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To: delta7

In 1973 when the Arab armies did their sneak attack on Israel from all 3 sides during the Yom Kippur war - Israel nearly lost that war. They literally had to move troops from one front to another just as soon as they had stabilized one of the fronts.

Anyway, Egypt had already lost badly in 1967 - they lost the Sinai and the Canal - so they had Soviet jets but this time they used Soviet pilots too. Didn’t help. Israel shot nearly all of them down while losing only a few themselves. Using mostly French and British planes.

Because Egypt lost twice with Soviet support and even Soviet command, they realized they had enough, they could not win, and ultimately agreed to make peace with Israel brokered by Carter at Camp David. We flipped Egypt from Soviet to US influence. It was and still is a relatively cold peace but better than a war.


2 posted on 02/09/2023 5:39:31 PM PST by monkeyshine (live and let live is dead)
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To: monkeyshine

Moving troops from front to front is normal, and the possibility of doing so is a major advantage of having a central position.

Israel did the same in 1967, moving troops to take the Golan after the West Bank front stabilized.

The same thing happened in 1973. After crossing the Suez and trapping the Egyptian 3rd army, troops were transferred to the Golan to counterattack there, and threaten Damascus, when the ceasefire froze the fronts. IMHO, have read several accounts of 1973, Israel was very far from losing. Herzog, “War of Atonement” may be best. It took time to mobilize, but after that victory was just a matter of available time before a ceasefire was imposed.


12 posted on 02/09/2023 5:49:54 PM PST by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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To: monkeyshine

Also, in 1973 Israel was attacked from two sides, not three - on the Golan and along the Suez canal.

In 1967 the war was on three fronts - Suez/Gaza, the West Bank and the Golan.


14 posted on 02/09/2023 5:54:06 PM PST by buwaya (Strategic imperatives )
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