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on this page     Browse down the page or just click one of these sections....    1. General 2. 19th c: Ottoman collapse 3. British Mandate, 1918-32 Occupation Control End of the mandate British invasion, WW2 4. The Oil factor Early British oil exploitation British-US rivalry, & cooperation 1918-73 Nationalisation 1973 5. Independence & continued intervention Overview of the internal politics     See also part 2 of the Iraq site: Iraq, Hussein, the West & War   The casahistoria core Middle East pages:     British Mandate in Palestine   The Arab Israeli conflict, 1947-78     The British in Mesopotamia/Iraq   Iraq, Hussein, the West & War

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The main value of these Iraq pages is in the links to specific articles from section 2 onwards. Use the first, general section for an overview. However, using the later links will indicate clearly the longstanding involvement of the UK and the US in Iraq well before the current conflict & occupation that followed.

                  

The British in Mesopotamia and Iraq contents: The collapse of the Ottomans | the British Mandate | oil | Iraq independence & continued intervention   1. General   Concise Timelines & Overviews Time-Line of Iraq in the 20th Century  (from Univ of Texas) Timeline of the 20th century from PBS Timeline of Iraq in the 20th Century from Seattle based Iraq Interest Network Iraq from the excellent Spartacus site. Overview of modern period, well cross referenced with inclusion of some key primary resources. A good starter. Arab Gateway: Very comprehensive set of links to Iraqi culture and history. Very good source for links to pre 19th century Iraq Creating Modern Iraq Good overview article from PBS Iraq in Transition site. See also the useful political timeline.  Iraq under Occupation Detailed Special website from Aljazeera.net includes interactive maps, history lines as well as articles on key aspects of modern Iraq & profiles of leading Iraq individuals. History of the Middle East Database Use this teaching resource by to place Iraq in a geographical and cultural  context. Contains histories and bibliographies of the countries in the region. Also a thorough linked timeline: Benchmarks in the History of Modern Iraq Arab View is a collection of articles written by leading journalists and editors in the Middle East. Brief but very useful as a base line start. No longer "live", these are stored on the Wayback Archive.  §   History sections on: Cradle of civilisation Age of empires British influence The growing state Coups, wars & instability Saddam Hussein & the invasion of Kuwait Iraq's History Page Broad web history made up of concise sections, written (seemingly) by an Iraqi exile. Good starter. Women in Iraq - History and Current Status of Women in Iraq. Information and history of the rights of women in Iraq, written in 2005. From About.com  § casahistoria home                              visit caféhistoria for updates and current topic news 2. 19th century: The collapse of the Ottomans      The Fall of the Mamluks and the Consolidation of British Interests from Iraq's History Page  The Reforms of Midhat Pasha, 1869-1872 from Iraq's History Page Mid-19th-century Ottoman Reforms from Iraq's History Page The Ottoman Period, 1534-1918 from US Library of Congress (1988) The First World War and the End of Ottoman Rule, from Iraq's History Page The Middle East during World War One Professor David Woodward charts the demise of an empire and a dramatic shift in the region's balance of power. BBC series of articles  Memoirs & Diaries: The Corridor. Extract from diaries of T. Clayton who served in Mesopotamia in 1916. Good on conditions for the troops in their fighhting with the Turks on the Tigris. Selection of contemporary articles on the Ottoman front in World War I from the British "War Illustrated". Includes the original illustrations. Highlanders in Mesopotamia River Warfare in Mesopotamia; Watering the Regiment in Mesopotamia British Soldier Wounded in Mesopotamia The Turks Attack the Suez Canal; The Memorable Desert Battle for Egypt The Great Landing Battles of the Dardanelles; The Gloom and Glory of the Sari Bair Battles;The Difficulties of the Dardanelles Campaign;  The Miraculous Withdrawal from Gallipoli   casahistoria home                              visit caféhistoria for updates and current topic news 3. The British Mandate, 1918-32        British Relations with Iraq Excellent BBC sub web by Derek Hopwood Iraq’s Unruly Century (May 2003) Useful article by J Kandell from the Smithsonian examining Iraq in the 20th century and its relations with the west § World War I and the Early Mandate Period, 1914-1929 For a clear, basic overview in chronological order. Teaching resource by Ted Thornton from his History of the Middle East Database The creation of the Iraqi state: 1914 to 1974 Podcast from the UK National archive. Useful 45 minute lecture by Dr Charles Tripp, Reader in Politics, School of Oriental and African Studies, Univ of London. Dr Tripp, author of the Cambridge History of Iraq, considers the consequences of British state-building for Iraq's future. Occupation The First World War and the British Mandate Detailed description of the 1920's mandate (US Library of Congress) Miss Bell's lines in the sand She was an archaeologist, a linguist and the greatest woman mountaineer of her age. And in Baghdad in 1921 she drew the boundaries of the country that became Iraq. James Buchan in the Guardian, March 2003. Gertrude Bell, Adventurer, archaeologist and Arabist. BBC interview with biographer Victor Winstone about Bell's life and achievements, not least her role in choosing Iraq's first king and setting up the National Library and Museum in Baghdad. Links to an audio file of interview. The Gertrude Bell Project. Apart from giving a description of her travels and including documents, this has an excellent archive of her photographs of early 20th century Mesopotamia (use the left hand frame to select "Iraq") British British Mandate Territory, from Iraq's History Page   British welcome in Baghdad Guardian article from March 16 1917: "Our vanguard entered Baghdad soon after nine o'clock this morning. The city is approached by an unmetalled road between palm groves and orange gardens...." Hanna Batatu on Iraq Elections The historian of modern Iraq, Hanna Batatu, describes parliamentary elections during British colonial rule. Brief excerpt from The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq, Princeton, 1978. (Iraq pages of the Global Policy Forum) Iraq and the Empire This is a look at the Imperial Airways route to the British Empire in India and the Far East during the 1920's & 30's, showing the key strategic position of Iraq for the route staging posts. Shown through a set of contemporary cigarette cards. Worthwhile.  § Control A Report on Mesopotamia by T.E. Lawrence newspaper letter by T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) denounces brutal conduct by British colonial forces in Iraq during the revolt of 1920. (Sunday Times) Aeroplanes and Armoured Cars: Imposing British Colonial Control on Iraq in the 1920s By V.G Kiernan. Excerpt from Colonial Empires and Armies 1815 - 1960, Sutton, 1998. (Global Policy Forum) British Imperialism Has Long History Of Aggression In Iraq Article by Jonathan Silberman, Militant, 8 March 1998. Faced by a growing popular insurrection against its imperial dominance of Iraq in 1920, London carried out an aerial bombing campaign of civilian villages. Churchill agreed on the use of chemical weapons, of poison gas against uncivilized tribes. Revolts and rebellions against the British. From OnWar.com Great Iraqi Revolution 1920 Ikhwan Raiding of British Allies 1921-22 Kurdistan Occupation Revolt1922 First Ikhwan Rebellion 1927-28 Kurdish Rebellion in Iraq 1930-31 Kurdish Rebellion in Iraq 1932 British Air Power and Colonial Control in Iraq 1920 – 1925 excerpt by historian David Omissi, from Air Power and Colonial Control: The Royal Air Force, 1919–1939, Manchester University Press, 1990. See also Baghdad and British Bombers by Omissi who recalls the 1920's bombings. (Global Policy Forum) The Royal Air Force in Iraq (1976) The following text is an excerpt from Britain in Iraq: 1914-1932 by Peter Sluglett, a historian of modern Iraq, Ithaca Press, 1976.(Global Policy Forum) "The RAF Has Done Wonders" Gertrude Bell, a British colonial official, describes in personal letters the use of British air power in Iraq in the 1920s, writing that "the RAF has done wonders bombing insurgent villages." (Gertrude Bell Project) Imperialism and Iraq: Lessons from the past Part 1 and parts 2. Left wing analysis from World Socialist Web End of the mandate Iraq was first Iraq was the first Arab country to join the League of Nations, having acquired this status by virtue of a treaty signed with Britain in 1930. Its membership ended the formal British League mandate & was a landmark in the advancement of Arab nationalism. Three-quarters of a century later, Iraq was invaded and occupied. Professor Yunan Labib Rizk examines the two events. (Al-Ahram) British invasion of independent Iraq, World War 2 The Other "Gulf War"—The British Invasion of Iraq in 1941 by Douglas Porch (Center for Contemporary Conflict) Well researched article written at start of  2002 Gulf war. Published by US Naval Postgraduate school. Iraq 1941 Useful, well detailed site with narrative, battle details, thorough chronology and good links to British contemporary army gazettes § WW2 and British intervention from Iraq's History Page La Rivolta dell'Iraq, by Phantom (II Guerra Mondiale). In Italian (Use Google translation). Has useful campaign maps and pictures. casahistoria home                              visit caféhistoria for updates and current topic news 4. The Oil factor: Britain & the US take control          A History of oil in Iraq Series of powerpoints showing the geological origins and the geopolitical implications § From Mark Sykes to Paul Wolfowitz: How Oil Wealth Plays Havoc With the Destiny of Iraq Concise, but clear overview by Haifa Abdullah Al-Angari, Al-Jazeerah, Opinion Editorials  Iraq oil - the target for years Looks at oil from an Arab perspective. By Ahmad Quni for Aljazeera.net Early British oil exploitation The Byzantine Beginnings: The Quest for Oil  By Dr. Ferruh Demirmen. Thorough, accessible account from the Global Policy Forum site looks at the key role played by Britain and the early US use of obstructing League of Nations measures to gain access to the oil. The Turkish Petroleum Company Looks at the history of the company, set up by the British whilst Turkey controlled Iraq and used later by the British & US partners to exploit oil in Iraq until nationalisation. Great Power Conflict over Iraqi Oil: the World War I Era (October, 2002) More concise, covering similar ground. This article by James A. Paul describes how major international powers combined military force, government pressure and the action by powerful companies to control Iraq’s oil. Global Policy Forum Iraq Oil and British Foreign Policy after World War I By G. H. Bennett Excerpt from British Foreign Policy During the Curzon Period, 1919-1924 (London: Macmillan, 1995). Global Policy Forum The Lion and the Eagle Military Historian Colonel Bernd Fischer (Ret) looks at Britain’s long-standing pursuit of Iraqi oil. Excerpts from the communist monthly RotFuchs (Red Fox), November 2002, Berlin, quoted by the Guardian. Britain's Priority: Control of Oil Reserves  By Helmut Mejcher Excerpt from Imperial Quest for Oil: Iraq 1910-1928, (London: Ithaca Press, 1976). Mejcher demonstrates that oil was in fact at the centre of British government thinking. This text was published as part of a research series by St. Antony's College, Oxford University. Global Policy Forum The Primacy of Oil in Britain’s Iraq Policy Excerpt from Peter Sluglett’s book Britain in Iraq. (London: Ithaca Press, 1976.) Analyzes British Foreign Secretary Lord Curzon’s statement that oil’s influence was “nil” on the posture of the British government in Iraq. Global Policy Forum British - US rivalry, and cooperation, 1918-73 America as Junior Partner: Anglo-American Relations in the Middle-East by Barry Rubin. Shows conflicts between the United States and Britain over control of Middle East oil during the interwar period (1918-1939). Also demonstrates the recognised primacy of oil in Middle East history. Global Policy Forum Developments Through World War II, The Turkish Petroleum Company, Post-World War II Through the 1970s from US Library of Congress (1988) Oil: The Rewards of Power Excerpt from The Limits of Power: The World and United States Foreign Policy 1945-1954 by Joyce and Gabriel Kolko (1972). Describes the United States' and Britain's struggle for Middle East oil during the post war period. Global Policy Forum Britain Says U.S. Planned to Seize Oil in '73 Crisis. January, 2004  New York Times article by Lizette Alvarez Oil Companies Hold Down Production in Iraq By John M. Blair from The Control of Oil (New York: Pantheon, 1977). Shows how the US and UK companies controlled & held down production in their Iraq oilfields, in order to maximize their worldwide profits. Global Policy Forum   Nationalisation 1973 The Oil Companies vs. Iraq: Leadup to Nationalization, 1958-1973  Excerpt from Joe Stork's Middle East Oil and the Energy Crisis (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1975). Shows how the Anglo-American companies ignored pressure by the Iraqi government to prospect more widely and pump more oil. Iraq finally nationalized its oil industry in June, 1972. The settlement left Iraq with full control of 75 percent of its crude production, but compensation for the takeover was set at $300 million. The price was not cheap: more than a dozen years of economic stagnation, political instability, and confrontation. Global Policy Forum Oil in the 1980s from US Library of Congress (1988) casahistoria home                              visit caféhistoria for updates and current topic news 5. Independence           General overview of the internal politics of the period (to be used in conjunction with previous section) Later Mandate Period Including World War II, 1930-1947 For a clear, basic overview in chronological order. Teaching resource by Ted Thornton from his History of the Middle East Database Iraq's History Page: 1932 Independence 1945-58: Postwar era & reform 1958 Revolution and the first republic 1963 coup & fall of the first republic 1968 coup Economic development From US Library of Congress: Iraq as an Independent Monarchy, 1932-1958 Coups, coup attempts, and foreign policy Revolts. From OnWar.com Iraqi Army Revolt 1958 Iraqi Pan-Arab Revolt 1959 1959 Iraqi Anti government Rebellion  1960 Iraqi Annexation Threat: Kuwait Iraqi Kurd Revolt 1961-63 Iraqi Kurd Uprising 1968-70 Baath Party Coup: Iraq 1968 Shatt al Arab Dispute 1969-71 Iraqi Kurd Uprising 1974-75 The Iraqi Baath Party From UK Spartacus Schools site. Clearly written The Iraqi Baath party Concise history by Tarik Kafala BBC News Online Regime Change: How the CIA put Saddam's Party in Power. From Richard Sanders, October 2002. Review & extracts from several works including Out of the Ashes, The Resurrection of Saddam Hussein, (2000) to show the involvement of the CIA.   See the casahistoria site Iraq, Hussein, the West & War for links to the history of Iraq up to and including the Gulf Wars The casahistoria core Middle East Pages:     British Mandate in Palestine     The Arab Israeli conflict, 1947-78       The British in Mesopotamia/Iraq     Iraq, Hussein, the West & War          v12.03

 

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Last updated on 22-Apr-2013