North Yemen Civil War (TTtC)

North Yemen Civil War (TTtC)
Part of Arab Cold War, Moscow-Washington Conflict
Date 1962-1975 Place North Yemen Result Royalist Victory Famine destroys 15-30% of North Yemen's population Egypt-Saudi Cold War turns in Saudi Arabia's favor Yemen Arab Republic government-in-exile

The North Yemen Civil War was a two-phase civil proxy conflict between the rival governments of North Yemen. The conflict began in 1962, with Saudi Arabia sponsoring an intervention on behalf of the Kingdom of Yemen against the rival Yemen Arab Republic, which was directly supported by Egypt. Major changes to international politics in 1968 began the second phase of the war, which included attacks on Saudi Arabia's territory, naval skirmishes, and a major famine. After Saudi Arabia underwent immense militarization and modernization in the early 1970s, the war turned in the Kingdom's favor, and by 1975 the Yemen Arab Republic collapsed, and a government-in-exile was established in Egypt. The conflict was a pyrrhic victory for the royalists, whom inherited a devastated country. The conditions in Yemen began the process of Islamist radicalization that would later have major implications in the region.

Background

Muhammed al-Badr, the son of Imam Ahmad took a heavy-handed approach to Egypt's pan-Arab diplomacy. In 1958, al-Badr proposed that the Kingdom of Yemen would become involved in the United Arab Republic, but only as an alliance so that Ahmad could preserve his throne.

In 1961, al-Badr began a series of purges targeting alleged "Christian spies" in Yemen, an action which was not only immoral but grotesque to the United Arab Republic's secular institution. al-Badr's actions drew criticism, including from the military, and in response he banned military speeches and silenced calls for reform.

When Imam Ahmad died in 1962, al-Badr was Crown Prince and could not become Imam until he got the ratification of the Ummah. He was unpopular with the Ummah because of his diplomatic engagement with Egypt, but he ascended to the position of Imam regardless. One of al-Badr's first actions as Imam was to appoint a socialist Nasserist to command the Palace Guard. At this point, al-Badr had burnt bridges with both ends of the political axis in Yemen.