The early morning of October 6, 1973, was supposed to be the holiest day of the year for Israel, Yom Kippur. This day meant reflection and tranquility, however, it was on this day that the sound of a sudden war tore the land out of its tranquility. In the Suez Canal and the Golan Heights, the flames of war were ignited in an instant, and the Egyptian and Syrian armies poured into Israel's borders like a flood of beasts, and Israel's desire to survive will be tested like never before.
This sudden outbreak of war is not only a struggle for land, but also a fierce collision of international political forces on this strategic point in the Middle East. The United States, as a staunch ally of Israel, is extremely concerned about the spread of war in the Middle East. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, unabashedly sided with the Arab countries and sent large quantities of weapons and equipment to Egypt and Syria. In this era of heightened Cold War tensions, the Middle East battlefield has become a microcosm of global political wrestling.
The horror of Yom Kippur
On 6 October 1973, the tranquility of Yom Kippur was unusually abruptly disrupted, and on that day, the entire territory of Israel fell into a rare state of pause. The streets were empty, business activities were suspended, and even the usual noisy entertainment venues were closed. On such a religious holiday, the Israeli army also laid down their arms and went home on vacation to enjoy a rare time of rest. However, this tranquility is shattered by the sudden sound of war, and the entire country is forced to face an unprecedented security crisis.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, dense explosions suddenly sounded in the area of the Suez Canal and the Golan Heights, announcing the beginning of four wars in the Middle East. The Egyptian army launched a large-scale offensive in the Suez Canal area, with 1,100 tanks and 100,000 troops advancing in two directions in an attempt to break through the Israeli defenses. The Egyptian army's assaults were not only impressively fast, but also extremely well organized and coordinated. They used a large number of engineering equipment and pontoon bridge facilities to quickly cross the river, a large-scale mechanized river crossing operation that is extremely rare in military history, reflecting the importance and devotion of the Egyptian army to this offensive.
At the same time, the Syrian army did not lag behind, they launched a fierce attack in the direction of the Golan Heights. 50,000 soldiers and 1,200 tanks and armoured vehicles, under the dense cover of fighter jets, launched an assault on the Israeli lines. The military operation in Syria has also shown remarkable strength and determination, with their artillery covering Israel's frontline positions in an attempt to quickly break through Israeli defenses with a rapid advance.
Although the Israeli army had almost all of its holiday days off, they were quickly recalled and urgently assembled in response to the sudden attack. However, due to the suddenness of the incident, Israel's army faced tremendous pressure in the early stages. The superiority of Egyptian and Syrian offensive forces and equipment put Israel's border forces under extreme pressure in the first few hours. Especially on the Suez Canal and the front lines of the Golan Heights, the Israeli army had to put up a tough resistance against enemy forces several times larger than itself.
Faced with this situation, the Israeli army began to adjust its strategy, using its superiority in intelligence, air superiority, and rapid mobility to counterattack. Despite some success in the initial offensives in Egypt and Syria, the Israeli army soon launched an orderly counterattack in an attempt to stabilize the situation and look for opportunities for a counteroffensive.
Unity and counteroffensive in the Arab world
As the four Middle East wars raged, the fighting quickly spread from the Suez Canal and the Golan Heights to the wider region. Soon, Jordan, Iraq, Algeria, Tunisia and other Arab countries announced that they would join the war and support Egypt and Syria against Israel. The participation of these countries in the war is not only an expression of political positions, but also an investment of actual military force, marking the further internationalization and expansion of the conflict.
The countries involved in the war quickly threw large amounts of military resources into the battlefield. From distant Arab countries, hordes of tanks and fighter jets began to be delivered to the war zone, and the addition of these heavy weapons significantly increased the military pressure on Israel. In the air, groups of fighter jets streaked across the sky, delivering necessary support and strikes to the front lines, and on the ground, the roar of tanks and armoured vehicles shook the desert and advanced toward Israeli lines. All this is demonstrating to the world the military strength of the Arab world and the overwhelming challenge to Israel.
Under this unprecedented pressure, Israel faces its greatest challenge since its founding. The sense of existential crisis of the nation spread rapidly among the entire population, triggering a strong spirit of unity and resistance among the Israeli people. In just 24 hours, an incredible phenomenon occurred - 220,000 Israeli men, women and women, young and old, responded to the call of the nation and volunteered to join the army, ready to fight. These improvised mobilizations range from veterans of the 1967 Six-Day War to ordinary citizens who have never touched a gun and share the responsibility of defending their homeland.
Inside Israel, factories, schools, and offices were transformed into makeshift military training bases and distribution centers almost overnight. After receiving the mobilization order, people everywhere quickly assembled and received simple but urgent military training to learn how to use weapons and how to survive on the battlefield. At the same time, families, communities, and communities began to organize to provide all kinds of support to the front lines, and everyone participated in the war in their own way, from cooking food to collecting medical supplies.
Against the background of this popular mobilization, the Israeli army began to quickly organize a counteroffensive. Despite facing a multifaceted enemy and enormous material pressure, Israel's counterattack strategy began to unfold gradually, aiming to weaken the enemy's offensive momentum through precise military operations and buy time and space for the eventual strategic reversal. Taking advantage of its superiority, the Israeli Air Force began to strike at the enemy's advance routes and logistical supplies, while the ground forces, taking advantage of the terrain and flexible tactics, launched counterattacks against the enemy.
The involvement of international powers
With the outbreak and rapid spread of four Middle East wars, the international community's attention to this sudden event has increased dramatically. In particular, the reactions and actions of the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, largely influenced the course and final course of the war.
The United States, long regarded as Israel's main ally, immediately demonstrated a deep concern for the stability of the region upon learning of the outbreak of war. In October of 1973, the United States was in the midst of a period of political and social upheaval, but President Nixon reacted quickly and decided to stand firmly on Israel's side with military support. The decision of the US government is not only based on its traditional friendship with Israel, but also on the consideration of the strategic balance in the Middle East.
The U.S. Air Force was urgently mobilized to carry out a massive airlift operation. A total of 560 sorties flew across the Atlantic, from the continental United States, through Europe and finally to Israel. The aircraft carried a total of about 24,000 tons of military materiel, including ammunition, weapons, spare parts and other necessities for the war. This operation was an extremely complex and logistical challenge at the time, but the rapid response of the United States provided Israel with invaluable support, helping it stabilize the battlefield and enhance its defensive and counterattack capabilities.
At the same time, the USSR did not sit idly by. As the main ally of the Arab countries, especially in support of Egypt and Syria, the USSR demonstrated its geopolitical tactics in the context of the Cold War. The Soviet government sent large quantities of military aid to Egypt and Syria by sea and air, including tanks, aircraft, artillery, and countless small arms and ammunition. The supply of these weapons and equipment has significantly increased the combat effectiveness of the Arab countries, further expanding the scale of the war and making the confrontation on the battlefield more intense.
The subsidence of the war and the reflection on the future
At the critical moment when the Israeli army successfully raided the Suez Canal and changed the tide of the war, the Soviet response was swift and clear. This tactical action not only broke the deadlock on the front lines, but also forced the international community, especially the Cold War sides, to reassess their position and the level of involvement in the conflict. Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev's warning sent a clear message to the United States: the Soviet Union would not tolerate Israel's actions threatening the very existence of the governments of its allies, Egypt and Syria. This statement was not only a warning to Israel, but also a firm demonstration to the United States of Soviet interests in the Middle East.
The Soviet response was not limited to verbal warnings. The entry of 7 Soviet paratrooper divisions into combat readiness was a clear signal that the USSR was ready to intervene militarily if necessary to protect its allies in the Middle East. The move was a way for the Soviet Union to demonstrate its resolve and strength against the United States and its allies, as well as a contest of power in the international arena. The United States reacted vigilantly and clearly realized that the Soviet Union's concern about this conflict was not groundless, but that it was fully prepared and determined to intervene in the conflict in order to safeguard its strategic interests in the Middle East.
In this tense situation, the international community, and the United Nations in particular, began to seek ways to ease tensions and end the conflict. On October 22, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 338, calling on both sides of the conflict to immediately achieve a ceasefire and begin peace talks. The adoption of this resolution marks the urgent need of the international community to end the war and provides a framework for a political settlement of the conflict.
Egypt and Syria, after a long period of fighting and heavy losses, have lost the momentum and prestige of the early days of the war. In the face of pressure and appeals from the international community, as well as the actual military situation, the two countries finally expressed their acceptance of the United Nations armistice resolution. Israel, also in the face of international and regional political and economic pressures, as well as uncertainty on the battlefield, agreed to an armistice. Through this series of diplomatic and political efforts, the four Middle East wars that lasted for 20 days finally came to an end.
Yom Kippur: The Fourth Middle East War