The 1948 Palestine War

The 1948 Palestine War, known in Hebrew as the War of Independence, is essential for understanding the Arab-Israeli conflict and the political situation in the modern Middle East. It was the first in a long series of conflicts between Jews and Arabs in the region, and tensions between the two groups persist today. Indeed, civil war broke out after the departure of British forces from Palestine and the situation of Palestinians has been precarious ever since. In just 50 minutes, you will learn about the main events of the 1948 Palestine War and its numerous consequences, including the failure of the Lausanne Conference and the territorial, demographic and political changes.

This straightforward and informative book provides a thorough analysis of the main events of the 1948 Palestine War, which saw two temporary truce periods before the war officially ended in 1949. It also features biographies of the main commanders and leaders, including David Ben-Gurion and Abdallah I, King of Jordan, a valuable introduction to the political and social context, and an evaluation of the war’s consequences, giving you all the essential information about this key event in the history of the State of Israel.

About the 1948 Palestine War

The Palestinian territory was under British mandate from 1922 to 1948, but after the withdrawal of British forces the region was plunged into uncertainty. Tensions between Palestinians and Israelis then escalated as each side claimed possession of the territory, culminating in civil war from 1947 to 1948. The 1948 Palestine War broke out after David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the independence of the State of Israel and some of the neighboring Arab countries chose to intervene. Although Israel emerged victorious and an armistice was signed in 1949, many issues were left unresolved and continue to cause problems today.

This clear and accessible 46-page book is structured as follows:

• Introduction to the 1948 Palestine War
• Political and social context
  • Palestine under British mandate from 1922 to 1948
  • The civil war 1947-1948
• Commanders and leaders
  • David Ben-Gurion, Israeli politician
  • Abdallah I, King of Jordan
• Analysis of the war
  • The forces present
  • The initial fighting (May-June 1948)
  • The first truce (11 June-8 July 1948)
  • Resuming the fight (8-18 July 1948)
  • Second truce (18 July-15 October 1948)
  • Last renewed fighting (15 October 1948-June 1949)
• Impact of the 1948 Palestine War
  • Failure of the Lausanne Conference
  • Territorial consequences
  • Demographic consequences
  • Political consequences
• Summary