A Brief History of Iraq

Who was fighting in Iraq during WWI?

Allied Powers•British forces comprised of: British, Indian, and Australian troops Central Powers•The Ottoman Empire: Turks (on the side of the central powers)

Specific battles, revolts, or other events that took place during WWI:

• The Mesopotamia Campaign 1914– WWI in the region later known as Iraq– The Fao Landing (Al Faw) November, 1914 British offensive begins

• small port in modern Iraq near the Shatt al-Arab and the Persian Gulf

• Battle of Shaiba– April 12-14 1915– Push toward Bagdad – British Success

• The Siege of Kut/ The Battle of Kut– Dec. 7 1915 – April 29 1916– British attempt at push toward Bagdad– British surrender (humiliating)

• Capture Bagdad 1917 Armistice of Mudros signed 1918– March 1917– Proclamation of Bagdad – General Maude “our armies do not come into your cities

and lands and conquers or enemies, but as liberators”

What peace agreement(s) and treaty (ies) were relevant to Iraq?

• Armistice of Mudros - October 20, 1918– Ended the campaign in the region, and the Ottoman Empire

• 1919 Paris Peace Conference, Article 22 of the League of Nations Covenant– Iraq is formally made, a Class A mandate entrusted to Britain (completed April

25, 1920)• Cairo Conference of 1921

– In effort to reduce expenses and deal with uprisings of various areas of the population, the British establish parameters for Iraqi political life

– Select Faysal (an Arab, ex King of Syria) as Iraq’s 1st King– Iraqi Army is founded

• Organic Law of 1925 – Establishes government structure: constitutional monarchy, parliamentary

government and bicameral legislature – State Religion: Islam

• 1925 Agreement (Britain & Iraq) Iraq Petroleum Company – 75 year concession, royalty payments/ton of oil– Excluded Iraq from having any ownership British Motivation?

Save moneyAppear supportive of Iraq independenceGain control of oil resources

• Anglo-Iraqi Treaty (1930)– Iraq to gain full independence within two years– Gave the British almost unlimited rights to base military

forces in Iraq• The British could:

– maintain air bases near Basra and Habbaniya “in times of peace”– have the right of transit for military forces and supplies “at all times”– use all railways, rivers, ports, and airways for the passage of armed

forces “during times of war”– control the development of the Iraqi armed forces:

» All Iraqi forces trained abroad must be trained in Britain» All foreign military instructors must be British» All foreign military supplies be supplied by Britain

• 1932, Iraq receives formal independence and was admitted into the League of Nations.

What happened after the war?• British Influence and control

• Instability– Three regions become the state of Iraq– Ethnically, culturally and religiously diverse– Power shift/lacking

• Iraqi Revolt, June 1920 (several months)– Armed revolt against the British – symbol of states rejection of foreign rule– Tribes of the Euphrates (Shia, Sunni, Kurdish) “Guardians of Independence”– Unsuccessful change in Iraq power/government

• Faysal and the “Non-Puppet Government”

• Efforts to unite peoples in the boundaries of Iraq

• Faysal dies of heart-attack in 1933

When did the country actually achieve independence?

• 1932, Britain granted independence – Establish: Kingdom of Iraq • Series of unsuccessful coup d’etats followed

throughout the next 26 years

• 1958, coup d'état (July Revolution)– Overthrow of the Hashemite monarchy– Established: Republic of Iraq

What was happening to Iraq’s neighboring countries?