Post on 30-May-2018
British built Hawker Hunter
fighter bombers.
Iraq lent some of these planes to Egypt for the war. An action
symbolic of Arab unity.
Israel
• Israel had heavily fortified its borders,
Israeli trenches
on the Bar Lev
line.
• Israel had heavily fortified its borders, especially the Suez area and the Golan heights. In the Suez area the defences were called the ‘Bar Lev’ line after an Israeli general.
• She knew however, that her greatest assets were her air force and the motivation of her soldiers. These she carefully nurtured.
The War begins
Egyptian soldiers cross
the canal by boat
A tremendous feat of military
engineering. The Egyptians
bridged the canal and cut through
the sand wall fortification, (with
water cannons), in 5 hours. The
Israelis were taken by surprise.
Egyptian troops crossing the Israeli
Bar Lev line of defence.
Notice the RPG
7 held by the
soldier in the
middle.
But Israel did not panic.
As Egyptian troops (in red)
poured into the Sinai desert, the
Israeli armies grouped together
and waited for the reserve army and waited for the reserve army
to appear.
The Israeli’s then counter
attacked (in blue) by attempting
to punch a hole in the Egyptian
line and completely cutting off
Egypt’s 3rd army.
The UAR flag (Egypt)
raised in victory.
The Egyptian army victorious!
raised in victory.
But it was too soon to
celebrate.
The battle was won,
but the war wasn’t
finished.
Israeli ’Phantoms’
patrol as Israeli
Centurion tanks
move past wounded
Major fighting in
the Sinai Desert.
move past wounded
soldiers.
There were massive
tank battles-
between as many as
1,000 tanks at one
time.
Massive tank battles.
The Golan Heights.
• With apparent
Egyptian
success, Syria
now invades now invades
Israel from the
North, over the
Golan Heights.
The Golan Heights. Syria invaded Israel. She had Iraqi air force support in
the sky. King Hussein of Jordan reluctantly (?) supplied
artillery to protect the South flank.
Syrian advance.
Israeli artillery was waiting
however.
The Israeli
reserves moved
fast, and the Israeli
air force perfected
quick refuelling and quick refuelling and
resupply
techniques to keep
them in the air
longer.
Israeli artillery pound Syrian
positions.
Once again Israeli air superority
was crucial. Here Syrian tanks lie
destroyed by the IAF.
IAF planes flying over Syria’s
‘SAM’ belt. (can you see all 4
planes?)
Israel counter attacks.
• Fighting hard the Israeli reserves managed to push through the centre of the Egyptian assault and push themselves across the Suez canal into Egypt.
• They advanced on Cairo- and stopped only 65 • They advanced on Cairo- and stopped only 65 miles short. They were led by General Ariel Sharon.
• Equally hard was the fight back against the Syrians. Re-conquering the Golan Heights the Israelis pressed on into Syria, coming to within 35 miles of Damascus.
An Israeli tank back on the Bar Lev
line. Next stop Cairo, Egypt?
Super Power
complications
•Once again the Superpowers could not stand back and watch in
neutrality. They had supplied intelligence and weaponry to
both sides, and now it was being tested. Their status was
therefore being challenged..
•The USA had already been flying in large amounts of guns, tanks and •The USA had already been flying in large amounts of guns, tanks and
spare parts to Israel.
•The Soviets union had been supplying Egypt and Syria with just as
much. However it was becoming obvious that Egypt was
losing. The Soviet planes suddenly stopped arriving in Cairo.
•This cause panic in the US. Were the planes being reequipped to carry
front-line Russian soldiers?
•Would the US need to send soldiers to Israel. Was this the start of
World War 3?
Soviet supply planes bound for
Egypt- but what might they be
carrying ?
October 24 1973. Ceasefire.• Neither superpower wanted war therefore they co-
operated in the United Nations.
• The United Nations organised a ceasefire. Resolution 338.
• No Russian soldiers ever arrived in Egypt.• No Russian soldiers ever arrived in Egypt.
• This was to the Arabs’ advantage because Israeli forces were close to both Egypt’s and Syria’s capital cities, they had one entire Egyptian army cut off in the Sinai desert, and had, by now, occupied large pieces of Arab territory.
• The UN sent in peace keepers to the Suez region, and the Golan heights. All forces began to withdraw.
Lebanon
Syria
Israel
Jordan
Golan Heights
The End of the War.
-green marks Israeli
gains
Egypt
Suez Canal
Casualties
• Israel 2,688 dead.
• Egypt 7,700 dead.
• Syria 3,500 dead.
Results
• The Arab armies did much better than in the Six-Day War and managed to inflict some surprises on the Israelis. This filled some with confidence.
• The Israelis learned from the experience not to be complacent about Arab threats, or lax in defence.
• The Israelis learned from the experience not to be complacent about Arab threats, or lax in defence.
• Both sides, consequently, continued updating their weapons, and planned for the next war.
• The war had solved nothing, and had proved little.
What is a ‘Victory’?
• The Israelis made most gains- and held new territory that had belonged to the enemy. They felt disappointed however, and cheated by the ceasefire agreement.
For them it was an almost victory, but a loss of good men and real victory added up to little.
• The Arabs conversely lost more men and equipment but regarded it as a victory. They had not done so well before against israel and had been saved from a crushing defeat by the UN.
Their military reputation was enhanced and the memory of their defeat in the Six day war had been erased.
Post war consequences..
Dr.Kissinger and the Sadat
Initiative.
• The United states sent Dr.Kissinger to organise
a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. An
‘interim’ agreement was signed September 1975
• November 1977 President Sadat proposed the • November 1977 President Sadat proposed the
‘Sadat initiative’. He would visit Jerusalem and
speak to the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) to
resolve all difficulties.
• It at last broke the mould of hatred and distrust
between Egypt and Israel.
Dr. Kissinger (USA). The
peace broker.
Camp David, USA.
• Under the guidance of US President Jimmy
Carter, President Sadat of Egypt and Prime
Minister Menachim Begin of Israel met at Camp
David to discuss the future of the Middle East.
• They both won the Nobel Peace Prize when a
Camp David peace agreement was signed
1978. It promised peace at last!
Presidents Sadat (UAE), Carter
(USA), and Begin (Israel) sign
the Camp David Accords. 1978.
• The Palestinians, the PLO and most Arab
states were furious! It looked like an Arab
nation had broken with the Khartoum
Resolution and recognised Israel as an
independent state (and therefore
dismissed Palestinian Arab claims to their
own lands).own lands).
• 1981 President Sadat was assassinated.
Not one of his bodyguards returned fire on
the attackers.
• There were three US presidents at Sadat’s
funeral, and only one Arab leader.
Assassination of President Sadat of
Egypt 1981
Egyptian
‘jihadi’
extremists.
The crowds run to
safety.
extremists.
The president and foreign visitors hide under their chairs
Summary.• Egypt and Israel, by a lot of fighting, had found a
way to work together.
• The Palestinians, PLO, were not prepared to
tolerate this and would step up their campaign of
attacks from their bases in Lebanon.attacks from their bases in Lebanon.
• Other Arab states looked to take over Egypt’s
role as leader of the Arab league; Syria notably,
but also Iraq. Attacking Israel was seen as a
good way to get Arab unity.