Guides
The periods of Israel's military history, from 1900 to today
Israel's military history is easier to follow once it is divided into periods. This guide explains the eight periods used on Wars of Israel and what changed at each turning point.
Guides to reading military history and its sources
Build the tools to ask better questions of a historical account.
These guides explain how to read the history behind a headline, a map or a familiar operation name. Topics include chronology, the difference between types of military events, the use of sources and the relationship between battlefield outcomes and political decisions. The aim is to help you evaluate an account: what is documented, what depends on a definition and what remains disputed. Examples link back to the historical records where useful. The guides explain history and interpretation; they do not provide instructions for carrying out military operations.
Guides
From Hashomer to the IDF: how the Jewish defense forces developed
The Israel Defense Forces did not appear from nothing in May 1948. This guide follows the organizations that came before it and the hard choices that merged them.
Guides
How Israel's borders changed: armistice lines, ceasefire lines and peace treaties
Few states have had as many kinds of boundary as Israel. This guide explains each line on the map, when it was drawn and what status it holds.
Guides
How Israel's wars and military operations get their names
A military operation's name is chosen in the army, a war's name in the government, and the public often chooses a third. This guide explains how each works.
Guides
How to read casualty figures from Israel's wars
Death tolls from the same battle can differ by hundreds or thousands. This guide explains who counts, what they count and how to read the numbers carefully.
Guides
Researching Israel's military history: archives, collections and sources
Most of what is known about Israel's wars comes from a small number of archives and collections. This guide explains what each holds and how to approach them.
Guides
How Israel remembers its wars: Yom HaZikaron, memorial sites and commemoration
Israel's Memorial Day, its military cemeteries and its battlefield memorials form one of the densest systems of war commemoration in the world. This guide explains how it works.
Guides
Ceasefires, armistices and peace treaties in Israel's history
A truce, a ceasefire, an armistice and a peace treaty are not the same thing. This guide explains each, with the agreements that have shaped Israel's history.