The Gulf War, 1991

What was the Gulf War?

The war to liberate Kuwait from Iraq became known as the Gulf War and lasted from January to March 1991. It took the form of an air assault followed by a ground force invasion.

What were the events of the Gulf War?

The Gulf War involved 2 main phases.

• ❖ The preparation period, known as Operation Desert Shield.
• ❖ The fighting, known as Operation Desert Storm.

What were the results of the Gulf War for Saddam?

The Gulf War was a great humiliation for Saddam, but did not affect his position as dictator of Iraq.

• ❖ Saddam remained in power following the devastation of the Gulf War.
• ❖ He crushed revolts by the Kurds and Shia following the war.
• ❖ He carried out purges and executions in the Iraqi army.
• ❖ Facilities were fixed in Baghdad and the Sunni areas of Iraq.

What were the results of the Gulf War for Iraq?

The Gulf War had devastating results for Iraq.

• ❖ Coalition forces had destroyed power stations, oil refineries, roads, bridges and water purification plants.
• ❖ About 20,000 Iraqi soldiers and 100,000 Iraqi civilians were killed.
• ❖ There were shortages of food, medical supplies, clean water and welfare services.
• ❖ Economic sanctions continued, so Iraq had to make money through the trade of oil.

What did the international community do after the Gulf War?

After the Gulf War, the international community continued to sanction and monitor Iraq.

• ❖ America kept a military force in Saudi Arabia and enforced 'no-fly zones' to prevent further atrocities against Iraqi rebels by Saddam.
• ❖ Economic sanctions continued to be applied against Iraq.
• ❖ The United Nations Special Committee (UNSCOM) sent weapons inspectors to ensure that Iraq had destroyed its weapons of mass destruction, or WMDs.