Egypt and Syria Attack Israel; Egypt requests Soviet Aid.

The October 1973 War Known in Israel as the Yom Kippur War and in the Arab world as the Ramadan War. The war was part of the Arab–Israeli conflict ongoing since 1948 when the state of Israel was formed. In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel captured Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and almost half of Syria’s Golan Heights. After Egypt and Syria’s demand for the returning of their lands was rejected, they held a surprise attack on Israel.

Egyptian soldiers crossed the Suez Canal to the Sinai Peninsula attacking the Israelis from there. Syrian soldiers attacked from the Golan Heights. The Egyptians had a strong attack but the Israelis had an even stronger counter attack. The UN with the support of The Soviet Union and United States, declared a cease-fire. Both sides continued to fight.

In Syria, the fighting continued. Syrians started with a very strong attack but weakened and were aided by Iraq and Jordan. Soviet Union and United States increased pressure on both sides to cease-fire. Finally on October 28 by a UN resolution the fighting stopped. A peace treaty was later made in between the Israeli and Egyptian leaders. Syria gained a small portion of the Golan Heights and Egypt regained full control of Suez Canal and half of the western coast of Sinai.

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