October War 1973

Question 1

Palestinian arabs under

Answer 1

Israeli control in WB and Gaza

- over a million

Question 2

Nasser and Syria

Answer 2

• had military support from USSR
• sought to re-equip and reorganise their armies
• also got military advisors

Question 3

Artillery bombardment

Answer 3

• 1969

- bombed Israeli positions on the eastern bank of the Suez canal

Question 4

Nasser’s aim

Answer 4

to exhaust the Israelis mentally and physically and inflict heavy casualties
-however didn’t manage to dislodge the Israelis

Question 5

Israel reaction

Answer 5

destroyed Egypt’sair-defence missile system

Question 6

Arab states

Answer 6

didn’t support Nasser as much as he expected

Question 7

Sadat

Answer 7

Succeeded Nasser in 1970 when he died

-saw the fighting as costly and draining to moral

Question 8

Egypt’s expenses

Answer 8

• keeping nearly a million men ready to fight
• Egyptian cities on the canal were getting pulverised
• the canal could not be used

Question 9

Sinai

Answer 9

Sadat was prepared to accept the State of Israel to gain back Sinai

Question 10

1972

Answer 10

Sadat expelled 15,000 Soviet military advisers

-popular as soviet interference was resented

Question 11

Sadat’s support

Answer 11

• needed support to drive Israelis out

- financial support from Saudi Arabia

Question 12

Yom Kippur attack

Answer 12

• Egypt and Syria attacked
• 6 October
• 90,000 Egyptians crossed the canal
• 850 tanks too

Question 13

Syrian attack

Answer 13

500 Syrian tanks overwhelmed Israeli forces in the Golan Heights

Question 14

Israeli actions

Answer 14

• took 3 days to get fully mobilised

- by 12 October they’d pushed the Syrians back and exploited a gap and thrust across the canal;

Question 15

Superpowers intervene

Answer 15

US- sent the Israelis an airlift of tons of weaponry

US and Soviets- called for ceasefire and peace settlements

Question 16

ceasefire

Answer 16

22 October