The History of Modern Iraq

The history of modern Iraq is one that is made up of many components, from the British occupation, to its monarch the non Iraqi Faisal, and his desire for a pan-Arab state. This document will present different events and subjects which will allow the reader to comprehend the history of Iraq from 1920- 1958, and what events occurred in the time period. Before we can begin to learn the modern history of Iraq we must briefly learn of the events that led to the creation of the state, formerly known as Mesopotamia.

The occupation of Britain in Mesopotamia happened less by design than by accident. Modern Iraq was an invention of British military and administrative convenience in the wake of World War I. During WWI the British wanted to defeat the Ottoman Empire at any costs, and late in 1914 when it was clear that Turkey, traditionally Britain’s ally, would enter the war on the side of the Central Powers and was mobilizing in the Gulf, Britain occupied Basra and al-Faw to “protect its strategic interests, communications, and oil fields at the head of the Gulf.”

In desperation to defeat the Ottomans, the government’s Arab bureau in Cairo issued letters and proclamations that promised independence to Palestine, Syria, and Mesopotamia, under British protection in exchange for help in defeating the Ottoman Empire. British officials in India, who ran foreign policy east of the Suez Canal, feared the impact of Britain’s involvement in Islamic affairs.

When WWI ended the British were faced with a number of dilemmas. First, the Arab Revolt had contributed to the demise of the Ottoman Empire, and though Britain was in occupation outside Turkey, so were the Arab allies who fought alongside British officer T.E Lawrence. Through the effort...

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...tional monarchy with a democratic parliament, slightly resembling the British model. Though, it was supposed to set the Iraqi’s up for self-government, British advisors were placed in key ministries, and British and Indian Army officers staffed important positions in the police force. Britain continued to run foreign policy, as well as internal security policies. Most importantly, much of the old Ottoman bureaucracy was maintained and Indian Muslims from Bengal filled lower-level jobs, which should have been for Iraqi’s.

The British Mandate produced for Iraq many irrigation projects, as well as public health services, which were now a priority over education. As a consequence between 1920 and 1932 the nation experienced a population boom that nearly doubled the Iraqi population. The modernization of Iraq continued as the British built dams and restored canals.