry, tanks, and artillery to coordinate operations, and used armed helicopters and other aircraft to launch "Mavericks" and "Moxas" " air-to-surface missiles, "White Star Eye" TV-guided bombs, etc., destroyed 250 Egyptian tanks, forcing the Egyptian army to withdraw to the offensive starting position that day. On the evening of the 15th, the Israeli A. Sharon Division carried out attacks at the junction of the 2nd and 3rd Egyptian Army Groups in the Great Bitter Lake area. On the morning of the 16th, the leading troops crossed the river near Dwisva on the Hubei side and destroyed several Egyptian anti-aircraft missile positions. Create favorable conditions for air force activities; after setting up pontoon bridges, two more divisions crossed the river, circled south, and launched an offensive; they arrived in the Gulf of Suez on the 23rd, occupied the Port of Adebiya, and formed an encirclement situation against the city of Suez and the 3rd Egyptian Army. Seize the initiative on the Western Front battlefield. On the 24th, Egypt and Israel ceased fighting in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions. Egypt and Syria signed the first phase of military disengagement agreements with Israel in January and May of the following year respectively. At this point, Egypt controlled a narrow strip of about 10 kilometers in depth on the east bank of the canal, basically achieving its strategic purpose (in April 1982, according to the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty of March 1979, Israel completely withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula). Israeli troops on the northern front withdrew to the west of the 1967 ceasefire line.

In this war, Egypt and Syria made careful preparations to launch a surprise attack and a two-front attack on Israel, and won the first battle, which greatly boosted the morale of the Arab people. The Egyptian army's battle to cross the river demonstrated the power of coordinated operations among all services. The Israeli army mobilized quickly, first to the north and then to the west, focusing on using troops to turn passivity into initiative. In particular, the large-scale and deep assault on the west bank of the canal played a role in reversing the passive situation. Both sides invested a large number of tanks, artillery, aircraft, missiles, etc. Egypt and Israel launched a massive battle involving 1,800 tanks in one day on the 14th, which is rare in the history of war. Afghanistan and Israel respectively used the advanced weapons and equipment of the Soviet Union and the United States at the time, received timely supplements from Soviet and American strategic airlifts, and used intelligence provided by Soviet and American reconnaissance satellites. The Egyptian air defense system, which mainly consists of Sam-2, Sam-3, Sam-6, and Sam-7 missiles, controlled the air superiority on the battlefield in the early days of the war, preventing Israeli aircraft from entering the canal airspace for several days. The Israeli army used "Sidewinder", "Dragonfly" and other air-to-air missiles and "Gabriel" ship-to-ship missiles to deal with the Afghan aircraft and ships. The development of large-scale electronic countermeasures has made the battlefield situation more complex and increased combat losses. About 60% of the aircraft losses and more than 80% of the ship losses on both sides were lost, and most of the destroyed tanks were destroyed by various missiles (Table 2 Summary statistics of the military strength and war losses of the Arab and Israeli sides in the Fourth Middle East War). In strategic guidance and operations, the extensive use of electronic technology and the use of various tactical missiles are the outstanding features of this war.

The Fifth Middle East War (also known as the Israeli invasion of Lebanon)

On June 6, 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon by land, air and sea on the pretext of attacking the Palestine Liberation Organization. . By June 11, the Israeli army occupied 2,800 square kilometers of Lebanese land south of the international highway from Beirut to Damascus. All the Palestine Liberation Organization's bases in this area were destroyed, and the main force of the armed forces also suffered heavy losses.

The Syrian army stationed in the Bekaa Valley was also hit hard by the Israeli Air Force, and its SAM missile facilities and air force suffered heavy losses. On June 11, Syria and Israel reached a ceasefire agreement. Then, Israel mobilized heavy troops to encircle and attack the western district of Beirut, where the PLO headquarters is located, for more than two months. Later, under the mediation of the United Nations and the supervision of the peacekeeping forces, the PLO headquarters and its more than 10,000 armed personnel were They had to withdraw from Beirut and dispersed to 8 Arab countries including Tunisia. More than 1,000 Syrian troops in Beirut also withdrew at the same time.