October 6, 1973

Yom Kippur, the holiest and most solemn day of the year in Judaism, was the date on which a combined Egyptian and Syrian force performed a surprise attack on Israel. The 1973 conflict, which was an effort by the two nations to avenge the humiliating defeat known as The Six-Day War, threw the Middle East back into chaos.

With the element of surprise and Soviet weapons aiding them, the Egyptian and Syrian forces appeared likely to win the war. However, with the help of the United States, Israel was able to recover and ultimately a cease-fire was created with the help of Henry Kissinger and Soviet diplomats.

Although there was a cease-fire, a later dispute was started between the Soviet Union and the Unites States after Israel refused to give up its siege of Egyptian troops. The threat of conflict between the two nations was high. Eventually, however, the disagreement between the two powerhouses was resolved after the Soviet Union revoked their threat of conflict. Although peace was permanent, the Yom Kippur War greatly damaged relations between the nuclear superpowers.

The Yom Kippur War was significant to the world because of its impact on the Middle East. The conflict produced a peace between Egypt, Syria, and Israel thanks to the work of Kissinger. More importantly, however, the Yom Kippur War almost caused the United States and the Soviet Union to have formal conflict. This would have marked the first formal conflict between the two since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Although the war did not evoke warfare between the Soviets and Americans, the fact that it almost did makes the event incredibly important to history because such a conflict could have meant nuclear war.