Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · History
Course version: 1HI0 · Version from Sept 2016
Key topic 2: The escalating conflict, 1964–73 - 1 The Six Day War, 1967:…
Full specification wording
Option P5: Key topic 2: The escalating conflict, 1964–73 - 1 The Six Day War, 1967: Key events of the war.
The Six Day War (5-10 June 1967) began with Operation Focus, a preemptive Israeli airstrike that destroyed the Egyptian air force on the ground.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 3 of 3
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The Six Day War (5-10 June 1967) began with Operation Focus, a preemptive Israeli airstrike that destroyed the Egyptian air force on the ground. Without air cover, Egyptian forces in the Sinai Peninsula were rapidly defeated by Israeli armour, reaching the Suez Canal within days. Jordan attacked Israel, leading to Israeli forces capturing East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Finally, Israel launched an offensive against Syria, capturing the heavily fortified Golan Heights. The war ended with a UN-brokered ceasefire, leaving Israel in control of vast new territories and fundamentally altering the balance of power in the Middle East.
What earns the marks
- Identify the preemptive Israeli airstrike (Operation Focus) on 5 June 1967 that destroyed the Egyptian air force.
- Describe the rapid Israeli advance through the Sinai Peninsula to the Suez Canal.
- Explain the capture of East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordanian forces.
- Detail the Israeli assault on the Golan Heights, capturing it from Syria.
- Note the UN ceasefire on 10 June 1967 that ended the conflict.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Stating that Egypt attacked Israel first.
Put it right: Israel launched a preemptive strike against Egypt, though Israel argued this was defensive due to Egyptian mobilisation.
Confusing the territories captured from each nation.
Put it right: Sinai and Gaza were taken from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.
Believing the war lasted longer than six days.
Put it right: The active combat phase was exactly six days, from 5 to 10 June 1967.
Exam tips
- Use a timeline to sequence the events clearly, starting with the airstrikes on Egypt.
- When explaining the outcome, link the military events directly to the territorial changes.
- Be prepared to explain how the events of the war demonstrated Israeli military superiority.
Try the lesson
The start of the Option P5: Key topic 2: The escalating conflict, 1964–73 - 1 The Six Day War, 1967: Key events of the war. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which event marked the beginning of the Six Day War on 5 June 1967?
Listen
The Six Day War (5-10 June 1967) began with Operation Focus, a preemptive Israeli airstrike that destroyed the Egyptian air force on the ground. Without air cover, Egyptian forces in the Sinai Peninsula were rapidly defeated by Israeli armour, reaching the Suez Canal within days. Jordan attacked Israel, leading to Israeli forces capturing East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Finally, Israel launched an offensive against Syria, capturing the heavily fortified Golan Heights. The war ended with a UN-brokered ceasefire, leaving Israel in control of vast new territories and fundamentally altering the balance of power in the Middle East. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identify the preemptive Israeli airstrike (Operation Focus) on 5 June 1967 that destroyed the Egyptian air force. Describe the rapid Israeli advance through the Sinai Peninsula to the Suez Canal. Explain the capture of East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordanian forces. Detail the Israeli assault on the Golan Heights, capturing it from Syria. A common slip: Stating that Egypt attacked Israel first. Instead, Israel launched a preemptive strike against Egypt, though Israel argued this was defensive due to Egyptian mobilisation. Exam tip: Use a timeline to sequence the events clearly, starting with the airstrikes on Egypt.
See it
Put it in order
Put these steps in the order they happen.
- 1. Jordan attacks Israel
- 2. Israeli armour defeats Egyptian forces in Sinai, reaching the Suez Canal
- 3. Operation Focus: preemptive Israeli airstrike destroys Egyptian air force
- 4. UN-brokered ceasefire ends the war
- 5. Israel launches offensive against Syria, capturing the Golan Heights
- 6. Israel captures East Jerusalem and the West Bank
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Operation Focus
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
preemptive strike
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
UN-brokered ceasefire
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Golan Heights
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Operation Focus
- A preemptive Israeli airstrike that destroyed the Egyptian air force on the ground.
- preemptive strike
- An attack launched first, which Israel argued was defensive due to Egyptian mobilisation.
- UN-brokered ceasefire
- The agreement brokered by the UN on 10 June 1967 that ended the conflict.
- Golan Heights
- A heavily fortified territory captured by Israel in an offensive against Syria.
Label the diagram
Some boxes have lost their names. Pick the right name for each number.
1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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