The Middle East Online: Series 2: Iraq 1914–1974

The Middle East Online: Series 2: Iraq 1914–1974 presents British government and diplomatic documents — dispatches, monthly and annual reports, minutes, official correspondence and other primary source documents — covering the political history of Iraq in the 20th century. From the outbreak of World War I to the emergence of Saddam Hussein as a leading member of the revolutionary Ba'ath party in the 1970s, The Middle East Online: Series 2: Iraq 1914–1974 covers events such as:

• The war in Mesopotamia and the capture of Baghdad in 1917
• Introduction of the British Mandate and the installation of King Faisal in 1921
• Independence and Iraq's membership in the League of Nations in 1932
• Coups d'etat in the 1930s and 1940s
• The Baghdad pact of 1955 and the military coup of 1958 leading to the establishment of a republic
• Oil concessions and the threat to Kuwait
• The rise of Ba'athism and Saddam Hussein
• The USSR-Iraq Treaty of Friendship in 1972
• Iran-Iraq relations

This fully searchable, digital collection is an essential tool for academic researchers in Middle East Studies, conflict studies, international politics, intelligence, history of Iraq, history of Islam and the state, economic history (the oil industry), politics, government studies, history of world communism and colonial history. 

Summary:  The Middle East Online: Series 2: Iraq 1914–1974 is an essential resource for the understanding of modern Iraq. This online, fully searchable collection of British government files contains a broad range of original source material from the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, War Office and Cabinet Papers, including:

• Arms deal reports
• Conference reports
• Diplomatic dispatches
• Ministerial memos
• Minutes
• Monthly and annual reports
• Official letters of correspondence from regional leaders
• Press releases

The material has been selected to cover the politics, administration, wars and diplomacy in 20^th-century Iraq — from the beginning of the First World War and the Anglo-Indian landing in Basra to the rise of Saddam Hussein in 1974 — including such topics and events as:

• The Siege of Kut-al-Amara
• The War in Mesopotamia and the capture of Baghdad in 1917
• Introduction of the British Mandate and the installation of Prince Faisal in 1921
• The British administration in Baghdad
• Gertrude Bell, advisor to the British administration in both reports and memos
• The Arab Uprising of 1920
• Independence and Iraq’s membership of the League of Nations in 1932
• Coups d’état in the 1930s and 1940s
• The Baghdad Pact of 1955 and the military coup of 1958 leading to the establishment of a republic
• The Cold War and Soviet intervention in Iraq
•  Kurdish unrest and the war in Kurdistan
• Oil concessions and oil exploration
• The Rise of Ba’athism and Saddam Hussein
• The USSR-Iraq Treaty of Friendship in 1972 and Iran-Iraq relations

All files are reproduced in their entirety, including all the comments, annotations and revisions made by British officials, giving researchers the opportunity to assess how British policy was made and often revised to deal with changing circumstances.

The source material is supplemented by a timeline of key events, photographs of key figures, clips of contemporary documentary films and the following essays by leading scholars:

•  ‘Introduction’ – Dr. Charles Tripp, School of Orientaland African Studies, University of London, U.K.
• ‘The British Mandate in Iraq, 1920–33’ – Dr. Toby Dodge, Queen Mary’s College, University of London, U.K.
• ‘Iraqi Society, 1914–74’ – Professor Tareq Ismael, University of Calgary, Canada
• ‘Communism in Iraq in the twentieth century’ – Professor Peter Sluglett, Middle East Center, University of Utah, U.S.
• ‘The Kurdish Question in Iraq’ – Dr. Gareth Stansfield, University of Exeter, U.K.
• ‘Islam and the Left in modern Iraq’ – Emeritus Professor Sami Zubaida, Birkbeck College, University of London, U.K.

The Middle East Online: Series 2: Iraq 1914–1974 provides essential support to historical research and education on the Middle East and will also appeal to those with an interest in economics, politics and peace studies.

Significance:  The Middle East Online: Series 2: Iraq 1914–1974 provides vital historical resources for understanding the history of Iraq, Middle Eastern politics, conflict and regional studies. Key themes covered — such as the formation of the modern state of Iraq from the former Ottoman States in 1919, the rise of the Ba’ath Party and Saddam Hussein — are useful to contextualize modern-day Iraq and the modern Arab world.

Source:  Assembled from The National Archives — the UK government's official archive in Kew containing more than 1,000 years of history — The Middle East Online: Series 2: Iraq 1914–1974 presents material from the:

• Foreign Office
• Colonial Office
• Cabinet Office
• Prime Ministers’ Papers
• War Office 

For more information, download a Product Fact Sheet [pdf, 788 KB] 

Download the following sample documents included in The Middle East Online: Series 2: Iraq 1914-1974:

• Introductory Essay [pdf 29KB]
• Application for League of Nations Entry [pdf 4200 KB]
• Ba’ath Party Since 1961 [pdf 1.1 MB]
• Documents from the 1958 Coup [pdf 9.8 MB]
• 1958 Political Parties Document [pdf 3.4 MB]
• Newspaper Reports of 1920 Situation in Mesopotamia [pdf 3.2 MB]
• 1922 Treaty of Alliance between Great Britain and Iraq [pdf 1.9 MB]