Egypt had its first regular Army in the pre-dynastic eras.
War of unification
With the beginning of the 3rd Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, Egypt was exposed to Bedouin raids across its borders. King Zoser was quick to create a well-equipped Army that would resist the intruders.
As the Asian immigrants, known as the Hyksos, flooded Egypt taking over from Egyptian royalty and ruling for over half a century, the burden of resistance was thrown on the shoulders of members of 17th Dynasty of the Middle Kingdom. The first Egyptian monarch to fall in the line of duty was Tao II Seqenenre, whose son Ahmose I librated Egypt from the Hyksos.
Battle of Megiddo
In 1479 BC, Tuthmosis III moved against the king of Kadesh in Palestine, who had instigated other cities in the region to join him in revolt against Egypt, and who was undoubtedly backed by the military might of the Mitanni empire. Mitanni had created a network of vassal city-states in this region during the early 15th century BC.
The king of Kadesh and his allies occupied Megiddo, a fortress which controlled the major military and trade road north to Lebanon and east to the Euphrates. Megiddo sat on a height where the road emerged from the constriction of the Aruna Pass into the Plain of Esdraelon.
The conquest of Megiddo and its inhabitants was vital. The city was placed under siege. A moat was excavated around the city and beyond a wooden palisade was built to seal in the population. However, not until December of 1482 BC did the city finally surrender. While the booty from this battle was vast, the pharaoh seems to have been most proud of the capture of 2,041 horses that were taken and used to swell the breeding stock in Egypt. Other spoils of the battle included 894 chariots, including two that were covered with gold, 200 suits of armor, including two of bronze belonging to the chiefs of Megiddo and Kadesh, and over 25,000 animals other than horses.
Tuthmosis III led many more campaigns through Canaan and into Syria, and eight years after the battle of Megiddo he took Kadesh on the Orontes. However, his victory at Megiddo was of great importance, for it was sufficient to render the whole of Canaan quiescent for virtually the rest of his reign. Following the conquest of Retenu, he built a big navy, which was instrumental in his extending Egyptian influence over much of the Near East. His army could now reach any coastal town in Syria by ship in four to five days, while by foot the journey would take more than a fortnight. This would greatly aid Tuthmosis III in his campaigns over the next 20 years in his contest with Mitanni for the control of Syria.
Battle of Kadesh
The Battle of Kadesh took place between the forces of Ramesses II's Egypt and the Hittites of Muwatalli II at the city of Kadesh, the modern Tell Nebi Mend, on the Orontes River of modern Syria. The battle is generally dated to 1274 BC, around Year 5 III Shemu day 9 of Ramesses II's reign when the Pharaoh arrived in the vicinity of Kadesh (or more precisely May 12, 1274 BC based on Ramesses' commmonly accepted accession date in 1279 BC). It was probably the largest chariot battle ever fought, involving perhaps 5,000 chariots.
The conflicts were finally concluded by a peace treaty in 1258 BC, in the 21st year of Ramesses II's reign, with Hattusili III, the new king of the Hittites. The treaty was inscribed on a silver tablet, of which a clay copy survived in the Hittite capital of Hattusa, in modern Turkey, and is on display at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. An enlarged replica of the Kadesh agreement hangs on a wall at the headquarters of the United Nations, as one of the earliest international peace treaties. An Egyptian version survives in a papyrus.
Battle of Hattin
The Battle of Hattin [also spelled Hittin] took place shortly before the Third Crusade and was among the most significant Muslim victories of the crusading era. In July 1187 at Hattin, the Muslim forces of Saladin defeated the Christian forces of the Latin King of Jerusalem, Guy de Lusignan, resulting in the King's humiliating capture.
The destruction of such a large body of Christian forces at Hattin effectively insured the success of Saladin's army at Jerusalem against a much smaller force of Christian defenders led by Balian of Ibelin, who after a brief but hard fought siege negotiated the surrender of the city to Saladin in October of 1187. The capture of Jerusalem by Saladin's forces sent a shockwave through Latin Christendom and ultimately inspired the calling of the unsuccessful Third Crusade.
Battle of Mansura
Najm al-Din became sultan in 1240. His reign saw the recapture of Jerusalem in 1244, and the introduction of a larger force of Mameluks into the army. Much of his time was spent in campaigns in Syria, where he allied with the Khwarezmians against the Crusaders and Ayyubids.
In 1249 he faced an invasion by Louis IX of France (the Seventh Crusade), and Damietta was lost again. Najm al-Din died soon after this, but his son Turanshah defeated Louis and expelled the Crusaders from Egypt.
Battle of Ein-Gallut
Sultan Saif ad-Din Qutuz allied with a fellow Mamluk, Baibars, who wanted to defend Islam after the Mongols captured Damascus and most of Sham (Greater Syria). The Mongols attempted to ally with the remnant of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, now centred on Acre, but Pope Alexander IV forbade this. And Julian of Sidon killed a grandson of Kitbuqa with his crusader knights. Angered, Kitbuqa sacked Sidon.
While the Christians remained neutral, they believed it was only a matter of time until the Mongols destroyed them also, and so while technically neutral, they agreed that the Egyptian army could cross their territories without incident, or reporting such movement to the Mongols.
Believing that waiting for Hulagu Khan to return with his full army would be foolhardy, Qutuz decided to march north and confront Kitbuqa's army. He believed destroying this force would not only protect the remaining Holy Places (Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina), but also strike a terrific blow against the heretofore invincible Mongols, and rally wavering support to his side. He accomplished all three aims, and more.
The Mongols at that time were proceeding down the trade trails, and probably were unaware that the Egyptian forces had marched north to confront them.
In 1260, the Mamluks defeated the Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut in modern-day Israel and eventually forced the invaders to retreat to the area of modern-day Iraq.
Egyptian Army in modern time
Under Mohammad Ali Pasha the Great, Egypt's Army was rebuilt, as part of modernizing the country. Many military campaigns were also launched against Turkey and Sham (Greater Syria).
Egypt's Army defeated Turkey in April 1832, in May 1832 (Acre), in and in July 1832 (Homs).
Wars of the Arab-Israeli conflict Following the UN Partition Resolution of 1947 which provided for the establishment of two states, one for the Arabs and the other for Jews to replace Palestine, the Egyptian Army engaged in a war with the Jewish guerrillas.
In 1956, France, Israel and Britain attacked Egypt on October 29. Resistance was such that it impeded the progress of the aggressors towards Ismailia.
The Egyptian Armed Forces fought yet another war with Israel in 1967 but was defeated.
The 1967 setback left its painful imprint on public spirit. Notwithstanding, amidst the prevailing despair, the Egyptian rejected the defeat and were determined to reverse the effects of the aggression whatever the cost.
War of attrition
The war of attrition against the Israeli Army east of the Suez Canal began in March 1969. The Egyptian Armed Forces engaged the Israelis in a long-term war to exhaust their human and material resources.
On March 8, 1969, Egyptian artillery opened fire against enemy posts throughout the front line. 80% of the fortified positions on the Barlev Line were destroyed.
Ground troops crossed and engaged the enemy inflicting heavy losses.
On October 21, 1967, human frogs attacked and sank the Eilat.
On November 9, 1969, the Egyptian Navy bombarded enemy positions north of Sinai.
On February 5, 1970, the Egyptian Army ambushed enemy troops destroying 3 tanks and 3 trucks.
When Israeli troops attempted surprise operations against Egyptian positions in al-Khadra Island and the Gulf of Suez, they were heavily defeated.
With the final installation of missile batteries, Egypt shot down 21 Israeli combat aircraft were shot within the month of July 1970.
Having suffered huge losses, Israel acknowledged that the war of attrition had created a new status quo. The US also began to realize how big a catastrophe awaited Israel. Hence the Rogers Initiative and the cessation of fired effective August 7, 1970.
The October War
On October 6, 1973, the Egyptian and Syrian Armed Forces mounted a surprise attack against the Israeli Army stationed in Sinai and the Golan Heights. As a result, Egypt regained full sovereignty over the Suez Canal and was able to recover part of Sinai. The October victory led to destroying the myth of Israel's invincible army. Most important, however, is that it paved the way to the Camp David Treaty in September 1978.
The 1973 war is the fourth round in the Arab-Israeli armed struggle since 1948. In 1967, Israel occupied Syria's Golan Heights, the West Bank and Jerusalem, Sinai and the Suez Canal and for six years, the country spent millions on fortifying its positions on the East Bank, in what later came to be known as the Barlev Line.
Preparations for the October victory began very early on in 1968 with the war of attrition. After President Anwar al-Sadat assumed power in 1970 and Israel having rejected the Rogers Initiative, war was the only option to recover Sinai and Suez Canal. A surprise attack was carried on both the Egyptian and Syrian fronts. Intelligence Authorities in both countries relied on a plan to confuse the enemy.
At exactly 14:00 hours on October 6, 1973, 222 Egyptian fighters crossed the Suez Canal, undetected. Their target: radar stations, air defense batteries, fortified points on the Barlev line, oil refineries and ammunition depots. Meanwhile, Egyptian artillery across the Canal turned the front line into an inferno in what was a show of force not soon to be forgotten. 10,500 rockets were fired in the first 60 seconds at an average of 175 rockets/seconds. 1000 rubber boats crossed the Canal carrying 8000 soldiers who climbed the Barlev Line and stormed into enemy defenses. The Egyptian Engineer Corps built the first bridge 6 hours after the war began. 8 hours later they cut a path into the Barlev Line, set up another 12 bridges and operated 30 ferries.