The Fourth Middle East War: A Catalyst for Cold War Competition and Regional Instability

Before the outbreak of the Fourth Middle East War, the Soviet Union's stance was to prevent any war in the Middle East. As a result, the Soviet Union only provided defensive weapons. However, during Nasser's visit to the Soviet Union, he requested weapons for Egypt and threatened that Egypt would align with the United States if the Soviet Union refused. In order to maintain its influence in the Middle East, the Soviet Union reluctantly provided weapons to Egypt. With the Soviet Union and the United States engaged in the Cold War, the Fourth Middle East War served as a platform for the two superpowers to compete. The Soviet Union stood with the Arab nations and supplied them with weapons, while the United States deployed its full strength to assist Israel, quickly giving Israel the upper hand. When the Israeli army successfully attacked the Suez Canal, the Soviet Union immediately responded. Brezhnev informed the United States, 'Israel cannot threaten the existence of the Egyptian and Syrian governments. Otherwise, the Soviet army will not stand idly by.'

The policy of 'divide and conquer' has ancient origins and has been employed by Britain for ruling purposes. The Middle East region served as an important testing ground and victim of Britain's 'divide and conquer' policy. For instance, Britain created disputes and conflicts among Middle Eastern nations and supported the establishment of Israel in the region. This policy significantly altered the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, thereby establishing the foundation for contemporary Middle Eastern politics. These colonial legacies did not diminish with the rise of national liberation movements or Britain's departure from the region. On the contrary, these enduring troubles left by British colonialism have continued to ferment, remaining as significant sources of instability in the Middle East. The 'sovereign state system' implemented by Britain and France in the Middle East, imposed externally, has led to ongoing questioning and challenges, resulting in continuous turmoil in the region. As this sovereign system was forcibly imposed by British and French colonizers, it has never gained widespread acceptance among the Arab populace. Consequently, demands and forces seeking to overthrow and restructure the regional order have persisted. Arab nationalism, prevalent in the Middle East during the 1950s and 1960s, along with the Islamic revival movement that emerged in the late 1970s, aimed to reassemble the regional map based on 'Arab nationality' and 'Islamic religion.' Each political and social movement attempting to overthrow the region has been accompanied by enduring wars, conflicts, and turmoil. Since the existing Middle Eastern countries are interlinked with this sovereign system, altering the regional map faces significant resistance, resulting in the failure of these efforts to reshape the regional system.

Arab countries have experienced constant internal conflicts, leading to a multitude of regional contradictions. Britain and France manipulated disputes among Middle Eastern nations, causing Arab countries that could have united to view each other with enmity. Consequently, the geopolitical structure of 'small countries standing alone' was presented to the world. The conflicts sown by British and French colonizers between these countries after World War I eventually surfaced over time. Due to differences in territory, ethnicity, and sects, Middle Eastern countries have been embroiled in continuous conflicts. According to the statistics of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), the Middle East is more prone to conflict compared to other regions around the world. As some scholars have pointed out, 'The conflicts and territorial disputes between Arab countries in the past few decades are rooted in the border demarcation during the mandate period... The most challenging conflicts, disputes, contradictions, and struggles in the current Middle East issue are mostly related to the 'mandate rule.''}

Britain's support for Israel has been a monumental disaster for the Middle East, as bloodshed has demonstrated. Israel's interference in the region has made the Arab-Israeli (later Palestinian-Israeli) issue an unhealed open wound in the Middle East. The Arab nationalism that championed Arab unity also ultimately faltered and collapsed during the Third Middle East War. Currently, the majority of wars, conflicts, and contradictions in the Middle East have intricate connections to Israel. During the Cold War period, at least four regional wars erupted between Arab countries and Israel: the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the 1956 Suez Crisis, the 1967 Six-Day War, and the 1973 Fourth Middle East War.

Syria perceives itself as the 'beating heart' of Arab nationalism, with the goal of unifying the Arab world. The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, originating in Syria, was the first to advocate this ideology. As a result, Syria is particularly keen on consolidating Arab nations. In the mid-1950s, Syria signed the 'Common Defense Treaty' with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, forming the Cairo-Damascus-Riyadh axis. In 1958, Syria even relinquished its sovereignty to form the 'United Arab Republic' with Egypt. However, this attempt to create a unified Arab entity was short-lived and disintegrated after three years.

For Syria, the Fourth Middle East War was a retaliatory conflict, seeking revenge for the devastating defeat of the Egypt-Syria alliance in the Third Middle East War, which resulted in Syria losing control over the strategically important Golan Heights.

Since the Middle East wars, Syria has consistently found itself on the losing side, losing significant territories. Consequently, the national conflict with Israel has escalated. Under the leadership of Egypt, Syria has forged a close relationship with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). After Assad assumed power, he advocated using military force to regain national territories.

In the period leading up to the Third Middle East War in 1967, Israel and Syria experienced ongoing attacks and shelling incidents along their border. In April, both sides clashed on the Golan Heights, leading to an aerial battle between their air forces. Six Syrian planes were shot down, thereby intensifying Syria's deep-seated animosity towards Israel. Simultaneously, Arab unity was strengthened. Led by Egypt, Arab countries, including Syria, were preparing to launch an attack against Israel. Thus, on June 5, 1967, the Third Middle East War officially commenced. Within a mere six days, the Arab countries suffered a resounding defeat, and Syria lost sovereignty over the strategically vital Golan Heights. Israel's control over the Golan Heights granted it a significant strategic advantage in the Middle East, as it placed a considerable portion of its northern territory beyond Syria's reach. Consequently, Syria was forced onto the back foot in the war. Moreover, this had a subtle and lasting impact on Arab countries' thinking. (Before the war, the objectives of Arab countries were to eradicate Israel from the world, whereas after the war, Arab nations had to accept the fact that Israel could not be driven away.)

In 1970, Assad was elected prime minister, allowing the Assad family to seize control of the Syrian government. Assad leveraged the national animosity towards Israel to gain popularity and eventually became the president. After assuming office, Assad restructured the party's regional leadership and government, rectifying the excessive economic policies of his predecessor. He relaxed restrictions on private capital and vigorously developed industry and mining. These measures spurred the growth of private investment, propelled national economic development, unified the Syrian people, and enhanced the country's economic strength, preparing Syria for the Fourth Middle East War. In 1973, Assad led Syria's participation in the war. Prior to and following the war, he also attempted 'Arab-style mergers' with Egypt and Iraq, but these efforts proved unsuccessful. He rejected the phased reconciliation with Israel adopted by Egypt. When U.S. Secretary of State Kissinger visited Syria, urging Syria to engage in peace talks with Israel, Assad pointed to a large painting in his office depicting Saladin's triumph over the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin, stating, 'Israel will eventually face the same fate as the Crusaders.'