Normal War: Case Study of Persian Gulf War

In essence, the Persian Gulf War was a war of ideologies: the New Global Coalition, supported by the United Nations and the United States against the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein.  On August 2, 1990, Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein ordered his army to invade Kuwait so as to gain control of more than ten percent of the world's oil. President George H. Bush of the United States reacted by leading Operation Desert Storm, the largest land operation since World War II. Led by United States General Norman Swarzkopf, the global coalition forces land operation made its way through Iraqi forces and liberated Kuwait with great efficiency in what amounts to a 100 hour war.

Consequences

The coalition incurred 378 deaths with nearly 30,000-40,000 casualties. The number of deaths incurred by the Iraqi troops is unknown as Saddam Hussein withheld that information, most plausibly to hide his country’s defeat. In addition to these deaths, significant oil reserves were destroyed as a result of Iraqi military techniques. The loss of this lucrative commodity greatly setback the country and limited its economic potential.

More significant than those facts though are the political consequences caused by the war effort. The Middle East instantly became a more polarized region, with many countries sympathizing with Saddam insofar as his “suffering” under western oppression. And while the United States protected Kuwait and its valuable oil reserves, they created a vacuum for political instability and future terrorism.

Citizen Response

In the United States, the response to the declaration of war was rather positive. Americans, motivated by Reagan’s success in diffusing Cold War tensions, felt optimistic about President Bush’s aim to rid Iraq of their totalitarian system and protect oil reserves and supported him and the military personnel deployed.

In Iraq though, disorganization among the populace was rampant. Having no political rights, the citizens of Iraq had no choice but to acquiesce to their leader’s war efforts and accept the impending consequences of United States retaliation. Coalition forces honored the citizens’ non-involvement with the war by dropping bombs in primarily civilian-free environments and ensuring civilian safety.

Government Response

In response to Iraq’s forward movement into Kuwait, the United Nations, in spirit led by the United States, quickly acted, allowing a global coalition to be deployed to the region. The United States was the primary backed in this coalition and used superior military technology to ensure maximum efficiency and protection of US life. The primary bombing weapon used by the US was the Patriot missile, which easily rendered several key Iraqi military points useless.

In terms of Iraqi response, general consensus reveals Saddam Hussein grossly underestimated the power of the global coalition. By continuing into Kuwait despite military opposition, Hussein showed his political greed and willingness to sacrifice his citizens for personal glory.

Sources Consulted

Sources

  • Francona, Rick. Ally to Adversary. 1999.
  • Lowry, Richard S. The Gulf War Chronicles: a Military History of the First War with Iraq. 2003.
  • "The Gulf War." Public Broadcasting Company. 2006. 10 Mar. 2006 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/>.