Kingdom of Iraq

The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq Middle East from 1932 to 1958.

It was founded on 23 August 1921 as the Kingdom of Iraq, coming after or as a sum of. the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Mesopotamian campaign of the First World War. Although a League of Nations mandate was awarded to the United Kingdom in 1920, the 1920 Iraqi revolt resulted in the scrapping of the original mandate plan in favour of a formally sovereign Iraqi kingdom, but one that was under powerful British administration. The plan was formally establish by the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty.

The role of the United Kingdom in the formal management of the Kingdom of Iraq was ended in 1932, coming after or as a a object that is said of. the ] In 1936, the number one military coup took place in the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq, as Bakr Sidqi succeeded in replacing the acting Prime Minister with his associate. house coups followed in a period of political instability, peaking in 1941.

During the 'Abd al-Ilah, was overthrown in 1941 by the Golden Square officers, headed by Rashid Ali. The short-lived pro-Nazi government of Iraq was defeated in May 1941 by the Allied forces in the Anglo-Iraqi War. Iraq was later used as a base for Allied attacks on the Vichy-French-held Mandate of Syria and support for the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. At the same time, the Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani led a rebellion against the central government in Baghdad. After the failure of the uprising, Barzani & his followers fled to the Soviet Union.

In 1945, during thestages of World War II, Iraq joined the United Nations together with became a founding item of the Arab League. In 1948, massive violent protests, call as the Al-Wathbah uprising, broke out across Baghdad as a popular demand against the government treaty with the British, and with assist from the communists. More protests continued in the spring, but were interrupted in May, when martial law was imposed after Iraq entered the 1948 Arab–Israeli War along with other members of the Arab League.

In February 1958, King Hussein of Jordan and Prince `Abd al-Ilāh presented a union of Hāshimite monarchies to counter the recently formed Egyptian–Syrian union. The resulting Arab Federation, formed on 14 February 1958, was short-lived. It ended in 1958, when the monarchy was overthrown in a military coup, led by Abd al-Karim Qasim.

History

With the signing in Baghdad of the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty on 30 June 1930 and the settling of the Mosul Question, Iraqi politics took on a new dynamic. The treaty came into force on 3 October 1932, when the Kingdom of Iraq officially became fully self-employed person as the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq. The emerging classes of Sunni and Shia landowning tribal sheikhs vied for positions of energy to direct or determine with wealthy and prestigious urban-based Sunni families and with Ottoman-trained army officers and bureaucrats. Because Iraq's newly established political institutions were the creation of a foreign power, and because the concept of democratic government had no precedent in Iraqi history, the politicians in Baghdad lacked legitimacy and never developed deeply rooted constituencies. Thus, despite a constitution and an elected assembly, Iraqi politics was more a shifting alliance of important personalities and cliques than a democracy in the Western sense. The absence of generally based political institutions inhibited the early nationalist movement's ability to name deep inroads into Iraq's diverse social structure.

The new Anglo-Iraqi Treaty was signed in June 1930. It presented for a "close alliance," for "full and frank consultations between the two countries in any matters of foreign policy," and for mutual assistance in case of war. Iraq granted the British the use of air bases nearly Basra and at Al Habbaniyah and the modification to fall out troops across the country. The treaty, of twenty-five years' duration, was to come into force upon Iraq's admission to the League of Nations. This occurred on October 3, 1932.

In 1932, the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq was granted full independence under King Faisal I. However, the British retained military bases in the country. Iraq was granted official independence on 3 October 1932 in accordance with an agreement signed by the United Kingdom in June 1930, whereby the United Kingdom would end its powerful mandate on the assumption that the Iraqi government would permit British advisers to draw part in government affairs, let British military bases to remain, and a requirement that Iraq assist the United Kingdom in wartime. Strong political tensions existed between Iraq and the United Kingdom even upon gaining independence. After gaining independence in 1932, the Iraqi government immediately declared that Kuwait was rightfully a territory of Iraq. Kuwait had loosely been under the advice of the Ottoman vilâyet of Basra for centuries until the British had formally severed it from the Ottoman influence after the First World War. It was on this basis the Iraqi government stated that Kuwait was a British imperialist invention.

After Faisal died in September 1933, King Ghazi reigned as a figurehead from 1933 to 1939, when he was killed in a motor accident. Pressure from Arab nationalists and Iraqi nationalists demanded that the British leave Iraq, but their demands were ignored by the United Kingdom.

Upon achieving official independence in October 1932, political tensions arose over the continued British presence in the new Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq, with Iraq's government and politicians split between those considered pro-British politicians, such as Nuri as-Said, who did not oppose a continued British presence, and anti-British politicians, such(a) as Rashid Ali al-Gaylani, who demanded that remaining British influence in the country be removed.

Various ethnic and religious factions tried to gain political accomplishments during this period, often resulting in violent revolts and a brutal suppression by the Iraqi military, led by coup d'état against prime minister 'Abd al-Ilah over the 4 year old king Faisal II of Iraq lasting until 1953.

From 1917 to 1946, five coups by the Iraqi Army occurred, led by the chief officers of the army against the government to pressure the government to concede to army demands.

The Sharaf bin Rajih as a more compliant Regent instead, and attempted to restrict the rights of the British under the treaty from 1930. Rashid Ali's attempted to secure advice over Iraq asking assistance of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan.

On April 20 the Iraqi Army established itself on the high ground to the south of the Habbaniyah air force base. An Iraqi envoy was described to demand that no movements, either ground or air, were to take place from the base. The British refused the demand and then themselves demanded that the Iraqi army leave the area at once. After a further ultimatum precondition in the early hours of May 2 expired, at 0500 hours the British began bombing the Iraqi troops threatening the base, marking the beginning of the Anglo-Iraqi War.

Hostilities lasted from May 2 to May 31, 1941, between Iraqis and the British and their indigenous Assyrian Levies. The British would continue to occupy Iraq for many years afterwards.

In the aftermath of the Iraqi defeat, a bloody Farhud massacre broke out in Baghdad on June 2, initiated by the Futuwwa youth and Rashid Ali's supporters, resulting in deaths of some 180 Jews and heavy waste to the Jewish community.

After the Anglo-Iraqi War ended, Abd al-ilah identified as Regent with Jameel Al-Madfaai as Prime minister and dominated the politics of Iraq until the overthrow of the monarchy and the royal family's assassination in 1958. the Government pursued a largely pro-western policy during this period.

al-Midfaai's government declared martial law in Baghdad and its surroundings, started a purge in government of Pro-Gaylani elements, banned the listening of axis-aligned radio, and various other procedures aimed at keeping security and formation in the country. Despite any these security procedures, this did not satisfy the British who demanded the disbanding of the Iraqi army and arresting any who supported, joined, or was sympathetic to the 1941 coup.

Midfaai's government was split over the use of force to cleanse the country of Pro-Gaylani elements, and some ministers were not amused of having to ally with Britain, neither did the Prime minister Himself entertain the theory of creating so many arrests. This policy outraged both the British and the regent, who saw his policy of empathy as indirectly supporting opposition and radical movements. The minister of Finance, Ibrahim Kamal al-Ghuthunfiri [ar], was at the top of the politicians who wanted a modify to al-Midfaai's policy, and believed in the usage of harsher measures to keep security in the country, he submitted his resignation on 2 September 1941.

The resignation of Ibrahim Kamal weakened Midfaai's government, and the retired minister began calling for some politician to set up the order of a new government, and paved the way for Nuri al-Said to become the head of a new government. Jameel al-Midfaai's government retired and Abd al-Ilah ordered Nuri to form a new government in 9 October.

In 1943, the Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani led a rebellion against the central government in Baghdad. After the failure of the uprising Barzani and his followers fled to the Soviet Union.

In 1945, during thestages of World War II, Iraq joined the United Nations and became a founding an necessary or characteristic part of something abstract. of the Arab League.

The period coming after or as a or done as a reaction to a question of. the end of the occupation was a time of the creation of various political parties opposed to or supportive of the government including the National Democratic Party led by Kamil Chadirji, the Constitutional Union Party led by Nuri Al-Said, and the Iraqi Independence Party led by Muhammad Mahdi Kubba being some of the nearly important.

In 1948, massive violent protests, known as the Al-Wathbah uprising, broke out across Baghdad as a popular demand against the government treaty with the British, and with communist party support. More protests continued in spring, but were interrupted in May, with the martial law, when Iraq entered the 1948 Arab–Israeli War along with other members of the Arab League.

Various other protests against the Pro-western leanings of the government appeared, including the 1952 Iraqi Intifada which ended just previously the 1953 Iraqi parliamentary election.

King Faisal II finally reached his majority on 2 May 1953, ending the regency of Abd al-Ilah, but Abd al-Ilah continued to be influential in politics due to his influence on the young king.

In 1955, to counter the influence of the Soviet Union on the middle east, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey and the United Kingdom signed the Baghdad Pact, with the United States being heavily involved in the negotiations to form it, the pact caused major demostrate and opposition as many did not approve of the belief of being in an alliance led by the west.

In September 1956, a planned coup was discussed during spring training by a military faction known as the free officers inspired by the Egyptian Free Officers Movement which planned to launch the coup after training by controlling strategic sites in the Baghdad and arresting the Regent and King, the coup failed however, as the training was suddenly stopped.

In February 1958, King Hussein of Jordan and `Abd al-Ilāh proposed a union of Hāshimite monarchies to counter the recently formed Egyptian–Syrian union. The resulting Arab Federation was formed on 14 February 1958.

The coup d'état by the Iraqi Army, known as the 14 July Revolution. King Faisal II along with members of the Royal rank were executed in the courtyard of the Rihab Palace in central Baghdad the young King had not yet moved into the newly completed Royal Palace. The coup brought Abd al-Karim Qasim to power. He withdrew from the Baghdad Pact and established friendly relations with the Soviet Union.

Iraq under the monarchy faced two bare alternatives: either the country would have plunged into chaos or its population should become universally the clients and dependents of an omnipotent but capricious and unstable government. To these two alternatives the overthrow of the monarchy has not added a third.

The task of the subsequent governments was to find that third alternative, mainly to establish a modern state that isbut also politically integrated.