Middle East Wars

Page Updated December 2024

Arab-Israeli War of 1948 The Arab-Israeli War of 1948 broke out when five Arab nations invaded territory in the former Palestinian mandate immediately following the announcement of the independence of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948.

A Century Of US Relations with Iraq From Ohio State University Current Events in Historical Perspective series. 

Background & Overview: Israel's War for Independence The history of the 1948-9 Arab-Israeli war is deeply controversial. Israelis and their supporters have traditionally referred to the conflict as the War of Independence, seeing it as a defensive war to prevent the destruction of the fledgling Jewish state in the face of overwhelming Arab aggression.

Central Asia in the New World Order From Ohio State University Current Events in Historical Perspective series. 

Creation Of Israel: 1948 On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel.

Fresh Start for Pakistan? From Ohio State University Current Events in Historical Perspective series. 

Iran-Iraq War: 1980-1988 Iraq and Iran have had a long history of conflict fuelled by religious differences between the Sunni Muslim Iraqi government and the mainly Shiite Muslim Iraqi population and the Shiite religious government of Iran.

Iran and America Relations Since 1900 From Ohio State University Current Events in Historical Perspective series. 

Israel In Maps From the Foreign Ministry of Israel. Over 50 detailed maps.

Russia's Aims in the Middle East From The Carnegie Moscow Center.

The 1967 Arab-Israeli War The 1967 Arab-Israeli War marked the failure of the Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson administrations’ efforts to prevent renewed Arab-Israeli conflict following the 1956 Suez War.

The Arab-Israeli Wars Since 1947-49; 1956; 1967; 1973; 1982; 1991: at almost regular intervals the Israel Defense Forces has been faced with a major, violent conflict. Will this continue into the indefinite future?

The Gulf War: 1990-1991 On 2nd Aug 1990 100,000 Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait, provoking a coalition of nations to implement
a coordinated (and successful) attack to defeat Saddam Hussein's forces.

The Suez Crisis: 1956 On July 26, 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal. the British and French held secret military consultations with Israel, who regarded Nasser as a threat to its security, resulting in the creation of a joint plan to invade Egypt and overthrow Nasser.In keeping with these plans, Israeli forces attacked across Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on October 29, 1956.

Saddam Hussein and the Gulf War  Hussein's rise, the Iraq-Iran war and U.S.-Iraq relations, Iraq invades Kuwait, giving "peace a chance," and Operation Desert.