Europe 1977: Cold War Rivalry in the Middle East

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Political map of Europe & the Mediterranean on 15 Jun 1977 (The Cold War: Cold War Rivalry in the Middle East), showing the following events: Britain, Denmark, and Ireland become members of the EEC; Yom Kippur War; 1973 Oil Crisis; Turkish invasion of Cyprus; Lebanese Civil War begins; Portuguese and Spanish transitions to democracy.

late  6AD
Sep  9AD
16AD
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26AD
36AD
23 Jan 41AD
Aug 43AD
47AD
sum 49AD
early 54AD
sum 59AD
60/61AD
fall 62AD
Oct 66AD
7 Jun 68AD
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15 Jul 69AD
24 Oct 69AD
16 Dec 69AD
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15 Apr 74AD
24 Oct 79AD
sum 84AD
sum 88AD
18 Sep 96AD
sum  102
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14 Oct  115
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late  132
spr  142
fall  161
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15 Jun 1977
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6 Sep 1991

In 1967, Israel conquered large swathes of Arab territory, which Soviet-supported Egypt and Syria attempted to retake in 1973. When they failed, the Arab world retaliated against US support of Israel with an oil embargo against the West. Further instability in the region occurred when ethnic tensions between Greeks and Turks in Cyprus prompted a Turkish invasion of that island and Palestinian refugees helped set off a civil war in Lebanon.

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Main Events

1 Jan 1973 First Enlargement of the European Communities ▲

After a change in the French Presidency from Charles de Gaulle to Georges Pompidou in 1969, the European Communities became open to enlargement and proceeded to negotiate accession treaties with Denmark, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom. On 22 January 1972 the UK, under Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath, signed the accession treaty outright, while the other three nations held referendums, with the Irish voting 83.1% in favor, the Norwegians only 46.5%, and the Danes 63.3%. As a result, Denmark, Ireland, and the UK, but not Norway, became formal members of the EC on 1 January 1973. in wikipedia

6–25 Oct 1973 Yom Kippur War ▲

Following their defeat in the Six Day War, Egypt and Syria launched a sneak attack on Israel during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur (hampering mobilization). Initially, the Egyptians and Syrians had the upper hand, but after 19 days of fighting, the Israeli Army had crossed into Africa and were nearing Damascus. The Soviet Union began mobilizing against Israel, but backed down after the United States began mobilizing in turn, ending the war. in wikipedia

17 Oct 1973–17 Mar 1974 1973 Oil Crisis ▲

In October 1973 the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC)—who’s component nations produced about 75% of the world’s oil at the time—decided to cut oil production to force the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands to end their support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Beginning with a 5% cut on 17 October, oil production was dropped to 25% of pre-embargo levels by December, contributing to a global recession and causing tensions between the US and its European allies. The embargo was lifted in March 1974 after negotiations following the end of the Yom Kippur War. in wikipedia

20 Jul–18 Aug 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus ▲

In response to the Greek-backed coup in Cyprus in July 1974, the Republic of Turkey launched Operation Atilla, landing troops at Kyrenia in the island’s north. Invoking its rights under the London-Zürich Agreements to protect the Turkish population, Turkey proceeded to capture 3% of Cyprus before the UN Security Council was able to impose a ceasefire on 22 July. After further clashes, a second Turkish offensive in mid-August fanned out to occupy 36% of the island before a final ceasefire that month left the Republic of Cyprus divided, with a de facto Northern Cyprus under Turkish occupation and separated from the south by a UN Buffer Zone. in wikipedia

13 Apr 1975 Lebanese Civil War begins ▲

The movement of Palestinian refugees and militants to Lebanon—especially after the Six-Day War (1967) and Black September (1970)—further destabilized a republic which was already precariously balanced between a Christian and Muslim population under the authority of a mandatorily majority-Christian government. In April 1975 fighting broke out in Beirut between the Kateeb Christian militia (Phalangists) and the leftist-aligned Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), leading to the division of the city (the Green Line). The Muslim and leftist Lebanese National Movement (LNM) soon threw its weight behind the PLO and by early 1976 had seized much of the country, prompting Christian forces to reorganize as the Lebanese Front. Suspicious of the LNM, Syria invaded Lebanon in June in support of the government. in wikipedia

15 Dec 1976 Portuguese and Spanish transitions to democracy ▲

In 1974, the Portuguese military, coupled with civil protesters, overthrew the Estado Novo regime of António de Olveira Salazar, establishing a pathway to democracy. Soon after, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco restored the monarchy, appointing Prince Juan Carlos as his successor after his death. Instead, Juan Carlos restored civil authority to Parliament, holding a referendum for a new constitution to take effect in 1978. in wikipedia

1970s 1977 Algeria Bahrain Cold War Cyprus Denmark Egypt European history European Union Greece Iraq Ireland Israel June June 15 Kuwait Lebanon Libya maps NATO Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Spain Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States

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