🏜 From Egypt
The Sinai Peninsula, up to the Suez Canal, and the Gaza Strip.
Tension and Conflict, 1956-73 » The Six-Day War, 1967
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Section B, Breadth study B7, Key topic 3
- How Israel struck first on 5 June 1967 and why this is described as an attack on its Arab neighbours
- The events of the war on the Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian fronts
- The land Israel gained, and why it won so quickly
- How to answer an "Explain TWO causes" question
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Unlock This CourseIsrael strikes first: 5 June 1967
By early June 1967 about 100,000 Egyptian soldiers were in Sinai, the Straits of Tiran were closed to Israeli ships, and Jordan had signed a defence pact with Egypt. Israel's leaders had already called up their reservists. The Israeli government now decided that waiting was more dangerous than striking first. Moshe Dayan, a famous general, became Israel's defence minister on 1 June.
At about 7.45 am on Monday 5 June, Israeli planes took off and flew low over the Mediterranean to avoid radar. They attacked Egyptian airfields. Most Egyptian planes were still parked on the ground. Within a few hours most of Egypt's air force had been destroyed.
Key terms:
- Pre-emptive strike: attacking first because you expect to be attacked soon. Israel called its attack self-defence. Many Arabs called it an Israeli attack on its neighbours.
- Air superiority: controlling the skies, so that the enemy's planes cannot attack your army and yours can attack theirs.
- Armoured column: a long line of tanks and other fighting vehicles that moves fast and breaks through enemy lines.
- Ceasefire: an order to stop fighting, usually backed by the UN.
The six days of fighting
- 5 June: Israel destroyed Egypt's air force. Israeli tanks and infantry pushed into Sinai and the Gaza Strip. Jordan joined in by shelling Israeli areas of Jerusalem, so Israel attacked Jordan. Israeli planes then destroyed the Jordanian and Syrian air forces too.
- 6-8 June: In Sinai, armoured columns broke through Egyptian defences and raced across the desert. Egypt's commander, Field Marshal Amer, ordered a general retreat. Israeli forces reached the Suez Canal.
- 7 June: Israeli soldiers captured the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Western Wall, which Jews had not been able to visit since 1948. They also took the rest of the West Bank. Jordan accepted a UN ceasefire.
- 8 June: Egypt accepted the ceasefire.
- 9-10 June: Israel attacked Syria and captured the Golan Heights, the high ground that Syrian guns had used against Israeli farms. Syria accepted a ceasefire and the fighting ended on 10 June.
What Israel gained
🏛 From Jordan
The West Bank and East Jerusalem, including the Old City.
⛰ From Syria
The Golan Heights.
📊 The cost
Fewer than 1,000 Israelis died. The Arab armies lost many thousands of soldiers and most of their planes and tanks.
Why did Israel win so quickly?
- The opening air strike. With air superiority, Israel could attack Arab tanks and troops from the sky while its own army moved freely. The Arab armies had almost no air cover.
- Planning and speed. Israel had long prepared for a war with several enemies. It used fast armoured columns and attacked one front at a time, so it never had to fight all three armies together.
- Training and morale. Israeli reservists and officers were well trained, and many felt they were fighting for their country's survival.
- Arab weaknesses. The Arab states had joined together quickly in May and did not have a joint plan or one command. Some Egyptian troops were also still fighting in the civil war in Yemen. When Egypt's commander ordered a retreat, many Egyptian units fell into confusion.
Change and continuity
The Six-Day War changed the map. In 1948-49 Israel gained land in a war that began when Arab armies entered after Israel's independence was declared. In 1956 it took Sinai but handed it back under pressure. In 1967 the gains were far larger: Sinai, Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.
Common mistakes
- Saying the war lasted a month. It was six days, 5-10 June 1967.
- Thinking Israel won only because of better weapons. Planning, surprise and Arab weaknesses mattered as much.
- Mixing up the gains. Sinai and Gaza came from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, the Golan from Syria.
Exam-style question
Explain TWO causes of Israel's victory in the Six-Day War of 1967. [8 marks]
One cause alone cannot score more than half marks, so always write two paragraphs.
Model answer
One cause was Israel's surprise air strike on 5 June. Israeli planes flew low to avoid radar and hit Egyptian airfields while most planes were parked on the ground, destroying most of Egypt's air force in a few hours. Jordan's and Syria's air forces were destroyed later that day. This gave Israel air superiority, so its tanks and soldiers could advance in Sinai while the Arab armies were attacked from the sky and had no air cover. This is why Egypt's army collapsed so fast.
A second cause was the weakness of the Arab side. The Arab states had no joint plan and no single command, so Israel could defeat Egypt, then Jordan, then Syria one after another. Egypt's commander ordered a general retreat from Sinai on 6 June, and many Egyptian units fell into confusion. This let Israeli armoured columns reach the Suez Canal within days and was one reason the war was over by 10 June.
This is a top answer because each cause is backed by specific facts and shows how it led to Israel's victory.
Exam tip
For each cause, use the pattern: name it, add a date, name or number, then explain how it led to the result. A cause with no explanation stays in the middle level.