Yom Kippur War Facts & Worksheets

The Yom Kippur War, sometimes referred to as the Arab-Israeli War of 1973 or the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was an armed war that took place between Israel and a coalition of Arab nations commanded by Egypt and Syria from October 6 to 25, 1973.

See the fact file below for more information on the Yom Kippur War, or you can download our 29-page Yom Kippur War worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

THE YOM KIPPUR

• The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, is regarded as the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Every year, it takes place on the tenth of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. 
• The day’s observances, which are primarily focused on atonement and repentance, include complete fasting and austere behavior accompanied by intense prayer and sin confessions.
• On October 6, 1973, Egyptian and Syrian forces began a concerted attack against Israel in an effort to reclaim territory Israel had claimed during the third Arab-Israeli war, which took place in 1967.
• Six years previously, the circumstances that influenced the 1973 War were already in place. Israel attacked Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in 1967, starting the June War, which led to the Israeli annexation of what was left of historic Palestine, the Sinai desert in Egypt, and the Golan Heights in Syria. 
• The Israeli army defeated the forces of three Arab nations and captured territory that was three and a half times its size in just six days.

COUNTRIES INVOLVED

ISRAEL

• Led by:
  • PM Golda Meir
  • Moshe Dayan
• Supported by:
  • United States, Portugal, Netherlands, Greece
• Strength: 
  • 375,000 – 415,000 troops, 1,700 tanks, 3,000 armored carriers, 945 artillery units, 440 combat aircraft

EGYPT & SYRIA

• Led by:
  • Anwar Sadat
  • Hafez al-Assad
• Supported by:
  • Saudi, Algeria, Soviet Union, Jordan, Iraq, North Korea, Libya, Kuwait, etc.
• Strength: 
  • 1,067,500 troops, 600 tanks, 4,000 armored carriers, 1,720 artillery units, 452 combat aircraft, 140 helicopters
• Egypt and Syria were on one side of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, while Israel was on the other. The US supported Israel, but the Soviet Union backed Egypt and Syria and joined them with troops from other Arab nations.

BEGINNING OF THE WAR

• With the Jewish state’s surprising triumph in the 1967 Six-Day War, it controlled an area four times as large as before. Jordan lost the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Egypt lost the Gaza Strip and the 23,500 square mile Sinai Peninsula, and Syria lost the vital Golan Heights. 
• When Anwar el-Sadat took office as president of Egypt in 1970, he found himself in charge of a country with a precarious economy that could not afford to prolong its never-ending war against Israel.
• He desired peace in order to restore stability and the Sinai, but following Israel’s victory in 1967, it was unlikely that Israel would offer Egypt good conditions for peace. 
• Thus, Sadat came up with a bold strategy to strike Israel once more, which, even if it failed, might persuade the Israelis that peace with Egypt was necessary.
• In 1972, Sadat drove 20,000 Soviet advisors out of Egypt and established fresh diplomatic ties with Washington, D.C., which would later serve as a crucial mediator in any future peace negotiations since it is Israel’s most important ally.
• With Syria, he established a new coalition, and an organized strike on Israel was planned.

HIGHLIGHTS  OF THE WAR

• Egypt bought fighters, missiles, tanks, and weapons from the Soviet Union in order to prepare for the conflict. To improve its military strategy, it also got Soviet military instructors. Similar preparations were made in other nations. 
• In 1973, Egypt was able to build up an army of around 700,000 men and 1,700 tanks. The other Arab nations, like Iraq, raised invading troops that were only a few thousand strong, while Syria also raised an army of 150,000 soldiers.
• Israel gathered its army in reaction to the preparations. On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir has been criticized for reacting too slowly. 
• In contrast to the 1967 War, the United States actively opposed Israel from attacking the Arab nations first. The US was the main source of armaments for the Israeli military, giving it considerable clout.
• The Yom Kippur religious holiday is the one day of the year on which there are no radio or television broadcasts, stores close, and transportation stops as part of religious observances; thus, the Egyptians and Syrians agreed to invade Israel on that day to catch them off guard.
• On the day of the festival, October 6, 1973, just after 2 p.m., the Egyptian and Syrian armies, using cutting-edge Soviet weapons, attacked Israel from both the north and the south. 
• The Egyptian military troops undertook “Operation Badr” in order to cross the Suez Canal and seize the Bar Lev Line, a heavily defended sand wall on the canal’s east bank.
• Israel incurred heavy losses in terms of lives, military hardware, and land in the early stages of the conflict, which abruptly ended the exhilaration the nation had been experiencing since its display of great power six years earlier. 
• Following the reluctance of Egypt to accept a cease-fire and a Soviet airlift of military equipment to bolster Egyptian forces, the United States delivered an airlift to Israel, enabling her to rebound from the first blow and inflict damage on Egypt and Syria.
• Israel benefited from an airlift of US weapons, but President Richard Nixon postponed the urgent military assistance for a week as a covert expression of American sympathy for Egypt. The United Nations successfully negotiated a cease-fire between Israel and Egypt on October 25.

END OF THE WAR

• Israelis blamed their leadership for being unprepared since their victory cost them many lives. Golda Meir, the nation’s prime minister, retired in April 1974.
• Despite Egypt’s military defeat at the hands of Israel, the initial Egyptian victories significantly raised Sadat’s standing in the region and provided him the chance to pursue peace.
• The first of two Egyptian – Israeli disengagement accords, which allowed for the return of parts of the Sinai to Egypt, was signed in 1974. 
• ​​According to these specific agreements, Israel withdrew from all the territory it had seized from Syria during the 1973 war as well as some of the land it had taken during the 1967 war. Moreover, Israel left some parts of Sinai.
• The Arab world’s oil embargo was lifted, and prisoners of war were exchanged.
• In 1978, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem began and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed the first peace treaty between Israel and Arab nations. By giving Egypt the final piece of the Sinai Peninsula in 1982, Israel completed the terms of the peace agreement signed in 1979.
• The Yom Kippur War was a catastrophe for Syria. Israel expanded its control over the Golan Heights as a result of the surprise Egyptian – Israeli cease-fire, which left Syria vulnerable to military defeat. Syria voted in 1979, together with other Arab nations, to kick Egypt out of the Arab League.

Yom Kippur War Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Yom Kippur War across 29 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War or the Ramadan War, which was a conflict that took place between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria in October 1973.

Download includes the following worksheets

• Yom Kippur War Facts
• Yom Kippur
• Yom Kippur War in Brief
• Before and After
• Golda Meir
• The Battle of Sinai
• The Valley of Tears
• Effects of War
• Yom Kippur Heroes
• Israel Today
• Tank Commander

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the Yom Kippur War happen?

The Yom Kippur War was sparked by a number of factors, including ongoing tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors, the failure of previous peace negotiations, and the desire of Arab states to regain territory lost to Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. In particular, Egypt and Syria were motivated by a desire to reclaim the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights, respectively, which had been captured by Israel in 1967.

How did the Yom Kippur War begin?

The war began with a surprise attack on Israel by Egypt and Syria on October 6, 1973, the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. The Arab forces launched a coordinated assault on multiple fronts, catching Israel off guard and inflicting heavy initial losses. However, Israel quickly mobilized its forces and pushed back against the Arab advances.

What were the key battles of the Yom Kippur War?

There were several key battles in the Yom Kippur War, including the Battle of the Sinai, which saw Israeli forces recapture the Sinai Peninsula from Egyptian forces, and the Battle of the Golan Heights, which saw Israel successfully defend against a Syrian assault. Other notable battles included the Battle of Chinese Farm and the Battle of the Chinese Farm, both of which were fought in the Sinai.

How did the Yom Kippur War end?

The Yom Kippur War ended on October 26, 1973, when a ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and Egypt and Syria. The agreement called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied territory, the exchange of prisoners of war, and the establishment of a buffer zone between Israeli and Arab forces.

What were the consequences of the Yom Kippur War?

The Yom Kippur War had several significant consequences, including a shift in the balance of power in the Middle East, increased diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a global energy crisis resulting from an oil embargo by Arab countries against Israel’s allies. The war also had a lasting impact on Israeli society, with many Israelis feeling a sense of vulnerability and the need to maintain a strong military deterrent against potential enemies.

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