October 17 in Military History — On This Day

⚔️📍 Belgium1918

Allied Forces Liberate Bruges and Ghent — Belgium Free

As the Hundred Days Offensive continued, Allied forces liberated Bruges and then Ghent, freeing major Belgian cities four years after their occupation. German forces were in organized retreat across the whole front.

The liberation of Belgian cities was the culminating symbol of Allied victory; Belgium's complete liberation came just weeks before the armistice ended WWI on November 11.

Outcome

Belgium liberated; armistice follows November 11

OPEC Oil Embargo

Arab oil-producing nations embargo oil exports to countries supporting Israel — primarily the US and Netherlands. Oil prices quadruple from $3 to $12 per barrel. Gas lines stretch for miles across America. European allies distance themselves from US policy. Japan publicly pressures Israel. The weapon that Egypt and Syria could not wield militarily, Saudi Arabia wielded economically.

The oil embargo transformed the Yom Kippur War from a regional conflict to a global economic crisis. It demonstrated that Arab nations possessed economic leverage that could affect Western behavior regardless of Israeli military victories. The shock accelerated the search for energy independence, launched the era of petrodollar recycling, and permanently altered the relationship between the West and the Arab world.

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