Tough Going: Anglo-American Relations and the Yom Kippur War of 1973

The Yom Kippur War was a seminal event in the history of the Middle East and a defining moment in the Anglo-American relationship. This thesis-originally presented at the University of Cambridge in 2005-draws upon recently declassified documents from the United Kingdom and the United States to offer a fresh interpretation of the crisis and the consequent transatlantic strain. It assesses the strategies of both governments toward the war and evaluates the conventional wisdom that the conflict precipitated a major schism between London and Washington. This thesis shows that, while Britain and America came to loggerheads often during the war, their disputes were subtle and complex. Above all, they were rooted in the two nations' differing levels of national power, capability, and tolerance for risk. By closely examining the details of their disagreements, this work throws light on a critical crisis in post-war international history and on the British-American relationship that continues to resonate in world politics to this day.