Heath’s Challenges Part 2

Question 1

What was the 1973 Yom Kippur War?

Answer 1

• Saturday 6th October 1973 Arab military forces from Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel
• They chosen the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur hoping to catch Israel off guard
• A short and intensive war followed, during which the USA and some other western countries sided with Israel

Question 2

What is OPEC?

Answer 2

• The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
• A group of Middle Eastern oil exporting nations, predominantly Arab and headed by Saudi Arabia
• This was a consortium which negotiated bulk oil prices and set the dollar price for a barrel of oil
• 1970s the vast majority of the world’s oil supplies came from the middle east so OPEC was in a position to set world oil prices
• 1973 when the USA supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War, OPEC decided to retaliate and stopped supplies of oil to the West
• Bulk oil prices began to rocket

Question 3

What was the 1973 Oil Crisis

Answer 3

• oil prices increase by 400% by 1974
• dramatic increase in petrol for cyclists but also travel companies which increase transport costs
• queues at petrol station so petrol coupons introduced rations
• 50 mph speed limit on motorways

Question 4

1974 Miners strike

Answer 4

• miners demand another rise after prices rise from barber boom and oil crisis
• demanded another rise and went on strike but was rejected
• heath offer £3 to £8 but National Union of Miners wanted double
• both sides refuse to compromise and dragged this out for 16 weeks - in winter again

Question 5

1974 three day week

Answer 5

• B of P crisis looming due to industrial output falling
• again in depth of winter
• on surface it was about miners wanting a new pay deal however was on a deeper level of democracy
• was democracy on brink of collapse

Question 6

What was the snap election

Answer 6

• In February 1974 Heath took a very risky gamble
• He called a snap general election asking the people ‘Who Governs?’
• He was asking the people if he or the unions were running the country
• Opinion was divided
• If he won it would give him a clear mandate to overrule the unions
• however, he lost