In 1973 the Yom Kippur war, primarily between Israel and Egypt backed by USA and Russia respectively lasted less than 3 weeks. At one stage Richard Nixon threatened Russia with a nuclear strike if they didn’t back off supplying military aid to the Arab alliance. It was somewhat diversionary as Nixon was embroiled in the Watergate scandal but the threat was real and for many was terrifying.
As a 14 year old School boy I was dismayed, the headlines in the papers included “the world is on the brink” “world on red alert”. Our old French Studies Teacher took a perverse pleasure in telling our class our generation would probably die in a Nuclear war, I was in shreds, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat couldn’t study and I was a nervous wreck, my Mum got me through it.
Henry Kissinger, an American Diplomat brokered a peace deal in what become known as “shuttle diplomacy”, he was a brilliant man, should have been a President but wasn’t allowed as he was German born. At that time he was my hero, I got my life back on track as the threat of all out Nuclear war subsided.
I’m now as anxious but more angry that Russia is playing with peoples lives, I look at kids and think about the threat stupid and dangerous politicians are to their future.
We need a Henry Kissinger mark 2 to step in, diplomacy has to be the winner, if this war starts the end game is very dangerous, there is no victory for anyone.
