Ahmad Ismail Ali
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011) |
| Ahmad Ismail Ali (Arabic: أحمد إسماعيل علي) |
|
|---|---|
| Minister of Defence of Egypt | |
| In office 1973–1973 |
|
| President | Anwar El-Sadat |
| Preceded by | Mohammed Ahmed Sadek |
| Succeeded by | Abdel Ghani el-Gamasy |
| Director ot the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate | |
| In office 1971–1972 |
|
| President | Muhammad Naguib, Gamal Abdel Nasser |
| Preceded by | Ahmad Kamel |
| Succeeded by | Karim El-Leithy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 14, 1917 Egypt |
| Died | December 26, 1974 (aged 57) |
| Religion | Muslim |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch |  Egyptian Army |
| Years of service | 1938—1974 |
| Rank |  Field Marshal |
| Commands | Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces |
| Battles/wars | World War II 1948 Arab–Israeli War |
Ahmad Ismail Ali (Arabic: أحمد إسماعيل علي) (October 14, 1917 – December 26, 1974) was the Commander-in-Chief of Egypt's army and minister of war during the Yom Kippur War. He is best known for his planning of the attack across the Suez Canal that surprised Israel on 6 October, 1973, and began the Yom Kippur War.
[edit] Military Career
- Ismail graduated from the Cairo Military Academy in 1938.
- He saw service with the Allies in the Western Desert during World War II
- He fought as a brigade commander in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
- He later received training in Britain
- He fought the Franco-British-Israeli forces during the Suez Crisis of 1956, and undertook further training in the Soviet Union.
- During the 1967 Six-Day War he was a divisional commander.
- Ismail was made Army Chief of Staff in March 1969, but was dismissed by President Gamal Abdel Nasser in September as a scapegoat for successful Israeli raids. New president Anwar al-Sadat, however, named him chief of intelligence in September 1970.
- From 1971 to 1972 he served as head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate.
In October 1972, Ismail accompanied Prime Minister Aziz Sidqi on a visit to Moscow and on his return stifled a coup against the president. That same month, he replaced the anti-Soviet general Muhammad Sadeq as minister of defense and commander in chief and was promoted to full general. His skill as a strategist and his success in reviving the morale of the Egyptian army became evident in the October 1973 war. He was made a Field marshal in November 1973.
[edit] Death
Ismail died in December 1974 from advanced cancer, at the age of 57.
