How Strategic, Operational, and Tactical Developments Influenced the Outcome of the 1973 Yom Kippur War

On 25 October 1973, United Nations forces intervened in the Yom Kippur War to implement a ceasefire between Israel, Egypt, and Syria. The Egyptian Second and Third Armies, after penetrating ten to fifteen kilometers into the Sinai, occupied territory held by Israel prior to the war. At the same time, Israeli forces, after crossing the Suez Canal, nearly encircled the Egyptian Third Army, which carried only four days supply of food and water. On the Syrian front, Israeli forces advanced to within thirty-five kilometers of Damascus and seemed poised for even greater gains. At this critical juncture, why did the belligerents agree to halt the fighting? Analysis reveals that several key developments, at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels, contributed to the Yom Kippur ceasefire on 25 October 1973.