- Date:
- March 1969 - August 1970
- Participants:
- Egypt
- Israel
- Jordan
- Soviet Union
- Key People:
- Ahmed Shafiq
War of Attrition
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What was the War of Attrition?
The War of Attrition, from 1969 to 1970, was an inconclusive war mainly between Egypt and Israel. Egypt initiated the conflict to weaken Israel through a prolonged engagement, aiming to regain the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had seized in the Six-Day War of 1967. Gamal Abdel Nasser, then president of Egypt, intended to retake territory captured by Israel.
After mutual hostilities and a lull, Egypt resumed attacks in March 1969, leading to heavy losses on both sides. The Soviet Union's support of Egypt escalated the conflict. Ultimately, a U.S. brokered cease-fire was accepted by involved nations in August 1970, but disputes remained unresolved.
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Which countries were involved in the War of Attrition?
The War of Attrition (1969â70) was primarily fought between Egypt and Israel. Egypt initiated the conflict to weaken Israel and regain control of the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had seized in the Six-Day War of 1967.
To a lesser extent, an eastern front involving Jordanian, Syrian, Iraqi, and Palestinian forces also participated in the hostilities. The Soviet Union supported Egypt with material investment, advanced weaponry, and military advisors, eventually directly engaging in the conflict. The United States intervened diplomatically, leading to a cease-fire agreement in August 1970.
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Why did the War of Attrition start?
The War of Attrition, lasting from 1969 to 1970, was initiated by Egypt with the primary goal of weakening Israel through sustained engagement. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser aimed to exploit this prolonged conflict to regain control of the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had seized in the Six-Day War of 1967.
Nasser, supported by Soviet resources, felt ready by 1968 to launch limited attacks on Israeli forces in the Suez Canal zone. In March 1969, Egypt officially ended the cease-fire, initiating renewed attacks against Israel, marking the formal start of the War of Attrition. The conflict concluded without resolving underlying disputes, setting the stage for renewed hostilities in the Arab-Israeli war of October 1973.
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What were some important battles or events during the War of Attrition?
The War of Attrition between Egypt and Israel, from 1969 to 1970, was characterized by significant events.
Key moments:
* Egypt initiated attacks in March 1969, ending a cease-fire, and inflicted substantial losses on Israel using heavy artillery and Soviet support.
* In mid-July 1969, Israel escalated attacks, leading to the destruction of the Egyptian air defense system by December and deep-penetration raids into Egypt in early January 1970.
* Nasser's appeal to the Soviet Union for assistance resulted in direct Soviet involvement, with Soviet pilots flying combat patrols over Egypt.
* The United States intervened, leading to a cease-fire agreement in August 1970, though it was quickly violated by Egypt and the Soviet Union.2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did the War of Attrition affect the people living in Egypt and Israel?
The War of Attrition, an inconclusive conflict primarily between Egypt and Israel from 1969 to 1970, aimed to wear down Israel and provide Egypt with an opportunity to dislodge Israeli forces from the Sinai Peninsula.
The war had significant effects on both Egyptians and Israelis. Egypt suffered heavy losses from Israeli attacks, which prompted Gamal Abdel Nasser to seek direct assistance from the Soviet Union. While the conflict did not result in territorial gains or a clear victor, it led to a shift in the psychological balance, setting the stage for renewed hostilities in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The Six-Day War created hundreds of thousands of refugees and brought more than one million Palestinians in the occupied territories under Israeli rule.
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What was the result of the War of Attrition, and why is it important in Egyptian-Israeli history?
The War of Attrition (1969â70) between Egypt and Israel was an inconclusive conflict initiated by Egypt to weaken Israel and regain the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had seized in the Six-Day War of 1967.
The war concluded with a U.S.-brokered cease-fire in August 1970, but no territory was exchanged, and underlying disputes remained unresolved. Some observers considered Egypt's failure to make territorial gains as an Israeli victory, while others suggested the war shifted the psychological balance in Egypt's favor.
Despite the lack of a clear victor, the War of Attrition is significant in Egyptian-Israeli history because it led to the renewal of hostilities in the Yom Kippur War of October 1973 and eventually the 1979 peace treaty following the Camp David Accords, where the Sinai Peninsula was returned to Egypt, and peace was established between the two nations.
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War of Attrition, inconclusive war (1969â70) chiefly between Egypt and Israel. The conflict, launched by Egypt, was meant to wear down Israel by means of a long engagement and so provide Egypt with the opportunity to dislodge Israeli forces from the Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had seized from Egypt in the Six-Day (June) War of 1967.
Shortly after the end of the 1967 war, Egyptian Pres. Gamal Abdel Nasser made clear his intention to retake by force territory captured by Israel in the conflict. Egyptian losses in the war had been significant, but the support and material investment of the Soviet Union sped Egyptâs recovery. In autumn 1968 Nasser felt adequately prepared to launch limited attacks on Israeli forces in the Suez Canal zone. After an opening period of mutual hostilities, a de facto cease-fire materialized, and, in the subsequent lull, both Egypt and Israel built up their defenses.
In March 1969 Egypt put an end to the cease-fire and initiated renewed attacks against Israel, marking the beginning of the War of Attrition. Although the Egyptian-Israeli front was the main theatre of battle, to a lesser extent an eastern frontâwhich included Jordanian, Syrian, Iraqi, and Palestinian forcesâwas also a factor in the hostilities. Using heavy artillery, new MiG aircraft, Soviet advisers, and an advanced Soviet-designed surface-to-air missile system, the Egyptians inflicted heavy losses on the Israelis. In mid-July, in light of increasing casualties, Golda Meirâwho had become Israelâs prime minister following Levi Eshkolâs sudden death in February 1969âescalated Israeli attacks. By December Israeli forces had destroyed the entirety of the Egyptian air defense system, and from early January 1970 deep-penetration raids were launched against Egyptian targets in the Nile valley and delta. Sufficiently threatened by the Israeli escalation, on January 22, 1970, Nasser secretly traveled to Moscow to appeal directly to the Soviet Union for assistance. The Soviets were hesitant, but, faced with Nasserâs threat to resign and the spectre of his replacement by a pro-Western successor, they acquiescedâagreeing, then, to directly involve themselves in the conflict. Israeli raids were suspended after Soviet pilots began to fly combat patrols over parts of Egypt, and the battle shifted to the canal zone.
Fearing an eventual Israeli confrontation with the Soviet Union, U.S. Pres. Richard Nixon sent Secretary of State William Rogers to intervene with a complex cease-fire proposal, which was accepted by Egypt, Jordan, and Israel in August 1970. This plan specified limits on the deployment of missiles and revived a year-old diplomatic initiative (the Rogers Plan) that insisted on an exchange of territory for peace on all fronts. Negotiations were to be initiated after the cease-fire took effect. The Egyptians and the Soviets violated the agreement almost immediately, however, by moving their missiles closer to the canal. In spite of the cease-fire violation, Israel decided not to resume the conflict, and when Nasser died in September 1970, his successor, Anwar Sadat, did not renew the fighting.
At great economic and human expense, the War of Attrition left its underlying disputes unresolved. No territory was exchanged, and there was no obvious victor; observers differed as to whether either side had achieved a strategic success. For some, Egyptâs failure to make any territorial gains pointed to an Israeli victory; others suggested that the shift in psychological balance that resulted from the war was in Egyptian favour. The lack of resolution led to the renewal of hostilities only years later in the Arab-Israeli war of October 1973. The status of the Sinai Peninsula and the issue of permanent peace between Egypt and Israel were ultimately resolved by the 1979 peace treaty that followed the Camp David Accords.