Causes of the First Gulf WarThe seeds for the First Gulf War were planted a long time before military involvement. Iraq had been a violate country in the middle east for some time, and were known to cause trouble with neighbouring countries. When Saddam Hussein was elected the president of Iraq, he lead his country down a fateful path. Hussein built up the Iraqi military and began war with Iran in 1980. The war lasted for 8 years and was fateful for both sides. However, Saddam looked elsewhere for new territorial gains. Hussein settled on Kuwait, a small nation southeast of Iraq. Kuwait had large oil reserves and was located on the Persian Gulf. On August 2 1990, Iraq invaded Iran, bombing the city and sending ground forces into the country. With Kuwait outnumbered and vulnerable, neighbouring countries became alerted and swiftly called upon the United Nations for help. This is when the US and Coalition swiftly stepped in and sparked the military combat of the First Gulf War.
|