Egypt and Syria attacked to break the deadlock after 1967. The war brought the superpowers close to confrontation, and US diplomacy then opened a path to peace.
After 1967 Israel held the occupied territories and the Arab states refused to negotiate. Nasser's successor, Anwar Sadat, wanted to recover Sinai and restore Egyptian pride. In 1972 he expelled Soviet military advisers, hoping to draw in the USA.
On 6 October 1973, the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, Egypt and Syria attacked. Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal. Israel was caught by surprise but recovered and counter-attacked.
Both superpowers flew in arms for their clients. When the USSR threatened to intervene to save Egypt's surrounded army, the USA put its forces on high nuclear alert. Both then pressed for a ceasefire through Security Council Resolution 338.
Arab oil producers placed an oil embargo on Israel's supporters. This gave the conflict global economic weight.
US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger then used "shuttle diplomacy", flying between capitals. It produced disengagement agreements in Sinai (1974 and 1975) and on the Golan Heights (1974). New UN forces, UNEF II and UNDOF, watched the lines.
- Yom Kippur War
- 6-25 October 1973.
- Resolution 338
- October 1973: ceasefire and negotiations.
- Shuttle diplomacy
- Kissinger, 1974-1975.
- UNDOF
- Golan Heights, from 1974.
Worked example: Assessing 1973
Was the 1973 war a failure for Egypt?
- Military: Israel recovered and won on the battlefield.
- Political: Sadat broke the deadlock and restored Egyptian pride.
- Diplomatic: the USA now engaged in a peace process.
- Judgement: a military loss but a political gain.
Watch out for this
The 1973 war was a simple Israeli victory with no wider effects.
Israel won militarily, but the early Arab successes and the oil embargo pushed the USA into diplomacy, which led to the return of Sinai.
Check your understanding
Why did Sadat expel Soviet advisers in 1972?
- He hoped to move closer to the USA, which could pressure Israel.
- The USSR had attacked Egypt.
- He wanted to join NATO.