Egypt Armed Forces Day commemorates the beginning of the October War (commonly known as the Yom Kippur War) against Israel in 1973. The day marks one of Egypt's most important yearly celebrations, commemorating the country's triumph against Israel and the passage of the Suez Canal.
History of Armed Forces Day.
During the Six-Day War with Israel in June 1967, Egypt lost control of Sinai Peninsula.
In an effort to reclaim the land, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat launched a surprise invasion on October 6, 1973. The Syrians supported the offensive, which was initially successful when more than 80,000 Egyptian forces broke the Israeli lines and grabbed control of Sinai region. After two days, the Egyptians were forced to retire after the Israeli army counterattacked and encircled their forces.
The conflict came to a conclusion when the United States arranged a cease-fire. The attack was unsuccessful in freeing the Sinai Peninsula, although the fighting did directly lead to discussions at Camp David hosted by US President Jimmy Carter. These discussions led to the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace deal, which resulted in Egypt regaining control of the Sinai Peninsula.
