Which country won the Arab-Israeli War of 1973?

Answer 1

Answer 1

Israel won. On October 25 1973, Israeli forces were 66 kilometers from Cairo with Sadat crying that his 3rd army was surrounded by advancing Israeli forces. Hours before the cease-fire took place, the Israeli army attacked the town of Suez and overran half of it.

On the northern front, Syrian and Iraqi forces were driven back to within 19 kilometers of Damascus.

The Soviet Union began a massive arms lift to their defeated allies of Egypt and Syria via boats and planes. America in turn began her own supply line to Israel. Thus the cold war was being played out.

The Soviets did not wish for an engagement with the Israeli air force after their losing some 25 Migs flown by Soviet pilots during the war of attrition. The Soviet Union didn't want to look stupid again by losing to Israel, so they cried on the behalf of their losing friends for a ceasefire.

On another note, even though all sides suffered casualties, the one positive result was that Sadat had to come to terms with the idea that Israel could not be forced into giving up Sinai. So he he made peace, which was the only good thing about this horrible war.

Answer 2

The Israeli air force was superior to any other middle Eastern air force and was decisive in throwing back Egyptian armoured forces. On top of this, Israel was receiving arms from the United States.

The Soviet Union was supplying Egypt, but it did not "cry" for a ceasefire. The Soviets never officially took part in the Yom Kippur war, and they certainly did not want to spark World War III by becoming involved in a rather limited war.

Answer 2

Opening Discussion
There's no universally accepted answer to this question. The Western world generally believes that Israel won. The Arab/Muslim world argues that it was an Egyptian victory. Some state the war was a military stalemate, at least on the Sinai front between Egypt and Israel. Egypt's goal was to cross the Suez and then take the Sinai whenever the Syrians had distracted the Israeli forces. However, the Israelis managed to defeat the Syrians in time to defend the Sinai, and their victory even forced the Egyptians to advance further and faster than they had intended.

Events in the War
On the Golan Heights, one can safely say the victory here belonged to Israel.

It is true that the Egyptians won initial victories but after the tide turned when celebrated General Ariel Sharon of the Israelis broke through between two Egyptian armies and capture a third Egyptian army in the West Bank. Meanwhile Syrian forces laid siege to the Golan Heights. Despite their numerical superiority and the effectiveness of a massive artillery force the Syrians lost nearly 900 tanks. The Syrians were hurtled back by an Israeli counter attack which brought the Israeli army within a 40 km from the Syrian capital of Damascus.

A breath away from capturing Damascus, the capital of Syria, Israel instead ceased hostilities under the urging of the United Nations. By October 24, a cease fire was agreed upon and the battle ended. Although there are no reliable estimates on how many Egyptians, Syrians, or Israelis took place in the battle it is known that nearly twenty thousand Arabs were killed. An addition 8,783 were captured and taken prisoner. Israeli losses were only slightly less dire.

Postwar Effects
The Israelis later agreed to give the Sinai to Egypt in exchange for acknowledgement and a peace treaty in accordance with UN Resolution 242. However, the Egyptians and Israelis have two different views of this. The Egyptians say that by capturing the Suez Canal they forced the Israelis to hand over the Sinai. The Israelis said that by successfully defending the Sinai they forced the Egyptians to agree to the UN's recommended 'land for peace,' basis.

Egypt-Israel War Controversy
More discussion on whether Egypt or Israel was victorious in the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, can be found at the Related Question: Who won the war between Egypt and Israel in 1973?