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Iraq Between the Two World Wars: The Militarist Origins of Tyranny
Why did an Iraqi army group seize control of government & wage a disastrous war against Great Britain, rejecting British liberal values for those of a militaristic Germany? What impact did these actions have on the 30-year regime of Saddam Hussein?
Departing from previous studies explaining modern Iraqi history in terms of class theory, Simon shows cultural & ideological factors playing an equal, if not more important, role in shaping events. In 1921 Britain created Iraq. An entourage of ex-Ottoman army officers, the Sharifians, became the new ruling elite. This elite, returning to an Iraq made up of different ethnic, religious & social groups, had to weld them into a nation. Pan-Arabism was to be the new ideological source of unity & loyalty. Schools & the army became the means to implant it. A series of military coups gave the officers the chance to act in its name. The result was an abortive revolt against Britain in 1941. The legacy of the revolt is apparent in the next two generations of Iraqi officers that led to the regime of Saddam Hussein.
This updated edition locates the sources of Iraqi nationalism in the experience of these ex-Ottoman army officers who used the emergent pan-Arabism to weld a disparate population into a nation. Simon shows that the relationships forged between Iraqi officers & Germans in Istanbul before WWI left deep legacies that help explain the disastrous war against Great Britain in 1941, the rejection of liberal values, the revolution of 1958 in which the military finally seized power & the outlook of the leadership recently overthrown by UK & USA armies.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
The creation of a state
The officers, Germany & nationalism
The officers in Iraq
Education
The army
The Rashid'Ali coup
Conclusion: ideological prelude to tyranny
Appendixes:
The Hashimites
Iraqi cabinets 1921-41
Biographical sketches
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Departing from previous studies explaining modern Iraqi history in terms of class theory, Simon shows cultural & ideological factors playing an equal, if not more important, role in shaping events. In 1921 Britain created Iraq. An entourage of ex-Ottoman army officers, the Sharifians, became the new ruling elite. This elite, returning to an Iraq made up of different ethnic, religious & social groups, had to weld them into a nation. Pan-Arabism was to be the new ideological source of unity & loyalty. Schools & the army became the means to implant it. A series of military coups gave the officers the chance to act in its name. The result was an abortive revolt against Britain in 1941. The legacy of the revolt is apparent in the next two generations of Iraqi officers that led to the regime of Saddam Hussein.
This updated edition locates the sources of Iraqi nationalism in the experience of these ex-Ottoman army officers who used the emergent pan-Arabism to weld a disparate population into a nation. Simon shows that the relationships forged between Iraqi officers & Germans in Istanbul before WWI left deep legacies that help explain the disastrous war against Great Britain in 1941, the rejection of liberal values, the revolution of 1958 in which the military finally seized power & the outlook of the leadership recently overthrown by UK & USA armies.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
The creation of a state
The officers, Germany & nationalism
The officers in Iraq
Education
The army
The Rashid'Ali coup
Conclusion: ideological prelude to tyranny
Appendixes:
The Hashimites
Iraqi cabinets 1921-41
Biographical sketches
Notes
Bibliography
Index
- GenresHistoryMiddle East
253 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 31, 2025
كتاب عظيم جدا جدا
October 13, 2023
What a great effort!
July 17, 2022
While I really appreciated what this book gave me in terms of perspective, I had some big issues with some mechanics of it. The time lines were super jumbled & the writing was at times super dry. It felt like Spector was trying to squeeze as much info into as few images, which she probably was, but dang. I did really appreciate that she put a list of people & which positions they filled so I could connect when I wasn’t sure which decade I was in.
What I really loved about this book was its focus on ideology in schools & how that impacted political stuff. Spector took this from late 19th century ottoman all the way up through the 1980s. This is an aspect of middle eastern background that I think is overlooked, especially when I think about how authoritarian regimes emerge.
What I really loved about this book was its focus on ideology in schools & how that impacted political stuff. Spector took this from late 19th century ottoman all the way up through the 1980s. This is an aspect of middle eastern background that I think is overlooked, especially when I think about how authoritarian regimes emerge.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews