Article pdf available in journal of cold war studies 164. Battles that were mammoth struggles for crossroads and passes and battles that were pinprick raids. When the fourth arab israeli war began on october 6, 1973, many of israels soldiers were away from their posts observing yom kippur or. While there was a ceasefire, and israel acquired sufficient land to make its borders more defensible, bitterness remained. The 1973 arabisraeli war, deluxe edition, represents an updated game treatment of the gdw release originally published in 1977, faithfully remastered and updated with this allnew, deluxe edition. Shmuel gordon, air superiority in the israelarab wars, in a history of. A reappraisal of the arabisraeli confrontation since june, 1967 new york. Npmp, national security council files hereinafter nscf, box 1173, 1973 war middle east 6 oct. Arabisraeli wars, series of military conflicts between israeli and various arab forces, most notably in 194849, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, and 2006. In 1967, and years before, the rank and file of the egyptian army had been. The 1967 war was a major war between israel and its arab neighbors. Air operations during the 1973 arabisraeli war and the. U the origins of the yorn kippur war of 1973 lie in the unsatisfactory resolution of the middle east war of 1967.
The egyptiansyrian attack that started in the midst of the jewish peoples holiest day of the year almost completely surprised the state of israel. The us intelligence community tended to assume not only that israeli intelligence would be aware of any major attacks planned against its territory, but also that israel would plead for us assistance to counter them. Lessonlesson 2 the arabisraeli conflictthe arabisraeli. Speaking of the 1973 arab israeli war, however, brings details of a military operation carried out by the egyptian army, which sparked a fog of war and. The israeli palestinian conflict continues, and so too does the israeli iranian struggle. It forced the nixon administration to realize that arab frustration over. During a conversation on 18 october 1973, after he agreed that the military situation was stable, even stalemated, kissinger declared that my nightmare is a victory for either side. Free download of president nixon and the role of intelligence in the 1973 arab israeli war by central intelligence agency. Some deliberations on the october middle east war, december 11, 1973, history and public policy program digital archive, central state archive, sofia, fond 378b, file 866, papka 11.
World war i 49 world war ii and the holocaust 51 establishment of the state of israel and the first arabisraeli conflict 53 the 1967 war 67 chapter three. The intelligence failure of the yom kippur war of 1973. Sadat lead egyptian troops into war with israel on 6 october 1973 in an attempt to lower israeli moral and aid in territory negotiations between the parties. Either of the two fronts the golan heights and the suez canal may be gamed separately, or both can be linked to simulate the course of the entire war.
The arab israel war october 1973 download ebook pdf. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. The logistical shortcomings and successes that emerge help explain why egyptian and israeli military organizations fought as well or as poorly as they did. In the 1973 war, anwar sadat, egypts president, was able to exploit israeli vulnerabilities to achieve political success through a limited war.
Sadat put war behind israel and egypt, and in so doing, ended the israeli arab conflict. The compiling of the october 1973 arab israeli war by adam howard this past july, the office of the historian was proud to publish the foreign relations of the united states frus volume covering the u. The war was initiated by egypt and syria on october 6, 1973, on the jewish holy day of yom kippur and during ramadan, the month of fasting in islam, and it continued until october 26, 1973. The yom kippur war and the shaping of the united states. On 6 october 1973, the egyptian and syrian air arms opened an arab attack on israeli military installations on the sinai peninsula and in the golan heights.
The lebanese civil war and the camp david accords and 19791981. Bar lev is a game of the 1973 arabisraeli war, referred to by the israelis as the war of atonement or the yom kippur war, and by the arabs as the war of ramadan. In 1970s, the arab israeli conflict became more and more intertwined with the cold war. These include israels war of independence and the palestinian nakbah, the suez crisis, the sixday war, the yom kippur war, and two wars in lebanon. In november 1971, washington reached a memorandum of understanding with israel, concerning military aid and coordination of policy. In examining the role of the soviets in the october 1973 war, the author seeks to provide an understanding of soviet capabilities for dealing with an acute international crisis. While arab and israeli ground forces were sparring and regrouping, syrian and israeli air forces were engaged in battle and the israeli air force bombed the international airport at damascus. The soviet union strengthened its ties with nasserist egypt and baathist syria.
It is at once a political, religious, nationalist, regional, and global conflict whose roots can be traced back a hundred if not thousands of years. It will be seen that many opec members were not arab states, and had no reason to wish to support the arab side in the arab israeli conflict. Here we bring together its impact on israel and on the jewish communities in the arab countries. In the june 1967 arab israeli war, egypt shocked the world with its atrocious performance in battle, only to stun the world again with its remarkable military turnaround in the october 1973 war. On october 6, 1973, simultaneous attacks on two fronts caught israel by surprise, on the holiest day of the jewish year. Known as the yom kippur war in israel and the ramadan or october war in egypt and syria, the dramatic events of october 1973 profoundly altered the course of middle east politics, eventually leading to the 1979 egyptian israeli peace treaty and cairos realignment away from the soviet union and. A weaker adversary can match his strengths against the weaknesses of a superior foe in a conventional conflict to attain strategic success. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page.
U the yorn kippur war of 1973 national security agency. Home combat studies institute csi 1973 arabisraeli war. Relevant actors israel, the european 77 union, and the united states required criteria 77. Theoctober arab israeli war of 1973 byelgamasy identifierark ark. According to declassified documents from the agranat commission, brigadier general yisrael lior, prime minister golda meirs military secretaryattache.
In a series of events that took place over 32 days, the u. In the war of 1967 the israeli airforce played a key role in the israeli victory by destroying the arab airforces and by relentlessly attacking arab units on the ground. Operation nickel grass was a strategic airlift operation conducted by the united states to deliver weapons and supplies to israel during the 1973 yom kippur war. It is intended to uncover indications of future force developments and military performance in the area. Npmp, nscf, box 1174, 1973 middle east war 10 october 1973 file no. This war, which resulted in the humiliating defeat of the arab front line states, and led to the israeli occupation of substantial arab territory, also saw the involvement of nonfront line arab states, including saudi arabia and kuwait, which attempted to influence the outcome. Within days, arab league declares war and invades israel. United states middle east policy and united nations deliberations. Goldstein is an associate professor in the strategic research department of the naval war colleges centerfornavalwarfarestudies.
Known variously as the october war or the yom kippur war, this conflict lasted. But israeli egyptian peace put an end to the destructive battlefield wars between israel and arab states, of the kind that erupted in 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973. State department intelligence and research predicted 1973. Pdf historiography of the yom kippur war researchgate. The arabs, stunned by a preemptive israeli attack, were humiliated in the ensuing battle. Report prepared for the subcommittee on europe and the middle east of the committee on foreign affairs, u. In this regard, armed forces that win quickly, decisively, and with relative ease face a unique challenge in attempting to learn from victory. Recently the latter trend was highhghted by kosygins remarks asserting a line of active aid to the arab antiisraeli struggle 10 december and by increasing reportage in soviet propaganda of the activities and exploits of the guemlla movement. She did not preemptively strike the attacking arab forces to keep from appearing as the aggressor. Heat wafted up in sleepy spirals from the sinai desert on the afternoon of october 6, 1973. I argue that while the 1948 independence war, the 1956 suez war, the 1967 six day war, and the 1973 yom kippur war were justified, the 1982 lebanon war, the 2006 israelhezbollah war, and the 2008. The library has acquired the first module of the online resource foreign office files for the middle east, which covers 19711974.
During the six day war of 1967, israel seized the sinai peninsula including the east bank of the suez canal and the gaza strip from egypt, the west bank from jordan, and the. Timeless lessons from the october 1973 arabisraeli war. By 1973 the conflict had already erupted into major arab israeli wars in 1948, 1956, and 1967. The yom kippur war, ramadan war, or october war hebrew. Published for the first time today by the national security archive.
Other key figures on the israeli side we have prime minister golda meir. The waters of the suez canal lapped gently at its sandy shores. The iranian revolution and the iraniraq war will be added by early 2017. There are two important wars that help frame the arab israeli conflict better than any other. Arab israeli conflict 1973 1993 sources the search for peace in the middle east. They said about the war introduction the october 1973 war, a radical turningpoint in the course of arab israeli conflict, has evoked interest by military leaders, strategists, research and study centers and media around the world. The 1973 arab israeli war, referred to variously as the yom kippur war, the war of atonement, the war of ramadan, and the october war, was the fourth major conflict in this series. Players will represent the israeli and arab high commands and maneuver their units and conduct combat in an attempt to attain the objectives of their respective nations. The military forces of egypt, israel, jordan, and syria are yours to commandcan you lead them. Mandate runs out, but the country is war weary and out of money.
Foreign relations of the united states, 19691976, volume xxv. Pathfinder press, 1973, by dave frankel, dick roberts, and tony thomas multiple formats at six hundred days. The yom kippur war of 1973 the yom kippur war of 1973, one of the most decisive conventional wars in middle east history, is socalled because it began on the day of atonement yom kippur, the holiest day of prayer and fasting in the jewish calendar. The 1973 war was fought by a coalition of arab states, led by egypt and syria, against israel in sinai and the golan heights, which had been occupied by israel since the sixday war of 1967. In 1973 the arabs made a huge effort to counter the iaf through the use of the most modern soviet airdefense systems. In 1973, israel found itself fighting its fifth major war against its arab neighbors since achieving independence 25 years previously.
Air forces military airlift command shipped 22,325 tons of tanks, artillery, ammunition, and supplies in c141 starlifter and c5 galaxy transport aircraft between 14. President nixon and the role of intelligence in the 1973. Fairchild research information center support arab israeli conflict the arab israeli conflict is one of the most well known and longest running conflicts in the world. Overview and analysis of the conflict this study examines the military operations of egypt, syria, and israel during the 1973 middle east war with a view to providing some indications of future force developments in the area. Egyptian soldiers arid officers demonstrated unexpected resolve despite the threat rear. Leavenworth papers are available from the superintendent of documents, u. This war, or the third round in arab parlence, was the root cause of the 1973 war. This week marks the fortyfourth anniversary of the beginning of the 1973 arab israeli war. Home general military history 1973 arabisraeli war. The 1973 yom kippur war the final war in the series of israeliarab wars, illuminates the cold war hyperpolitical tensions between the.
Shippensburg university shippensburg, pennsylvania on the morning of 6 october 1973, the inexperienced young reservists of the israel defense force idf stationed on the barlev line in the sinai peninsula received the order to mobilize in light of a possible egyptian assault. The yom kippur war, ramadan war or october war, also known as the 1973 arab israeli war and the fourth arab israeli war, was fought from october 6 to october 26, 1973 by a coalition of arab. Soviet policy in the october 1973 war rand corporation. These two wars highlight the regional recognition of the necessity of a peaceful solution and also frame american diplomacy towards the arab israeli conflict. This was a war in which both sides designed their military strategies within the frame work of the political limitations set down by the two superpowers. Foreign relations of the united states, 19691976, volume xxv, arabisraeli crisis and war, 1973. In 1973, the war between israel, egypt and syria shook the region 40 years on, its effects are still being felt, as kevin connolly reports. Backed by arms from the soviet union, egypt and syria made significant territorial gains in sinai and the golan heights. Zaharana 1995 examined the portrayal of the palestinians in time newsmagazine from 1948. On the afternoon of october 6, 1973, on yom kippur, the holiest day in the jewish calendar, the armies of egypt and syria launched major assaults against israeli positions along the suez canal and in the golan heights. Anwar alsadats grand strategy in the yom kippur war pdf. Because of the two front nature of the war, bar lev is uniquely.
Legacy of 1973 arabisraeli war reverberates 40 years on. It forced the nixon administration to realize that arab frustration over israels unwillingness to withdraw from the territories it had occupied in 1967 could have major strategic consequences for the united states. Occurred or second army 1st armored with thirtynine tanks i sie mecltalzized brigade with ginks to the ilank infantry otigade. Arabs and the israelis have fought five wars against each other. Armies appear to learn more from defeat than victory.
Yom kippur war, also called the october war, the ramadan war, or the fourth arabisraeli war, damaging inconclusive war and the fourth of the arabisraeli wars. Victories that strike like lightning, if you can win themlike the victories of israeli arms in 1956 and 1967. During the arab israeli war in october 1973, secretary of state henry kissinger had frequent discussions with soviet ambassador anatoly dobrynin. Now you can refight the battles that determined the fate of nations. Existing studies, which emphasize culture, social structure, and regime type, have a difficult time explaining why this single autocratic state, in such a short period of time, exhibited such extremes. It forced the nixon administration to realize that arab frustration over israels unwillingness to withdraw from the territories it had occupied in 1967 could have. With israeli forcxes caught unprepared, the egyptian crossing of the suez canal, and the syrian attack on the golan heights were both initially successful.
Kissinger told soviet envoy during 1973 arabisraeli war. Letter by the federal chancellor, brandt to the president of the united states of america, nixon 28 october 1973, october 28, 1973, history and public policy program digital archive, nara, nixon presidential materials staff, nsc, 19691974, presidential correspondence 19691974, henry a. The yom kippur war is also known as the october war or the 1973 arab israeli war, was a war. In all, egypt lost about 11,000 troops, jordan lost about 6000, syria lost about, and israel lost 700. As a result, arab leaders endured unpopularity at home while israels government, which had united before and during the war, surged in popularity. On october 6, 1973, egypt and syria launched a surprise attack against israel on the jewish holiday of yom kippur. Since the arab participants in these wars have pub. The yom kippur war, ramadan war, or october war also known as the 1973 arabisraeli war. Overview and analysis of the conflict introduction this study examines the military operations of the major combatantsegypt, syria, and israelduring the october 1973 middle east war.
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