Tsahal performance during Yom Kippur war

[Belisaire_]

How do you explain the mediocre performance of Tsahal in this war ?

[hellheaven1987]

Well, the problems were:

1. Israeli completely surprised by Egyptians.

2. Egyptians had been preparing and studying their sneaky attack for years, knowing pretty much every defensive resistances they were going to face and prepared a counter-measure for that.

Once the surprise element was over (for 2 to 3 days) and Egyptians stepped into stuff out of their plan, the table started turning around.

For scientific calculation for both sides' performance, read "Numbers, Prediction and War" by Trevor N. Dupuy; there is a nice chapter regarding Yom Kippur War and the effeciency regarding both sides.

[Keravnos]

This was a good lesson to not underestimate ANY enemy and their Maskirovka military deceptions, whether there is war or not.

[Mythos]

I wouldn't call it mediocre. From being surprised on a national holiday to reaching 100km from Cairo and trapping a whole Egyptian army, while reaching 40km from Damascus in barely 20 days? That's an amazing performance.

[Belisaire_]

I wouldn't call it mediocre. From being surprised on a national holiday to reaching 100km from Cairo and trapping a whole Egyptian army, while reaching 40km from Damascus in barely 20 days? That's an amazing performance.

The first days of the war were catastrophics for Tsahal, with several disastrous defeats against Egyptian.
On Egyptian front the war ended as a stalemate, Israel gained some territories on the west side of the Suez canal, but lost territories on the east side of the Suez canal, for Egypt the war was a political victory, his main goal was achieved some years later with the restitution of Sinaï.
Note that the encirclement of the third(?) egyptian army was mainly after the cease fire....
On Syrian front Israelian were more successful, but the war wasn't decisive either.