Question

Discuss the causes and results of the Yom Kippur War (1973).

Answer 1

The Yom Kippur War can be traced to three factors:

1. The failure of all international initiatives for the resolution of the Arab-Israeli dispute.
2. The emergence of an Arab coalition which was able and willing to do battle with Israel.
3. The steady flow of arms from the superpowers to their regional clients.

Effects of war:

1. Syria was unable to capitalize on its (brief) gains in the war.
2. The primary effect of the Egyptian-Israeli war was the fact that, in giving Israel a bloody nose, Egypt was able to achieve a sense of quid-pro-quo (a favor or advantage granted in return for something) – posts the 1967 debacle, in a way to achieve a “victory”.
3. The primary Israeli effect of the war was to kick off the final crumbling of the hegemony of the Israeli Labour party leadership and the rise of the Likud on the other hand.
4. The blood-letting in the war briefly made Israel to be willing to negotiate a withdrawal from conquered lands. This allowed Egypt to achieve its longer pre-war aims of recovering the Sinai peninsula in its entirety in exchange for a peace agreement in Israel. So, peace and withdrawal are two very significant after-effects.
5. Militarily, the war gave a positive proof of the efficacy of the anti-tank missile and, to a lesser degree, the surface-to-air missile (this latter had a great test in Vietnam too).