Option P5: Key topic 2: The escalating conflict, 1964–73 - 3 Israel and Egypt, 1967–73 — Edexcel GCSE History
Test yourself on Option P5: Key topic 2: The escalating conflict, 1964–73 - 3 Israel and Egypt, 1967–73 with PEARSON EDEXCEL GCSE practice questions.
7 days Premium · Then the free plan continues · No card, no charge
Option P5: Key topic 2: The escalating conflict, 1964–73 - 3 Israel and Egypt, 1967–73 explained
Between 1967 and 1973, Egypt's foreign relations were defined by the aftermath of the Six Day War and the desire to regain the Sinai Peninsula.
Read the full explanation
Relations with Israel were hostile, characterised by the War of Attrition (1967–1970) where artillery exchanges occurred across the Suez Canal. Egypt relied heavily on the USSR for military and economic aid, including weapons to rebuild its armed forces. However, President Sadat expelled Soviet advisors in 1972 to signal his independence and court the USA, hoping American influence could pressure Israel into concessions. Relations with other Arab states were complex; while Egypt sought pan-Arab solidarity and financial support from oil-rich nations like Saudi Arabia, Sadat's willingness to consider diplomatic solutions sometimes alienated hardline Arab leaders.
Israel’s consolidation of control of the occupied territories.
Following the 1967 Six Day War, Israel rapidly consolidated control over the newly occupied territories: the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Golan Heights. This consolidation involved establishing military administration to govern the Palestinian populations and ensure security. Israel constructed the Bar Lev Line, a massive chain of fortifications along the eastern bank of the Suez Canal, to defend the Sinai from Egyptian attacks. Additionally, the Israeli government began establishing Jewish settlements in strategic areas of the occupied territories, such as the Golan Heights and the West Bank, to create physical buffers and assert long-term territorial claims. These actions fundamentally altered the region's security landscape.
Key events of the Yom Kippur War (1973) and its aftermath.
The Yom Kippur War began on 6 October 1973 with a surprise attack by Egypt and Syria on the Jewish holy day. Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal, breaching the Bar Lev Line, while Syrian troops advanced into the Golan Heights. Israel, initially caught off guard, mobilised reserves and launched counter-offensives, eventually crossing the canal into Egypt and pushing towards Damascus. The USA and USSR supplied massive airlifts of weapons to their allies, risking superpower confrontation. A UN ceasefire ended the fighting on 25 October. The aftermath shattered Israel's aura of invincibility, restored Arab pride, and paved the way for future diplomatic negotiations, notably the Camp David Accords, while triggering a global oil crisis.
Your focus
- Describe the nature of the War of Attrition between Egypt and Israel.
- Explain the reasons for and consequences of Sadat's expulsion of Soviet advisors in 1972.
- Evaluate the importance of financial and political support from other Arab states to Egypt's strategy.
Show all 9 objectives
- Identify the key territories occupied by Israel after the 1967 war.
- Describe the purpose and structure of the Bar Lev Line.
- Explain the initial development and strategic purpose of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.
- Outline the sequence of military events during the Yom Kippur War on both the Egyptian and Syrian fronts.
- Explain the involvement and impact of the USA and USSR during the conflict.
- Evaluate the political and psychological consequences of the war for both Israel and the Arab states.
Option P5: Key topic 2: The escalating conflict, 1964–73 - 3 Israel and Egypt, 1967–73 exam tips
Marking Points
- Describe the War of Attrition as a key feature of Egyptian-Israeli hostility between 1967 and 1970.
- Explain Egypt's reliance on the USSR for military rebuilding after the 1967 defeat.
- Analyse Sadat's 1972 expulsion of Soviet advisors as a strategic pivot towards the USA.
- Evaluate Egypt's efforts to secure financial and political backing from other Arab states, particularly Saudi Arabia, in preparation for future conflict.
- Identify the territories occupied by Israel in 1967: Sinai, Gaza, West Bank, and Golan Heights.
- Describe the construction of the Bar Lev Line as a defensive measure in the Sinai Peninsula.
- Explain the establishment of military administrations to govern the Arab populations in the occupied areas.
- Analyse the strategic and political reasons for the early establishment of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.
- Detail the initial Arab successes, including the Egyptian crossing of the Suez Canal and the Syrian advance in the Golan Heights.
- Describe the Israeli counter-offensives that reversed early losses and pushed into Egyptian and Syrian territory.
- Explain the role of superpower airlifts (Operation Nickel Grass by the USA) in sustaining the conflict.
- Analyse the aftermath, focusing on the psychological shift: restored Arab confidence and Israeli recognition of vulnerability.
Examiner Tips
- 💡When discussing superpower involvement, contrast the roles of the USSR (military supplier) and the USA (potential diplomatic broker).
- 💡Use the War of Attrition as specific evidence of the ongoing hostility between Egypt and Israel.
- 💡Highlight the transition from Nasser to Sadat in 1970 as a turning point in Egypt's foreign relations.
- 💡Use the Bar Lev Line as a concrete example of how Israel physically consolidated its military control over the Sinai.
- 💡Differentiate between the methods of control used in different territories, such as military governance in the West Bank versus heavy fortification in the Sinai.
- 💡Link the consolidation of these territories to the causes of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, as Arab states sought to regain their lost land.
- 💡Clearly distinguish between the initial phase of the war (Arab success) and the later phase (Israeli counter-attack).
- 💡Highlight the significance of the surprise attack on Yom Kippur in explaining Israel's initial struggles.
- 💡Connect the aftermath of the war directly to the subsequent willingness of both Egypt and Israel to engage in diplomacy.
Common Mistakes
- Error: Claiming Egypt was allied with the USA throughout this period. Correction: Egypt was primarily backed by the USSR until Sadat expelled Soviet advisors in 1972 to open diplomatic channels with the USA.
- Error: Confusing Nasser's and Sadat's foreign policies. Correction: Nasser maintained strong Soviet ties and pan-Arab leadership, whereas Sadat shifted towards Egyptian nationalism and sought US involvement.
- Error: Assuming peaceful relations with Israel existed before 1973. Correction: The period was marked by the violent War of Attrition along the Suez Canal, not peace.
- Error: Stating that Israel annexed all the occupied territories immediately. Correction: Israel established military control and began settlement building, but only formally annexed East Jerusalem (and later the Golan Heights), not the West Bank, Gaza, or Sinai.
- Error: Confusing the Bar Lev Line with borders in the West Bank. Correction: The Bar Lev Line was specifically built along the Suez Canal to defend the Sinai Peninsula against Egypt.
- Error: Ignoring the role of settlements in consolidation. Correction: Settlements were a deliberate policy to create physical facts on the ground and enhance security buffers.
- Error: Claiming the Arab states won the Yom Kippur War militarily. Correction: While Arab forces achieved early successes, Israel won the military conflict by pushing into Egypt and Syria before the ceasefire.
- Error: Ignoring the Syrian front. Correction: The war was a two-front conflict; Syria's attack on the Golan Heights was as crucial as Egypt's attack in the Sinai.
- Error: Stating the war led immediately to peace. Correction: The war led to a ceasefire and a shift in attitudes, but formal peace (like the Egypt-Israel treaty) took several more years of negotiation.