Growth and Change in the Israeli Defense Forces through Six Wars

摘要

This paper traces the origins of the Israeli Defense Forces from the pre-independence underground Jewish militia, called the Haganah, and reviews each of the six Arab Israeli wars. The focus is on the growth and change of the ground forces; more specifically, how the lessons from each of those conflicts were used to review and make changes where necessary in organization, equipment, doctrine and tactics. In other words, how the forces prepared for the next was based on the lessons gleaned from the previous conflict. The evidence and the IDF's continuing success show that they are both candid in assessing their performance and quick to implement changes at all levels where, and when, necessary. A review of each of the six Arab-Israeli wars also clearly shows that the margin of victory for the Israell's in each case, has been the qualitative superiority of its manpower from the top leadership down to the level of the fighting soldier. The firepower, flexibility, and speed inherent in mechanized/armored operations can only be realized on the battlefield if the soldiers are technically and tactically proficient and the leaders are bold, imaginative, and decisive. This has been Israel's advantage in its wars with the Arabs.