Resurgence of ISLAM
The conflicts between the Arabs and Israelis
was not the only cause of tension in the
Middle East.
Many Middle East countries would reject
Western materialism after World War Two.
Resurgence of ISLAM
They claimed that Western materialism would
destroy the spiritual values of Islam.
The return to the basics of Islam is known as
Islamic fundamentalism, and in the years
following WW2, it would threaten both the
U.S.S.R. and the West.
IRAN’s REVOLUTION
Iran gained independence in 1948. Iran
wanted to remain neutral during WWII…but
the dependence the British had on oil
eventually led to British, and Soviet,
occupancy in 1941.
In favour of his son,
Reza, the Shah
was forced to
abdicate.
IRAN’s REVOLUTION
In 1945 Britain left, and in 1946 the Soviets
left …reluctantly.
Dr. Musadeq led the
elected nationalist
government in 1951.
He soon nationalized
the Anglo-Iranian Oil
Company.
IRAN’s REVOLUTION
Multinational oil companies then wanted to
bring him down. In 1953, the Shah replaced
Musadeq.
In the 1960’s, Shah brought on the bloodless,
or white, revolution, since he had western
inclinations. However,
not everyone liked
his ideas …so he
began to rule via
decree.
IRAN’s REVOLUTION
Land reform was the major one. The peasants
loved the idea, but the mullahs (religious
leaders) did not like it at all. They claimed
that it was against Islamic law.
The leader of the mullahs of the Shiite sect,
Ayatollah Khomeini, was
exiled in 1964 because
of that. Until he came
back in 1979, he
operated out of Paris.
IRAN’s REVOLUTION
Shah began repression through secret police,
called the Savak, since his methods weren’t
exactly popular.
Iran became a one-party state in 1975.
IRAN’s REVOLUTION
The mullah began to build up unrest in Iran,
and the Shah had to flee in 1979 because of
riots and strikes.
The Shah told everyone it was a holiday.
Since he died in 1980,
he never came back
to power.
IRAN’s REVOLUTION
Ayatollah Khomeini began his Islamic
fundamentalist revolution in February, 1979.
Key elements to this revolution were strict
obedience to the Islamic law, and being
against
Western culture.
IRAN’s REVOLUTION
Ayatollah Khomeini held the American
Embassy staff hostage for over a year!
He also withdrew Iran from CENTO.
Soon the religious Shiite leaders and political
leaders were one
and the same - Iran
was now a
theocracy.
IRAN’s REVOLUTION
Ever since the revolution, other Arab
countries have felt threatened by Islamic
fundamentalism.
Many terrorist groups rose up out of the
revolution.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
The Soviets were interested in Afghanistan because
gaining influence or even control in the region was a
natural extension of decades of Russian foreign
policy-namely, Southern expansion.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
In 1973, a man named Daoud gained power in
Afghanistan. It wasn’t long before he started
suppressing any parties that opposed him.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
The Islamic fundamentalists were the ones he
attacked with a great deal of energy.
Soon, Daoud was kicked out of power, and Nur Taraki
became the next leader. The Soviet Union liked him,
but the Muslims opposed him.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
In September, 1979, Taraki was overthrown.
However, by December the Soviets invaded and put
Babrak Kamal as the new president. He had a puppet
government.
The Soviets seemed to be trying to control all of the
Persian Gulf. This alarmed India, China and the West.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
As a result, America and other countries withdrew
from the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan it was
considered the end of the East and West trying to
ease the tension between each other (détente).
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
The U.S.S.R. soon had 2000 tanks and aircraft
squadrons ready to support their new war effort, by
1980. Things were escalating rapidly.
Despite all of that, the Mujahidin (rebels) controlled
most of the country. This became yet another
guerrilla war.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
A violent war followed in Afghanistan from 19801988. It created much East-West tension… and it
created a huge refugee problem for the states around
Afghanistan, such as Pakistan.
More than 100,000 Soviet troops were in Afghanistan
by 1985.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
Mohammed Najibullah replaced Karmal in 1987.
Mohammed was completely and totally controlled by
the Soviets.
An Accord was signed in 1988, which approved the
Soviets’ withdrawal. Considering all the problems
they had back home, they were very pleased to
leave.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
There are many parallels between the American’s
experience in Vietnam, and the Afghanistan’s venture for
the Soviets.
Even though Soviet citizens were not well informed about
the activities in Afghanistan, there was a growing
resentment within the Soviet forces that were in
Afghanistan. That was evidence enough that not all was
going well.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
The Soviets were accused of using brutal methods of
warfare in Afghanistan, that were clearly against the
Geneva Convention. Such methods were things like
chemical warfare.
The Western reporters that were in Afghanistan
reported these examples frequently.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
These are the comparisons between the Soviet
experience in Afghanistan, and the American
experience in Vietnam:
Both were in a war where the native population was
definitely against the foreign forces.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
Both had to face dedicated guerrilla forces.
Both had to struggle with disillusioned troops of their
own.
SOVIETS IN AFGHANISTAN
The world’s public opinion turned quickly against
both of the invaders.
Their armies were both discredited… and they both
had to withdraw under not-so-glorious
circumstances.
Iran – Iraq War
The leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, was scared that the
fundamentalist revolution would come into Iraq, since the
majority of Iraqi people were Shiite.
Saddam had been watching
the revolution happen with
concern, and interest.
Iran – Iraq War
Saddam was also looking for a way to gain more power in
this region.
Both countries made claims, and more counterclaims, to
certain land strips and seas.
However, the war was really
about religion.
Iran – Iraq War
Iran wished to spread fundamentalism, but Iraq did not
want it to sink claws into its country.
All the world powers were watching with interest, since
both Iran and Iraq controlled most
of the oil reserves in the Middle
East.
In the Persian Gulf, most oil tankers
were being threatened by
land mines.
Iran – Iraq War
Since westerners were receiving rude treatment from
the fundamentalists, Western powers such as the USA
and Britain, turned to support Saddam.
Most Arab countries were
split in their support.
Iran – Iraq War
Both sides began to bomb the other country’s capital city
near the end of the war, but by the time 1998 came
around, it became clear that no one was going to win.
A truce was arranged when the
United Nations became involved.
Formal peace terms were agreed
to by 1990.
The Conflict Begins
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TURKEY
JORDAN
LEBANON
IRAQ
ISRAEL
SYRIA
SAUDI ARABIA
IRAN
Iraq claims Iranian Khuzestan
Iraq actively encouraged Arabs in
the oil-rich Khuzestan to revolt
against Iran, joining fellow ArabSunni Muslims as part of Iraq.
Iraqi Claims Shatt al-Arab Waterway
Iraq claimed Iranian East bank of waterway and
several small Persian Gulf waterways. Treaty in
1975 had established a sharing, but Iraq
declared that invalid in 1980. Would block all
Iranian access to Persian Gulf.
It had been taken by Iraq in the
Ottoman era, but was taken by
Persians (Iran) later. Iraq wanted it.
The Conflict Begins
The Trigger to War:
In March of 1980, an assassination
attempt was made against an Iraqi
Foreign Minister in southern Iraq.
Saddam blamed the attack on Iran,
using it as a pretext for war. Iraq
invaded Iran in September of 1980.
Iraq Invasion 1980-1981
2
TURKEY
JORDAN
LEBANON
IRAQ
ISRAEL
SYRIA
SAUDI ARABIA
Iraq achieved its deepest penetration
by March of 1981. The front would
remain largely unchanged until the
Iranian counter- offensive beginning in
March of 1982.
IRAN
Iraqi Invasion Begins (Sept 22, 1980)
The surprise offensive yielded quick
gains, as Iraq immediately took
control of Iranian border cities and
territories.
The Iranian army was still in disarray
following the 1979 Revolution,
catching the new government off
guard.
Iran turns the tide 1982
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TURKEY
JORDAN
LEBANON
IRAN
IRAQ
ISRAEL
SYRIA
SAUDI ARABIA
Iraqi Retreat (June, 1982):
Aware that his troops were demoralized after a
string of defeats beginning in March of 1982,
Saddam ordered a full retreat back within the prewar Iran-Iraq border. His troops could not defend
the territory they still held inside Iran in their
deflated state. He withdrew them instead of
risking further losses.
Khorramshahr
Iran Regains Khorramshahr
(May 1982):
This is a key Iraqi defeat that
would compel Saddam to retreat
back inside the pre-war
boundaries.
Iraq tries to end the war
A failed attempt
Saddam counted on large
numbers of Iranians (especially
Arab-Sunni Muslims) to turn
against the Ayatollah of the
infant Islamic Republic of Iran…
Iraq tries to end the war
A failed attempt
… Instead, hundreds of thousands volunteered to fight
against the invading Iraqi forces, overwhelming and
outnumbering the intruding army. Plus, the Iranian Air
Force was able to gain air superiority.
Iraq tries to end the war
Iran Refuses Peace Offering (June, 1982):
After Iraq withdrew from Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini
proclaimed that Iran would invade Iraq. Saddam, with
the backing of fellow Arab states (fearful of the Shi'a
Revolution being exported further)
offered favorable terms to Iran
in order to end the fighting…
Iraq tries to end the war
Iran Refuses Peace Offering (June, 1982):
…The offer included $70 billion in war
reparations. Iran refused, insisting that the
only acceptable resolution was the removal
of Saddam from power, replaced by a Shi'a
Islamic Republic.
Iran stumbles – July 1982
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TURKEY
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IRAN
IRAQ
ISRAEL
Basra
SYRIA
SAUDI ARABIA
Failed Iranian Invasion of Basra (July, 1982):
This had worked against Iraq inside Iran.
However, Iraqi troops were entrenched
now, and well-fortified. Wave after
wave of martyrs were mowed down by
machinegun fire. Iraq also launched
chemical weapons with brutal effect.
Iran's first offensive into Iraq targeted the
strategic city of Basra, since Iraq would lose
access to the Persian Gulf if lost. Iran
employed human wave attacks, where
unarmed soldiers (mostly boys) rushed the
enemy position with the support of armed
infantry and air support.
Stalemate and minor gains
5
Stalemate Line 1985-88
IRAN
JORDAN
LEBANON
IRAQ
ISRAEL
Iraq uses Chemical
Weapons on Kurds.
Iraq pushes into Iran. 1988
SYRIA
SAUDI ARABIA
Iraq & Iran target each
other’s tankers. 546
damaged or sunk.
Iran pushes into Iraq. 1986
Iran tries to end the war
Iran and Iraq Accept Peace Terms (Aug, 1988):
In July of 1988, when Iran had been pushed out of Iraq,
while suffering invasions from Iraqi forces inside its own
borders once again, it agreed to UN-established peace
terms (a return to the status quo from before the war)…
Iraq agrees to end the war
Iran and Iraq Accept Peace Terms (Aug, 1988):
…Iraq was not prepared to accept peace terms while it
was making advances into Iran. But by August, its efforts
had bogged down, compelling
Iraq to also agree to peace
terms, ending the war.
The final tally
Casualties:
Iraq: 250,000 - 500,000 soldiers and civilians
killed or wounded.
Iran: 500,000 - 800,000
soldiers and civilians
killed or wounded.