Arab-Israeli Conflict The Palestine War 1948 (E.H.#28)

An examination of the Palestine War of 1948 and its progression through two distinct stages: the guerrilla warfare between the Arab and Jewish communities of Mandatory Palestine, and the conventional inter-state war between the State of Israel and the invading Arab armies. It assesses the participants, their war aims, strategies and combat performance. Finally, it explores the reasons for Israel's success in the face of seemingly impossible odds and for the failure of the Arab nations to turn their military and numerical superiority into victory on the ground. The Palestine War has been by far the most important military encounter in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Israel's survival and victory, coupled with the Palestinian dispersion and the creation of a lingering refugee problem, would redefine Middle Eastern political and military affairs for decades to come.Introduction and Chronology *Background to war *Warring sides *Outbreak *The fighting *Portrait of a soldier *The world around war *Portrait of a civilian *How the war ended *Conclusion and consequences