David Elazar (Dado)
Chief of Staff, Israel Defense Forces
"We will break their bones."
Biography
David 'Dado' Elazar was one of Israel's finest officers — a Sarajevo-born commander who had fought in every Israeli war and led the Northern Command to brilliant success in the Six-Day War. As Chief of Staff in 1973, he bore the institutional responsibility for the intelligence failure that left Israel exposed. His personal tragedy was that he saw the warning signs more clearly than most: he wanted a full mobilization on the morning of October 6 and was talked out of it by political and intelligence advisors who feared provocations and false alarms. When the attack came exactly as the last intelligence had predicted, it was too late for a full mobilization to be effective. The Agranat Commission's investigation found him responsible for the military's failures while largely exonerating political leaders — a finding many Israelis considered unjust. He resigned in April 1974 and died of a heart attack in 1976, aged 50, his health broken by the war.
Did you know?
Elazar ordered a full mobilization of reserves hours before the war began — against the explicit recommendation of Intelligence Chief Eli Zeira, who believed the attack would not come. Had the full call-up happened even 12 hours earlier, the opening disasters on Golan and Sinai might have been avoided. The Agranat Commission held him responsible and he resigned — dying of a heart attack two years later, aged 50.
Key Battles
Crossing of the Suez Canal
Egypt / Syria victoryOctober 6–9, 1973 · 3,000 total casualties
The canal crossing was Egypt's greatest military achievement since Thutmose III. The use of high-pressure water hoses to breach Israeli sand fortifications — a suggestion by a civilian engineer — was a stroke of operational ingenuity. The shock to Israeli military confidence was profound. The myth of Israeli invincibility, born in 1967, died on October 6, 1973.
Battle of the Valley of Tears
Israel victoryOctober 6–9, 1973 · 3,500 total casualties
The Valley of Tears was arguably the most critical battle of the war. If Syria had broken through the Golan, their armor would have been 30 miles from Haifa with nothing to stop them. The desperate three-day stand by outnumbered Israeli tank crews — many fighting in damaged vehicles — bought the time for reinforcements to arrive. The battle is studied in military academies worldwide as a case study in armored warfare and command under pressure.
IDF Counterattack on the Golan
Israel victoryOctober 8–11, 1973 · 4,000 total casualties
The four-day counterattack completely erased Syria's initial gains and established the operational conditions for Israel's advance into Syria proper. Iraqi and Jordanian expeditionary forces rushed to reinforce Syria were caught in the open and destroyed by Israeli armor. The ability to transition from desperate defense to overwhelming counterattack within 48 hours demonstrated the IDF's extraordinary adaptive capacity.
Life Journey
Timeline
August 27, 1925
🌅 Birth
Born in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
1936
milestone
Immigrated to Palestine with family; joined Haganah as teenager
June 1967
⚔️ Battle
Commanded Northern Front in Six-Day War — captured Golan Heights
January 1972
milestone
Appointed IDF Chief of Staff
October 6, 1973
⚔️ Battle
Ordered mobilization as war began — too late to prevent opening disasters
April 1974
milestone
Resigned after Agranat Commission report; health shattered
April 15, 1976
✝️ Death
Died of heart attack in Tel Aviv, age 50