The First Gulf War, otherwise known as the Persian War, was an unfortunate event in the Middle East. Iraq was on the verge of achieving peace with Iran when Hussein invaded Kuwait, which was widely regarded as an act of aggression by neighboring countries and the world. Land, air, and naval forces came to the aid of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in an effort to contain the situation. Unfortunately, the results of the First Gulf War resonated for many years afterward.
There were many countries involved in the First Gulf War, including but not limited to the Argentina, Bahrain, Denmark, Egypt, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, Senegal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. According to, “Economic Consequences of the Gulf War,” the U.S. was responsible for deploying the largest amount of ground forces, at nearly 550,000 troops . France gave nearly 20,000 troops, and was instrumental in the airstrikes. Canada became one of the first outside countries involved in Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, according to, “Causes of War: Power and the Roots of Conflict.” While many countries sent troops on land, and through the air, Canada sent a naval fleet. Australia and New Zealand, also having condemned Iraq’s actions, sent their air and naval forces.
The cause of the Gulf War is murky, with many believing it is initially the invasion of Kuwait. Ultimately, it began in 1988, with the U.N. ordering a ceasefire between Iran and Iraq . The two nations were to reach a permanent peace treaty, but had to do so by 1990, and prospects for the future appeared dim. In July of that year, when the each country’s foreign minister met in Geneva to discuss a treaty, peace seemed possible until Saddam Hussein accused Kuwait of stealing Iraq’s oil. The oil fields were technically located along the common border between the two neighboring countries, making the claiming of said oil arguable. Essentially, Hussein demanded Kuwait and Saudi Arabia cancel the remaining $30 billion in foreign debt still owed by Iraq, while accusing the country’s governments of collusion to drive oil prices down in order to pander to Western countries. Both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia refused to eliminate the debt. Hussein placed troops at Kuwait’s border, preparing for invasion. Egypt’s President, Hosni Mubarak, attempting to avoid United States ground forces and world intervention, attempted to intervene himself by initiating a negotiation between the two nations. However, the negotiations lasted only two hours before Hussein stopped them and, on August 2, 1990, ordered his troops to invade the small country of Kuwait . Essentially, the war was caused over oil, as well as Hussein’s assumption his neighboring countries would join him in the invasion of Kuwait. He was wrong, as these neighboring countries began calling in outside help to halt the invasion, seeing Iraq’s actions as an act of miscalculated aggression. As Kuwait and Saudi Arabia had been exiled, they had no choice but to turn to NATO and the United States for aid. In turn, the situation was turned into a war.
The aftermath of the Gulf War was difficult for Iraq and Kuwait, as both countries suffered economic ruin and cosmetic despair. Moreover, the act of aggression was not enough to force Hussein from power, allowing him to continue making choices for the country for many years. Coalition leaders entered the Gulf War intending to fight it at minimum cost with limited resources; despite this tactic, the effects would echo for many years around the world. Directly after the war, for example, Hussein focused his anger on the Kurds and Shi’ites in his northern and southern regions, inhumanly suppressing any attempt the groups made to congregate . Countries that had helped in the war, such as Egypt, Canada, and the United States, did not support the congregations or uprisings. Britain and the United States continued to patrol airspace over Iraq, while Iraqi authorities were continually belligerent about the mandated peace terms that they had agreed upon post-Gulf War. The most trying issue was weapons inspections, which eventually led to more conflict in 1998 . At this time, Iraq refused to admit admission to U.N. weapons inspectors, eventually leading to a cease in the practice. Four years later, post-9/11, former president George W. Bush demanded the practice resume. In November of 2002, weapons inspectors reentered Iraq, though it is unclear how well Iraq complied with the U.N.’s wishes. Regardless, less than a year later former president Bush demanded Hussein step down from power and flee the country within forty-eight hours, as Bush was sure weapons of mass destruction were present within Iraq’s borders. Hussein refused, and the hostilities of the First Gulf War resulted in the Second Gulf War, also known as the Iraq War.
In sum, the First Gulf War was a result of Hussein’s knee-jerk reaction to what he thought was stolen oil. Iraq and Iran were on the verge of a permanent peace treaty, making the actions indelibly ridiculous. Many countries were forced into the war’s involvement based on the exile of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, though few of these countries helped the marginalized groups after the war for fear of breaking up the already shaky bonds within the Middle East. The hostility between Iraq and the rest of the world following the war ultimately led to economic ruin and another Gulf War, commonly known as the Iraq War. The Iraq War is widely regarded as a sham led by former president George W. Bush as a crusade to finish what his father started, primarily because it was discovered Iraq not only did not have possession of WMDs, but also had no materials to make them.
Works Cited
Mofid, Kamran. Economic Consequences of the Gulf War. London: Routledge, 2012. Print.
van Evera, Stephen. Causes of War: Power and the Roots of Conflict. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2013. Print.
