Yom Kippur War – 50 years on Attacks by Egypt and Syria on Israel on the holy day of Yom Kippur in 1973 took the world to the brink of nuclear war, triggered a major oil crisis, and paved the way for Arab-Israeli peace talks President Anwar Sadat of Egypt believed to have sought limited war to jumpstart peace talks Syria’s President Hafez al-Assad built up military with Soviet support to avenge humiliation of 1967 Six-Day War OCT 6 OPERATION BADR Troops cross Suez Canal to breach Israeli Bar-Lev Line, breaking through 20m high sand wall with water cannons Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. Intelligence underestimated or ignored danger OCT 6 GOLAN HEIGHTS Israel’s Eye spy post on Mt Hermon captured as tanks sweep through south Golan Quneitra Gap “Valley of Tears” ISRAEL Mount Hermon SYRIA Quneitra Outgunned Israelis hold position at Valley of Tears to slow Syrian advance Syria: Five divisions – 1,400 tanks,1,000 artillery Israel: Two brigades – 177 tanks, 50 artillery OCT 8 Israel loses air superiority established in 1967, countered by Soviet SAMs – Surface to Air Missiles OCT 9 Israel rapidly losing equipment – U.S. begins extensive airlift of military supplies OCT 10 Israelis push Syrian troops back to 1967 boundary OCT 11 Soviet Union puts forces on alert to defend Damascus. U.S. warns it will take reciprocal action Port Said EGYPT Ismailia Battle of Chinese Farm Suez EGYPTIAN ADVANCES ISRAEL Bar-Lev Line Egypt: 100,000 troops, 1,300 tanks, 2,000 artillery Chief of Staff General Saad El Shazly with Sadat OCT 14 Battle of Sinai: To relieve pressure on Syrian forces, Egyptians advance out of range of SAM cover, suffering heavy losses OCT 15 Battle of Chinese Farm: Israeli offensive spearheaded by Major General Ariel Sharon establishes bridgeheads across Suez OCT 17 Arab-dominated OPEC announces oil embargo unless Israel withdraws to pre-1967 boundaries, triggering global economic crisis OCT 20 Israeli forces 32km from Damascus Ariel Sharon – insubordinate but intuitive military commander OCT 21 Sharon advances to 100km from Cairo – controlling 1,600km2 on west bank of Suez OCT 22 Israel recaptures all of Mt Hermon. UN adopts Resolution 338 calling for ceasefire OCT 23 UN Resolution 339 calls for ceasefire and despatch of UN observers to region OCT 24 Fighting continues in Sinai – Soviet Union threatens to send troops to Egypt. U.S. puts nuclear forces on high alert OCT 28 Egypt and Israel agree ceasefire FATALITIES Egypt: 7,700 Israel: 2,600 Syria: 3,500 Estimates Cairo Suez EGYPT Israel 400 reservists (at start of war) Sinai Peninsula Eilat LEBANON Haifa Tel Aviv West Bank Jerusalem ISRAEL Damascus SYRIA Amman JORDAN SAUDI ARABIA 80km 50 miles Israel pre-1967 Captured by Israel in 1967 Sources: BBC, Mosaic, Al Jazeera, Historynet Pictures: Getty Images, Newscom © GRAPHIC NEWS