The Yom Kippur, or October, War began on 6 October 1973 with a simultaneous attack by Syrian forces on the Golan Heights and Egyptian forces on the Suez Canal. It ended on 25 October, 39 years ago today. The war involved tank battles of a scale not seen since World War Two and not seen since after. The costs of the war were heavy. Nearly 3000 Israelis died and possibly as many as 18000 Egyptians and Syrians.
Yet it could have been worse. Much worse. This war took place during the Cold War. The Soviet Union threatened to intervene militarily in support of Egypt. It put seven airborne divisions on alert and rushed destroyers to the area. The United States went to DEFCON 3. US-Soviet conflict looked likely. But cooler heads prevailed. The Cuban Missile Crisis had taken place 11 years to the month beforehand. Both the US and the Soviets knew the price of escalation. Neither was prepared to pay.
This war was also the last fought between Israel and Egypt and, a few isolated engagements aside, the last fought between Israel and Syria. This was because the war allowed both Egypt and Syria to withdraw from the battlefield with honour satisfied. Because in the early days of the war Israel was hit hard. The Arab armies, fighting to regain land taken from them in the 1967 War, crossed the Suez Canal and occupied large parts of the Golan Heights. But they failed to press their advantage. Israel regrouped.
The war ended with Israeli forces forty miles from Damascus and a similar distance from Cairo. But if it was a victory for Israel, those early gains made it equally so for Egypt and Syria. War memorials in both countries record their 'victory' of 1973. Their armies had banished the humiliation of the 1967 War. This made it possible for Egypt to agree peace with Israel six years later. And although there is still no peace between Israel and Syria, there's no war either.
Yet it could have been worse. Much worse. This war took place during the Cold War. The Soviet Union threatened to intervene militarily in support of Egypt. It put seven airborne divisions on alert and rushed destroyers to the area. The United States went to DEFCON 3. US-Soviet conflict looked likely. But cooler heads prevailed. The Cuban Missile Crisis had taken place 11 years to the month beforehand. Both the US and the Soviets knew the price of escalation. Neither was prepared to pay.
This war was also the last fought between Israel and Egypt and, a few isolated engagements aside, the last fought between Israel and Syria. This was because the war allowed both Egypt and Syria to withdraw from the battlefield with honour satisfied. Because in the early days of the war Israel was hit hard. The Arab armies, fighting to regain land taken from them in the 1967 War, crossed the Suez Canal and occupied large parts of the Golan Heights. But they failed to press their advantage. Israel regrouped.
The war ended with Israeli forces forty miles from Damascus and a similar distance from Cairo. But if it was a victory for Israel, those early gains made it equally so for Egypt and Syria. War memorials in both countries record their 'victory' of 1973. Their armies had banished the humiliation of the 1967 War. This made it possible for Egypt to agree peace with Israel six years later. And although there is still no peace between Israel and Syria, there's no war either.
1973 war memorial, Egypt
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