Lecture 36: Recent & Not-So-Decisive Decisive Battles

Recent & Not-So-Decisive Decisive Battles ...................................

Lecture 36

G

iven the frequency of warfare and its often wide-ranging and

dramatic consequences, it comes as no surprise that many individual

battles have been decisive turning points. As we’ve seen, a battle

can be decisive for many reasons: a change in rulers, destruction of a

state’s armed forces and loss of its ability to wage war, the advent of a new

technology, or the introduction of social or religious changes. Often, truly

decisive battles have more than one of these effects. In this last lecture, we

will discuss a few recent battles that might turn out to be among the decisive

ones of history and examine some particularly famous battles that may not

be as decisive as was once thought.

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x In November 1947, U.N. Resolution 181 attempted to create two

separate states out of the old British protectorate of Palestine—

one for Arabs and one for Jews. This sparked ongoing unrest in

the disputed territories until, on May 14, 1948, the Jewish state of

Israel declared its existence and was immediately recognized by

key international powers. The next day, a coalition of Arab states

invaded Israel and attempted to destroy it.

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armies and militias, almost all of them using curious mixtures of

whatever leftover equipment from World War II they could lay their

hands on. The Israelis thwarted each of the offensives and initiated

counterattacks. Between February and July 1949, Israel signed

separate armistices with each of the Arab nations involved, bringing

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War for Israeli Independence.

x As a result of this war, Israel ended up with not only the territory

given to it by the U.N. resolution but with a good bit of the land

allocated to the planned Arab state, as well. Continuing tensions led