Empire: World History 347. Arab-Israeli Conflict: The Six Day War (Part 2)
15 snips
Apr 1, 2026 
Eugene Rogan, Oxford professor of modern Middle Eastern history and author of The Arabs, provides expert analysis of the 1967 Six-Day War. He unpacks the surprise Israeli airstrike, tactical planning that secured air superiority, the collapse of Arab fronts in Sinai, Jordan and the Golan, and the war’s shock for Palestinian society and Arab politics.
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Mubarak The Only Pilot To Escape The Bombing
- William Dalrymple recounts Hosni Mubarak as the sole pilot who managed to take off during the initial Egyptian airstrike.
- Mubarak escaped to Upper Egypt after running to his jet amid explosions, later becoming a national hero.
Air Supremacy Turned Sinai Into A Killing Ground
- Losing air superiority turned Egyptian forward units into vulnerable, supply-starved targets and prompted a general withdrawal.
- Troops in the Sinai lacked air cover and water, abandoning boots and straggling back as Israeli airpower strafed columns.
Hussein Chose Regime Survival Over Territory
- King Hussein joined the Egyptian pact partly to protect his throne and military, accepting huge territorial risk.
- With air forces gone, Hussein prioritized preserving his army and ordered measured retreats across the Jordan for regime survival.
