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[[Image:Gottlieb-Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur.jpg|thumb|Jews at the Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement]]

[[Image:Gottlieb-Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur.jpg|thumb|Jews at the Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement]]

'''The [[Yom Kippur]] War''' was fought between [[Israel]], [[Egypt]], and [[Syria]].  The war commenced on October 6, 1973 when Egyptian mechanized divisions crossed the [[Suez Canal]] by using a series of pressurized water cannons to demolish sand walls on the opposite side of the canal, and then crossing on pontoon bridges.  This was concurrent to a Syrian advance into the [[Golan Heights]].  The date was chosen because Yom Kippur is a sacred holiday for the [[Jews]], and many Israeli army were stood down during that time.  The delay in mobilization, and the lack of a preemptive strike against Egyptian and Syrian forces allowed the initial success of these advances.

'''The [[Yom Kippur]] War''' was fought between [[Israel]], [[Egypt]], and [[Syria]].  The war commenced on October 6, 1973 when Egyptian mechanized divisions crossed the [[Suez Canal]] by using a series of pressurized water cannons to demolish sand walls on the opposite side of the canal, and then crossing on pontoon bridges.  This was concurrent to a Syrian advance into the [[Golan Heights]].  The date was chosen because Yom Kippur is the holiest and most solemn day in [[Judaism]], and many Israeli army were stood down during that time.  The delay in mobilization, and the lack of a preemptive strike against Egyptian and Syrian forces allowed the initial success of these advances.  However, the lack of commercial traffic (due to the solemnness of Yom Kippur) allowed Israeli forces to mobilize more quickly than usual.

At first, the Israeli counterattack was focussed primarily against the forces in the Golan Heights as these were much closer to Israel proper, whereas the Egyptian forces in the [[Sinai peninsula]] were not as immediate a threat.  Initial counterattacks against both armies were ineffective because the Israelis were hugely outnumbered in armor, although the Egyptians and Syrians were fielding obsolete [[Russia]]n [[tanks]] as opposed to the more modern European and [[American]] tanks fielded by Israel.  To counter this advantage, the [[Arab]] armies armed their soldiers with Russian anti-tank weapons.  Additionally, both armies used fixed [[SAM]] emplacements, and avoided leaving the coverage of this air umbrella, thus blunting the offensive power of the Israeli [[air force]].

At first, the Israeli counterattack was focussed primarily against the forces in the Golan Heights as these were much closer to Israel proper, whereas the Egyptian forces in the [[Sinai peninsula]] were not as immediate a threat.  Initial counterattacks against both armies were ineffective because the Israelis were hugely outnumbered in armor, although the Egyptians and Syrians were fielding obsolete [[Russia]]n [[tanks]] as opposed to the more modern European and [[American]] tanks fielded by Israel.  To counter this advantage, the [[Arab]] armies armed their soldiers with Russian anti-tank weapons.  Additionally, both armies used fixed [[SAM]] emplacements, and avoided leaving the coverage of this air umbrella, thus blunting the offensive power of the Israeli [[air force]].

Ultimately, the cease fire led to an armistice, and the [[Camp David accords]] wherein Egypt agreed to a lasting peace in exchange for the return of the Sinai peninsula, which the Egyptians had lost during the [[Six Day War]], and the recovery of which had been the primary goal of the Yom Kippur War.  However, the airlifting of supplies by the United States to the Israelis directly precipitated the 1973 [[OPEC]] oil embargo.

Ultimately, the cease fire led to an armistice, and the [[Camp David accords]] wherein Egypt agreed to a lasting peace in exchange for the return of the Sinai peninsula, which the Egyptians had lost during the [[Six Day War]], and the recovery of which had been the primary goal of the Yom Kippur War.  However, the airlifting of supplies by the United States to the Israelis directly precipitated the 1973 [[OPEC]] oil embargo.

== See also ==

== See also ==