Evaluation of 1970 Spiritual Wars and Its Impact on Middle East Nations

Not only are the 1970s monumental to most Americans for its huge rise of stagflation, but its monumental to the middle-east of the world. A long ongoing conflict between religions faction has caused a huge impact on international oil production/trade. To this day, we continue to experience the effects of economic depression, that not only sweep through America, but have brought many loses to countries such as Israel, Egypt, and Syria. Due to Americas lack of attention, energy was predominantly produced through oil. Arab oil became very important to America.

As war broke out in the middle-east Americas ally (Israel), begged for aid with ammunition and equipment to fight off a surprising invasion by both Egypt and Syria. As a result, Arab countries retaliated against America, and on October 17, 1973 an organization known as the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), declared an embargo on the United states. (Gale Encyclopedia of U.S Economic History 947)

Egypt, Jordan and Syria had lost a great amount of land due to the previous Arab-Israeli war, in 1967. Egypt lost the 23,000 square miles, the Sinal Peninsula and the Gaza Strip. Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Syria lost the Golan Heights. In 1970, when Anwar el-Sadat became president, Egypt wanted to recover the Sinal Peninsula and make peace with Israel. But President el-Sadat knew that Israel was not on the same page as he was, especially after Israel’s 1967 victory, In 1972, President el-Sadat formed an alliance with Syria that planned to attack Israel. Both Egypt and Syria still had the element of surprise. As time passed, Israel began to notice an increase in the amount of mobility and exercises that both the countries began to do. Israel didn’t expect an attack and everyone knew “Israel was supposed to be nearly “invincible.” (Bard) On October 6, 1973, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, both Syria and Egypt had it planned to invade Israel with hopes of catching them off guard on their religious holiday. Syria invaded Israel through the Golden Height with about 30,000 men and 1,400 tanks. Egypt on the other hand, broke through the Israeli defense at the Suez Canal with 80,000 Egyptian soldiers. The country had been invaded from both ends of their country and both fronts had been overtaken by Egypt and Syria. Israel was not going to lose this land easy. Israel began to fight back, winning battles over seas and in the sky, the ground soilders were also advancing with new equipment, send to them by the United States.

One of Israel’s key to winning the war, was the huge aid given to them by the United States. On October 15, 1973 America responded to Israel’s request for resupplies. Every day in Israel, American planes arrived with ammunition, tanks, and new planes. Israel then planned to fight the counties back into their own countries. October the 17, 1993 the seven Arab countries began to retaliate against Israeli supporters. The oil embargo drove oil and gas prices in America “more than 40 percent, from an average of 38.5 cents per gallon in May 1973 to 55.1 cents per gallon in June 1974.” (“OPEC Oil Embargo Leads…” 946-948) The demand for oil and gas was up like never before for careless America, but prices quadrupled by 1974 to $12 per barrel. Through the 50s and 60s America had an abundance of oil “to the point of glut.” (Reid 18-19). But the supplies for the United States had been cut dramatically by the Arab cartel. Daily shipments of oil from the middle east dropped from 1.2 million a barrel a day to 19,000 barrels a day.

The embargo created extremely long lines at gas stations, Americans waited hours with hopes of being able to purchase enough gas to power their gas-guzzler. On November 7, 1973 President Richard Nixon announced Project Independence. The policy was a way for both government and citizens to become more conservative with energy. Various new regulations and encouraging campaigns took into effect. For instance, if your license plates end in an odd number, you can only receive gas on odd numbered days. The same rule applied to the even numbered license plates. The national speed limit was reduced to 55 mph, in order for cars to use less fuel. There was also a campaign, that encouraged homeowners to cut the heat down during winter and keep the heat up during summer.

President Nixon resigned, and in August 1974 President Gerald Ford took office. Already molded by the embargo, President Ford had high priories in energy independence, he shifted energy from oil to coal and nuclear power. This would lead us to the development of new synthetic fuels and the creation of the International Energy Agency. The United States went under an era of efficiency, looking for new ways to save the most energy. Americans began to adapt, knowing they couldn’t produce enough oil to meet the demand. Project independent began to take its toll, Americans indeed, began to use less oil. But attempts were still being made in finding new alternatives for future oil consumption. America began to drill for oil in places where it would never have been drilled before. We were set out to find a new abundance of energy. We explored with windmills again, hydroelectricity, solar power, and even nuclear power. America was forever changed; energy independence was looked on towards the future. In

We will always help our allies no matter what, as its imbedded in our nation’s history. We proved to ourselves that we can adapt no matter what is thrown at us. America was put in a new direction, a direction that will bring us new energy for the future. America has never been the same, we continue to be advocates of conserving and saving the earth till this day. Till this day oil prices haven’t been the same, on the bright side we continue to make advances in conserving and producing energy.