Gulf War (1990-1991):
1. Background to the Gulf War
● Iraq's Money Problems: By the late 1980s, Iraq had a lot of debt from fighting the
Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), which had cost them a lot of money. Iraq owed money to
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which were both rich from oil.
● Problems with Kuwait: Iraq was upset with Kuwait because it was producing too
much oil, which made oil prices fall and hurt Iraq’s economy. Iraq also claimed that
Kuwait was stealing oil from a shared oil field on the border between the two
countries. Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq, also believed that Kuwait had once
been part of Iraq and shouldn’t be its own country.
2. Iraq Invades Kuwait (August 2, 1990)
● The Invasion: On August 2, 1990, Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait
and quickly took control of it. Saddam thought Kuwait’s oil and ports would help Iraq
fix its economy and make him more powerful in the region.
● World Reaction: The world was shocked by the invasion. The United Nations (UN)
quickly told Iraq to leave Kuwait and imposed strict sanctions (punishments like
trade restrictions) on Iraq. The United States and other countries were worried that
Saddam might try to take more land, which could cause problems for the whole
region.
3. Building Up for War
● Coalition of Countries: The United States formed a group of countries from
Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to stop Iraq. This group was called a coalition.
The UN gave permission to use force to get Iraq out of Kuwait.
● Operation Desert Shield: In August 1990, the United States sent hundreds of
thousands of soldiers to Saudi Arabia (which is next to Kuwait) to protect Saudi
Arabia from being attacked by Iraq. This was called Operation Desert Shield. They
were getting ready for a military action if Iraq didn’t leave Kuwait.
4. The War
● Air Attacks (January 17, 1991): On January 17, 1991, the coalition started
Operation Desert Storm, a massive air attack on Iraq. The goal was to destroy
Iraq’s military, including its air force, weapons, and communication systems. This
made it very hard for Iraq to defend itself.
● Ground Attack (February 24, 1991): After weeks of bombing, the coalition began a
ground attack on February 24, 1991. This was a fast military operation. The coalition
forces quickly pushed Iraqi soldiers out of Kuwait.
● Quick Victory: The war was very short. The ground battle lasted only about 100
hours (4 days), and the coalition reached Kuwait City on February 26, 1991.
1. Background to the Gulf War
● Iraq's Money Problems: By the late 1980s, Iraq had a lot of debt from fighting the
Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), which had cost them a lot of money. Iraq owed money to
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which were both rich from oil.
● Problems with Kuwait: Iraq was upset with Kuwait because it was producing too
much oil, which made oil prices fall and hurt Iraq’s economy. Iraq also claimed that
Kuwait was stealing oil from a shared oil field on the border between the two
countries. Saddam Hussein, the leader of Iraq, also believed that Kuwait had once
been part of Iraq and shouldn’t be its own country.
2. Iraq Invades Kuwait (August 2, 1990)
● The Invasion: On August 2, 1990, Iraq, led by Saddam Hussein, invaded Kuwait
and quickly took control of it. Saddam thought Kuwait’s oil and ports would help Iraq
fix its economy and make him more powerful in the region.
● World Reaction: The world was shocked by the invasion. The United Nations (UN)
quickly told Iraq to leave Kuwait and imposed strict sanctions (punishments like
trade restrictions) on Iraq. The United States and other countries were worried that
Saddam might try to take more land, which could cause problems for the whole
region.
3. Building Up for War
● Coalition of Countries: The United States formed a group of countries from
Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to stop Iraq. This group was called a coalition.
The UN gave permission to use force to get Iraq out of Kuwait.
● Operation Desert Shield: In August 1990, the United States sent hundreds of
thousands of soldiers to Saudi Arabia (which is next to Kuwait) to protect Saudi
Arabia from being attacked by Iraq. This was called Operation Desert Shield. They
were getting ready for a military action if Iraq didn’t leave Kuwait.
4. The War
● Air Attacks (January 17, 1991): On January 17, 1991, the coalition started
Operation Desert Storm, a massive air attack on Iraq. The goal was to destroy
Iraq’s military, including its air force, weapons, and communication systems. This
made it very hard for Iraq to defend itself.
● Ground Attack (February 24, 1991): After weeks of bombing, the coalition began a
ground attack on February 24, 1991. This was a fast military operation. The coalition
forces quickly pushed Iraqi soldiers out of Kuwait.
● Quick Victory: The war was very short. The ground battle lasted only about 100
hours (4 days), and the coalition reached Kuwait City on February 26, 1991.
