The Uzi Submachine: A Gun Like No Other

Kyle Mizokami

Security, Middle East

The gun everyone fears in a fight.

One of the most recognizable weapons of the postwar era came from one of the newest nation-states. The Uzi submachine gun was designed to be a simple, inexpensive weapon that would overcome the logistical problems of a ragtag army turning professional. In doing so it became a commercial success, exported far and wide and a legend among postwar small arms.

The story of the Uzi goes back to 1948 and the birth of Israel. Declared a nation in May 1948, the young country was immediately attacked by its Arab neighbors—Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Transjordan. Various Israeli paramilitary organizations, particularly the Haganah militia, coalesced into the Israeli Defense Forces, the country’s armed forces. Despite being outnumbered and often outgunned, the IDF successfully defended the country.

All in all, the IDF repelled the Arab world’s combined assault with just two hundred machine guns, ten thousand rifles and 3,600 submachine guns. The IDF’s victory came despite its reliance on a motley collection of surplus small arms from around the world, from British small arms and Enfield rifles to surplus Axis equipment—particularly from Czechoslovakia. Some of Israel’s earliest defenders used their own civilian sporting rifles and shotguns. This prevented universal training and was a logistical nightmare, as the different weapons used dozens of different ammunition types.

Israel’s network of allies—and enemies—had yet to coalesce, and acquiring arms abroad was a tricky (and sneaky) business. Much of the country’s armaments, even fighter planes, were acquired via smuggling. The country was also very poor and could not afford the latest arms. The solution was to take advantage of the country’s highly educated citizens, constant near-war footing and many veterans of World War II, and create an arms industry of its own.