As Kissinger describes it in his memoir Years of Upheaval, the cease-fire was a product of the Soviets desperately trying to save their Egyptian client and when it finally took effect the Israelis occupied almost all the west bank of the canal (I think Suez town remained unoccupied but encircled), thus surrounding the Egyptian 2nd Army and cutting it off from its base of supplies.
The debate in Washington then centered around how the beleaguered Egyptians were to be fed: would the U.S. have to airdrop water to them, or could the Israelis be convinced to supply Egyptian soldiers, many of whom they not only had just fought but had paroled five years earlier? Success either way would mean prying Egypt away from the orbit of the Soviet Union.
Eventually the Israelis were persuaded to permit relief supplies to the Egyptians. The promise, of course, was that in exchange for not utterly crushing its enemies in a just and justly-fought defensive war the U.S. would see to it that the Israeli military remained supreme in the Middle East - for until 1968 France, not the U.S., was the primary supplier of Israeli arms.
Odd that many Muslims here proclaim that Israel would quickly disappear without U.S. aid!
Solomon,
People who make up history get punished by the very history.
Arabs have suffered humiliating defeats in all the wars with Israel because they refuse to see the reality, and instead fabricate their Ali baba stories filled with lies.
There is a lot of hype and propaganda by Arabs about their wars with Israel. Unfortunately many Pakistanis lap up all that $hite with no hesitation whatsoever.
in the 1973 Yom Kippur war, Egyptians forces attacked from Sinai and Syrians from Golan.
Egyptians had a bit of success but Syrian army was totally routed.
Egyptians broke through Israeli defense lines and drove into Siani. Israelis were totally unprepared due to the holiest of their day called Yom Kippur.
Egyptians on the other hand were practicing their plan for months. Israelis knew about it but chose to ignore on that fateful day for many reasons.
Egyptians used freshly supplied Commie-Soviet missiles against Israeli tanks and surface to air missiles to bring down Israeli planes. Israel suffered large number of kills of its tan ks and planes.
No one can deny the Egyptians success in those initial few days.
However the war didn't end in few days. Israel recovered quickly and had the Egyptians stopped in their tracks.
It was pathetic that Egyptians were dancing in Siani, while Israeli army circled arround, crossed Suez and occupied Egyptian mainland along with huge 3rd army.
Once the supply lines for Egyptian army were cut on both sides, they went begging to Soviet commies for ceasefire.
Syrians were in much worse shape. Israeli army came knocking at Damascus and Syrian Assad Sr. was peeing in his pants.
Perhaps Israelis should have taken out Assad family and saved 1000s of Syrians butchered by Assad Sr. son the latest despot in the pathetic Arab land.
In the end both Egyptians and Syrians were begging for mercy.
This is a very quick but fair analysis of 1973 war. If any Pakistani wants to live in the la la land of Arab superiority, they are welcome to do so. But then so many of us Paks live in Islamist aka foll's world anyways.
Bottom line is that Arab armies cannot fight modern wars. They can only do what Libyans and Syrian armies are doing right now. Killing and butchering their own people.
peace.
