History Courses For Dr. Christopher C. Lovett
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History Courses For Dr. Christopher C. Lovett |
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Updated as of 2 October 05 Today in History: On October 2, 1780, Major John Andrι, a British spy associated with Benedict Arnold, was executed on this day in history. Quote of the Day: "In my view we are much worse off now than when we went into Iraq. This is not a partisan position. I voted for these guys." A senior figure at a military-sponsored think tank as told to James Fallows in "Bush's Lost Year" in The Atlantic Monthly (Oct. 2004) Take the Ann Coulter Quiz Where are you politically? Take the Neocon Quiz and find out. "History is Far too Important to be left to History Professors" Teaching isn't such a novel idea
Bibliography:
History of Disease Contemporary Terrorist Organizations Map of Islamic Terrorist Cells in the U.S.A.
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The Origins of Israel and the Birth of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1945-67Modern World CivilizationSpring 2009Map of the Middle EastThe Background Between 1945-51, Egypt experienced many rebellions, but no revolution. The reasons for this were many. Britain no longer appeared as potent. Many Egyptians put their faith in the UN. The Communists had yet to make serious inroads in Egypt. King Farouk and the ruling Wafd party began to see themselves as Arabs. This may have been a reaction to the growing Arab-Israeli problem.The Birth of the Arab LeagueEgyptian Problems After World War II Concerned about the stationing of British troops in Egypt. The failure to include the Sudan as part of Egypt. Egypt was being drawn into the conflict in Palestine. One reason they were was that Amir Abdallah of Transjordan was reaping the benefits of his support of the Palestinians. When they do get involved the Jewish settlers make short work of the Egyptians.Growing Tensions with Britain In 1950 the Wafd Party won elections and Farouks government moved Egyptian troops into the Canal Zone to draw the British out. The Egyptian government abrogated the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936. In the struggle, the British killed 36 Egyptians. To the Egyptians called this Black Sunday. Within Seven months Farouk was deposed by the Army in 1952 and died in 1956.The Opposition to King Farouk A secret society of Army officers was organized by Muhammad Nagib. The Coup was Bloodless. Britain and the United States did not stop them. Within three days Farouk abdicated.The Government of Egyptian Colonels Abolished Political Parties. Seized the palaces and centers of political power. Parliament was dissolved. Land reform was introduced and landholding was limited to 200 acres. All extra land went to the landless peasants. In 1954 Nagib was deposed and replaced by Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser.The Result of Jewish Persecutions Historically could not be returned to Palestine until the coming of the Messiah. Some Jewish nationalist wanted to establish a Jewish homeland in order to avoid the systematic persecutions they experienced. Some Jewish writers felt that Jews were persecuted because they did not have a homeland. This was was particularly true in Russia where many Zionist-like Jewish groups were organized.Theodore Herzl and Modern Zionism He was influenced by the Dreyfus Case. He felt that if Jews were not safe in France then where were they safe? In 1896 he wrote Der Judenstaat. Soon his ideas spread of thousands of German speaking regions. He organized the first Zionist organization in Basel in 1897. The British offered a region in Uganda.Map of PalestineThe Russian Revolution of 1905 With the failure of the Russian Revolution in 1905 it led to a mass migration to Palestine. This was called the Second Aliyah. This set the stage for a new wave of emigration. Especially for a Jewish life in Palestine schools, unions, theaters, etc. It also led to revival of Hebrew as a language. The most famous was the establishment of the Kibbutz or Collective farm. The Bedouins often attacked them.The Balfour Declaration The British sought Jewish support during World War I. The result was the Balfour Declaration. Promising a Jewish homeland in Palestine for Jewish support during World War I. It was Zionisms Magna Carta. This led to growing tensions between the increasing Jewish settlers and the Arabs. The British, especially the authorities in Palestine, supported the Arabs. At least, that is what the Jewish immigrants claimed.Events in Palestine Between 1918-22 April 1920 Arabs rise up and attack Jewish settlers in Palestine. 1922 The League of Nations awarded a Mandate to Britain to administer Palestine. The League required Britain to implement the Balfour Declaration. Which required a Jewish National Homeland. Establishing a Jewish Agency to help the British. The British violated this agreement by establishing the Emirate of Transjordan 2/3s of Palestine east of the Jordan River.The Jewish Response Established a Jewish Militia to protect themselves from the Arabs. This was done by Vladimir Jabotinsky, a militant Jewish nationalist. His views on a Greater Israel influenced Yitzhak Shamir and Menachem Begin. The first British Governor, Sir Herbert Samuel, tried to be fair to both sides. He appointed Hajj Amin al-Husayni as Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. He was deported in 1937.The Situation Between 1926-39 1926-1928 Jewish population doubled. 1929 Wailing Wall Incident Arabs feared that the Jews were making a move on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Screens were set up to separate males from females at the Wailing Wall. The Arabs built a road near the site to disrupt religious gatherings. Soon the fighting escalated from fist fights to full scale civil war. It intensified the hatreds between the two groups Arabs and Jews.Palestine and the Coming of Hitler The Rise of Hitler led to increased immigration to Palestine. Hajj Amin organized Christian and Arab opposition. The British established the Peel Commission which advocated a partition with a small section in Nothern and Central Palestine for the Jews. This would serve as a home for Jews refugees Palestinian Arabs rejected it.The Peel Commission issues The White Paper It said that the British Mandate should end in ten years. Jewish immigration was set at 15,000 refugees a year. After 1944, further immigration could only continue with Arab agreement. Selling Arab lands in restricted in some areas and prohibited others.David Ben Gurions PositionThe Situation after World War II After World War II violence increased in Palestine. Much of this was the work of two Jewish terrorist organizations Irgun and the Stern Gang. They targeted British military posts. In 1946 some groups wanted to continued the mandate and increased immigration to Palestine by 100,000. The British government rejected this plan. A year later, the British government declared that they would no longer continue the mandate.The UN Special Committee on Palestine in 1947 Recommend that Palestine be partitioned into seven parts. Three would be controlled by the Jews. Three would be controlled by the Arabs. Jerusalem and Bethlehem would be controlled by the UN. The idea proved to be impractical. Partition was passed by the UN by a vote of 35 to 13.The Arabs Plot Their Strategy The Arabs began to combine their forces. As violence continued, the British sat on their hands. Washington even proposed to let the partition plan rest for ten years in order for both sides to cool off. Harry Truman was under considerable pressure to act. On May 14, 1948, the new state of Israel was proclaimed. The Arabs invade Palestine.Why Did Israel Win? The Arab Armies were too small. The Arab States were politically divided. The Israelis actually had 100,000 men and women under arms. The Israelis had superior elan or spirit. At the Kibbutz at Yad Mordechai held up an Egyptian Brigade for six days. The Kibbutz was defended by 80 men and women. The Great Powers USA and the CCCP recognized Israel.When the UN Attempted to Negotiate a SettlementThe Canal Issue Nasser arranged for the British to renounce their claims on the canal. The last British troops left on June 18, 1956. This was the first time since 1882 that there was no British presence in the canal zone. Pan-Arabism was on the rise in Egypt after this.Nasser the Man and Political Leader He was the son of a postal clerk in Alexandria. His mother died when he was eight. He was an avid reader. He admired such men as Caesar, Napoleon, and Mustafa Kemal. He joined the Army in 1937. He soon gathered around him other patriotic officers. He disliked the British. At first he ruled from behind the scenes.What is Nasserism? Pan-Arabism. Positive Neutralism. Arab Socialism.Nasser and the Need for Weapons After an Israeli retaliatory raid on Gaza, Nasser realized he needed a source of weapons. He approached the West. Britain and the US refused to deal with him. Unless he joined an anti-Communist coalition. He would not accept any strings from the Americans. Likewise he was upset when Iraq joined the Baghdad Pact in 1955.Nasser and Pan-Arabism Nasser was influenced by the Asian nationalists he met at the Bandung Conference in 1955. He then purchased $200 million in arms from the CCCP. He then provided arms to Palestinian youth called the Fidaiyin who started to conduct cross border raids on Israel.Nasser and the John Foster Dulles Dulles wanted Nasser to concentrate on Egyptian internal improvements. Dulles offered loans to construct the Aswan High Dam. Dulles disliked Nassers Positive Neutralism playing the West and East as well his supports of his attacks on Israel. Nasser accepted the American offer, but Dulles than pulled the offer. Nasser responded by Nationalizing the Suez Canal.Impact of Nationalization of the Canal Nasser became a hero in the Arab world. Scorn in the West. The British saw the canal as vital to protect their interests east of the Suez. Anthony Eden, the PM, now compared Nasser to Mussolini. He wanted Nasser stopped before the Wests position was seriously damaged in the Arab world. The Americans disliked him for his friendship with the Commies and his attack on Israel, but did not want a military showdown. The French sided with the British and opposed the US.Paris and London Plan The Egyptians ran the canal with cool efficiency. The French and British planned for a military operation to seize the canal. The Israelis wanted part of the action too. The Israelis saw their chance to settle with the Fidaiyin once and for all. And end Egypts blockade of the Gulf of Aqaba. The Israelis saw this a preventive measure. The UN was listening to arguments to avoid future trouble. Nasser felt all this was a bluff.Let the Fighting Begin On Oct. 28, 1956, Israel called up their reserves and the following day the Israeli Defense Forces crossed the Egyptian border in the Sinai and Gaza. While Israeli columns were gaining speed, London and Paris then issued a joint ultimatum to Cairo and Tel Aviv to withdraw their forces to ten miles from the Suez Canal. The ultimatum was directed against Nasir. When Egypt rejected the ultimatum the Anglo-French attacked Egyptian air fields. The Anglo-French forces then landed troops at Port Said and at the northern section of the canal.Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat The British and French lost. They did not drive Nasser from power and the Army did not rise up and topple him. Instead, Nasser turned defeat into a victory. The USA and the CCCP joined forces and condemned the attack. The west was also preoccupied with the situation in Hungary. Plus the Americans hoped to curry favor with the Third World. Nassers stature increase and Eden was driven from power.Main Gain for the Israelis While Israel lost control of the Sinai and Gaza Strip. The UNEF did occupy Sharm al-Shaykh. Which overlooked the Gulf of Aqaba. This arrangement lasted until 1967. Nasser would not have survived if it was not for the United States challenging London and Paris. Now why did they do it? Support for small nations in the Cold War. Especially in light of the Hungarian Revolt and the need to win support in the Arab World.The Eisenhower Doctrine Offered to any Middle Eastern Nation that was threatened by Communist subversion. When it was proclaimed in Jan. 1957 it impressed the American public of the importance of the Middle East. But it received a mixed review among the Middle East. Only Lebanon accepted American help.Lebanon Accepts American Help Lebanese President Kamil Shamun accept Ikes offer. This was really a way of placating the key Christian politicians in Lebanon. And to keep the Arab nationalists in check. Even some have contended that this was a method to rig the next parliamentary elections. And contributed to the 1958 Lebanese Civil War.Coup and Revolution in Iraq The Iraq situation changed on July 14, 1958. The Iraqi revolution began as a coup. A group of Iraqi army officers seized the royal palace. Murdered Faisal II and his uncle, Abd al-Ilah and then hunted down and murdered Nuri al-Said. Who was a pro-Western Iraqi political leader.Impact of the Iraqi Revolution Appeared as a victory for Nasserism in the Arab World. Also appeared as a victory for both Arab Nationalism and Communism. Appeared as a forecast of what was about to happen in Jordan and Lebanon. Where the U.S. would not topple Nasser. Now Washington and Eisenhower was concerned. So when a call was made for intervention in Lebanon, Ike responded.America Responds When Shamun issued a request. The U.S. sent in the Marines. Even the British sent troops to Jordan. The U.S. would have entered Iraq too, if there was any hope of restoring the Monarchy. Any hope of a grand Nasser-like state would not happen, since the Iraqis realized that they would have to share their oil revenue with Syrians and Egyptians.Background to the War By the mid-1960s Syria was the most radical of the Arab states. Syria attempted to cut water from the Jordan river. Fired on Israel from the Golan Heights. In Feb. 1966 even a more militant Bathist wing took over in Damascus. This group belonged to an Alawi religious sect. Nasser needed Syria, because he Egypt was bogged down in the Yemen civil war Since Nassers relations with Washington was lower than low.Syria Round II Nasser hoped to restrain the Syrian leadership by proposing a military alliance with Damascus. In 1967, Syria was involved in an aerial dogfight with the Israelis and came out second best. Prime Minister Levi Eshkol warned his military that war may happen. He also warned the Syrians to stop firing on the northern Israel. Likewise the Saudis kept taunting Nasser of talking tough with Israel and then hiding behind UNEF.The Sharm al-Shaykh Problem Nasser wanted some of the UNEF troops removed in Gaza and the Sinai. Amazingly, U Thant removed all UN Troops. Egypt then reoccupied the Sharm al-Shaykh heights. Imposed a blockade on the Gulf of Agaba. The U.S. was bogged down in Vietnam. So it offered little help for Israel. Which was crucial for Israeli trade with Southeast Asia.The Road to War King Hussein of Jordan flew to Cairo on May 30, 1968 and signed an agreement with Nasser. The goal was to established Arab Military Command. PM Eshkol and the Israeli government put the whole nation on a war footing. Calling up reservists. Mobilizing the economy. On June 2, 1968, Moshe Dyan was made Defense Minister. This gave Israel hope especially since he was a hero of the Sinai campaign in 1956.The Israeli Preemptive Strike The Israelis conducted a massive air strike on the Egyptians on June 5, 1967. Then followed up with another series of spectacular raids on Jordan and Syria. Then moved in the Sinai and four days later were masters of the region. Israelis then broke the blockade of the Gulf of Aqaba. The IDF then took the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 200,000 Arabs then fled the fighting. Then the IDF seized the Golan Heights.Reasons for the Israeli Victory The Odds were in the favor of the Arabs. In tanks alone they had 2,700 tanks to Israels 800. Fighters 800 to 190. Manpower 25 to 1. Yet they lost. Why?The Endgame When the fighting ended on 10 June 1967, Israel increased to three times of what she was merely six days before. Israel now controlled the Golan, Gaza Stripe, West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Sinai. No one expected such a quick and decisive victory. Most Israelis were relived that the casualties were kept to a minimum. Privately many hoped that new moderate Arab governments would seek peace.The Arab Position Thought that a better peace could come through the UN. When the Security Council took up the case, both sides were locked into their positions. The Arabs were wrong. Now the Israelis were moving into traditional Palestinian areas with no intention of leaving. The result was UN Resolution 242.U.N. Resolution 242 The author was Lord Careadon. It was just ambiguous to be accepted and forever remembered as UN Resolution 242. It called for:You Can Read More About It
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