Arab Countries´ Strategic Mistakes in the Yom Kippur War

Abstract

The Yom Kippur War is one of several clashes which Israel has experienced with Arab nations along its history. Like any armed conflict, from the analysis of what happened, it is possible to obtain several lessons learned that contribute to the training of commanders and staff officers. In this context, this paper seeks to examine the main errors in the field of the Grand Strategy, committed by the Arab countries during the war planning process. Within this, it stands out: oversizing the value of strategic surprise, determining a war with a limited objective and mortgaging the result of the conflict to the intervention of third parties.