Background History of Iraq

The Iraq war


Relations with Iran seriously deteriorated in the period following the Iranian Islamic revolution of 1979. Cross-border incidents resulted in Iraq invading Iran and in a full outbreak of war on 22 September 1980. Iraq was supported by its Arab neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and by the US, the Soviet Union and France. Massive losses were experienced by both sides and in 1986 a stalemate was reached.


The Iraq war resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths and around 750,000 people were injured.The Iraqi air force responded with poison gas, causing 5,000 civilian deaths in Kurdish northern Iraq. Iran finally agreed to a cease-fire in July 1988.Despite large foreign debts and damaged infrastructure the Iraqi regime was actually strengthened militarily by the war with Iran.Military production had increased significantly and the army had also increased in size, to a total force of around one million.


Iraq Golf War 


In 1980s Iraq was experiencing an economic crisis caused by misguided economic policies.Five billion dollars in a year had been assigned to the military  projects.On August 2 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait and on  August 8 Iraq announced its annexation of Kuwait.Forces from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Britain, France, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the US began gathering in Saudi Arabia.Iraq did not receive military support from any state. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 678 authorizing military force to be used against Iraq at the end of November 1990.


Recent History 


In 1920 Iraq was part of the Ottoman Empire.The territory of Iraq was placed under a League of Nations' mandate.A 25 year Treaty of Alliance was signed between Britain and Iraq.On 3 October 1932 the British mandate ended and Iraq was established as an independent state.Britain retained military bases there and continued to exercise strong political and military influence in the country.Britain also ensured that a concession for oil exploration and was given to the Iraq Petroleum Company a conglomerate of British the French and US interests.


King Faisal died in 1933 but the regime under King Faisal II continued to be pro British. The Baghdad Pact was signed in 1955 which was an agreement on collective regional security urged upon Iraq by the British. The military revolution overthrew King Faisal II on 14 July 1958. Iraq withdrew from the Baghdad Pact in 1959, Kassem was assassinated in 1963.

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