The Yom Kippur War

Anwar Sadat and Causes of the War

• Nasser died of a heart attack on 28 September 1970; five million mourners attended his funeral. Anwar Sadat became president, aiming to restore Egypt's economy and reopen the Suez Canal.

• Sadat's peace offer based on UN Resolution 242 was rejected by Israeli PM Golda Meir. Sadat expelled 15,000 Soviet military advisers to encourage US pressure on Israel, which failed.

• By late 1972, Sadat's popularity was at its lowest, the Canal was still closed, and Sinai was still occupied. He decided to launch a co-ordinated surprise attack with Syria to force Israel to negotiate.

• Israel fortified its territories with the Bar Lev Line (a 20-25m high wall along the Suez Canal costing $300 million) and fortified bunkers on the Golan Heights. 100,000 Syrians expelled during the Six Day War were not permitted to return.

Outbreak of War

• The war began on 6 October 1973 (Yom Kippur). Israel was totally unprepared as soldiers were on leave observing the holiday.

• At 2 p.m., Egypt launched a surprise attack, bombing airfields and the Bar Lev Line, firing 10,500 shells in the first minute. Simultaneously, Syria invaded the Golan Heights with 1,200 tanks and 60,000 troops.

Early Arab Successes

• Egyptians crossed the Canal using high-pressure water cannons to blast sand walls, built temporary bridges, and 23,000 troops crossed by 4:30 p.m.

• Arab forces were well-armed with Soviet equipment. Israel ignored warnings from King Hussein of Jordan and Mossad. Israel was totally unprepared, soldiers were on leave, and it took Israel 72hrs to mobilize completely.

• Israeli defenses on the Golan were overrun within 6 hours. 1200 Syrian tanks pushed past bunkers, threatening Israel's heartland.

Israeli Recovery and Counter-attacks

• Israel's survival was aided by three factors: well-trained IDF soldiers and quality jets/tanks; a US emergency airlift of $2.2 billion in military equipment (arrived 15 October); and Syrian tactical errors (decided not to push to the River Jordan).

• By 10 October, Israeli troops pushed Syrians back into Syria and threatened Damascus.

• On 15 October, Ariel Sharon led tanks to sneak across the Suez Canal. Paratroopers reinforced them on 16 October, and a bridge was built on 19 October.

• Israelis destroyed Egyptian SAM-3 missile sites, allowing their aircraft to join the fight. By 23 October, an Egyptian army was surrounded on the west bank with only 4 days of supplies left. Sadat pushed for a ceasefire.

International Intervention and Ceasefire

The UN called for a ceasefire, but Israel pushed on. The USSR told US that unless there was a peace, they would send troops to help Egypt. US did not want this to happen and went on nuclear alert. Arab states used the "oil weapon" (embargo on the USA, causing oil price quadruple in US). Under US pressure, Israel agreed to a ceasefire on 25 October. The war lasted 18 days.

Impact and Aftermath

• Israel:​ Won militarily and gained land in Syria and Egypt, but suffered 9,500 casualties. Public confidence was blown; Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan resigned the following year.

• Egypt:​ Suffered 30,000 casualties and lost tanks/airplanes. The Canal was unusable. However, crossing the Canal was a brilliant military achievement. Sadat restored national pride and was seen as a deserving successor to Nasser, in a stronger position to offer "peace for land".

• Syria:​ Briefly overcame Israeli defences but failed to retake the Golan Heights.

• Broader Effects:​ The war alerted the USA to the danger of Israel and its neighbours going to war. The "oil weapon" forced the USA to rethink its support for Israel and use its power to force negotiations with Sadat. Palestinian land claims were ignored.