Page 68 - History of War - Issue 25-16

BRIEFING

Israeli soldiers in
Yom Kippur War atop their tank
Golan Heights stand

The 1973 Arab-Israeli war may have lasted only 20

days, but it violently shifted the balance of power in
the Middle East region forever

WORDSMARWANKAMEL
hen Israel launched a surprise was named Operation Badr, after the battle in
attack in 1967 that destroyed which the Prophet Muhammad’s army returned
WSyria and Egypt’s military capacity to Mecca and seized it from the pagan Quraysh.
and effectively tripled the country in size, it Despite this careful planning, Israel became
was sure that it had clearly demonstrated its aware of the attack beforehand through its
overwhelming, pre-emptive military capability intelligence sources. However, the reports
to shift power. While Syria lost two-thirds of its were not taken seriously because a top, and
ighting capacity in material and Egypt most of suspect, Mossad agent named Ashraf Marwan
its air force and a signiicant number of tanks, – former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel
the Six-Day War earned Israel huge territorial Nasser’s son-in-law – had previously given a
gains. Jordan was ejected from Jerusalem and mistaken date for the attack of May 1973.
the West Bank, and Sinai was taken from Egypt Meanwhile, US policy sought to avoid conlict
and the Golan Heights from Syria. Crucially, altogether and Henry Kissinger convinced the
Egypt also lost control of the Suez Canal to Israelis against using a irst-strike policy. He
Israel, which erected a line of fortiications also encouraged the Soviets to do the same
along the east coast (the Bar Lev line) to secure with their clients.
and restart the low of Israeli shipping through Nonetheless, the co-ordinated attack came on
the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. In short, the 6 October 1973. The Egyptians chose the date
defeat was a triumph for Israel, and equally as according to when the tidal conditions would
humiliating for the Arab nations, who signed the be most favourable for crossing the canal. It
ceaseire begrudgingly. happened to also coincide with both the high
So began the War of Attrition. Former Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and the tenth day
journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, who of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
would be appointed Egyptian minister of
information in 1970, stated in 1969: “This Initial success for Egypt and Syria
course, which meets all the requirements and In the irst few hours of the war, the Syrian
necessities and is in harmony with logic and and Egyptian armies achieved unprecedented
nature – this main course to tip the balance successes. Ariel Sharon, then an Israeli tank
in our favour, or merely to adjust it is: to inlict commander, commented: “These were soldiers
a clear defeat on the Israeli Army in battle, in who had been brought up on victories… It was
one battle… I am not speaking of a battle on a generation that had never lost. Now they were
the scale of that of 5 June 1967 – a 5 June in a state of shock.
in reverse… Most likely 5 June will not be At approximately 2pm on the irst day,
repeated… In the coming battle, neither we nor Egyptian President Anwar Sadat ordered his
the enemy will be taken by surprise.” troops across the canal. They crossed in rubber
The rhetoric began to ramp up further in 1971 dinghies and landed on the opposite side,
and 1972, and as tensions mounted, Syria establishing a bridgehead. Immediately they
and Egypt planned for an attack. They accrued came up against a massive sand embankment,
supplies, which they had implored the Soviet which slowed their progress and meant they
Union to provide in the wake of the devastating could not advance their tanks deeper against
1967 defeat. Both countries started gathering Israeli defences and into Sinai.
hidden masses of equipment along the oficial Egyptian engineers used ladders to construct
ceaseire line, called the Purple Line, between bridges in an attempt to allow armour over the
Syria and Israel. Jordan had lost its appetite Israeli sand wall, while their fellow soldiers
for war and feared further territorial losses, so started to dig. The attack’s commander, Saad
King Hussein opted not to participate. The plan el Shazly, found this far too slow, and feared

5 October
6 October
6 October
THEBATTLE Ashraf Marwan warns Egypt and Syria begin their attack The Israeli cabinet skips
FORSINAI Zvi Zamir of an imminent with the intent of liberating the Sinai prayers for an emergency
morning Yom Kippur
Israeli intelligence chief
Peninsula and Golan Heights, which
ANDTHE attack the following day at during the Six-Day War. Syria crosses meeting where they decide
Israel occupied six years earlier
6pm. Unfortunately, after a
to mobilise reservists, who
GOLAN previous false alarm, they the Purple Line. The Egyptian air comprise the bulk of the
Israeli army.
fail to heed his warning.
force jets cross Suez Canal.
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