Research paper
1.)"Invasion of Iran." Gale Encyclopedia of World History: War. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Student Resources In Context. Web. 13 May 2013.
Border and religious disputes had troubled relations between Iran and Iraq for centuries, erupting in violence right up to 1974. In 1975, during an OPEC meeting in Algeria, the two countries signed the Algiers Agreement; Iraq agreed to observe Iran's definition of the border along the Shatt al-Arab, an important shipping channel that emptied into the Persian Gulf. In return, the shah of Iran stopped arming and supporting the Kurds of northern Iraq in their rebellion.
Positions of Iran and Iraq: After 1968, Iraq was ruled by President al-Bakr and, after 1979, Saddam Hussein. These men established friendly relations with both the Soviet Union and the West to build up Iraq's arms and technology base. The ruling Baath Party espoused a Socialist, pan-Arab philosophy and was dominated by Sunnis.
In Iran, however, the shah pulled away from the West as religious unrest threatened his rule. Finally forced to abdicate, the shah left Iran in 1978; the Ayatollah Khomeini then returned from exile to oversee the creation of a new Islamic state. Khomeini followed the conservative Shi'ite branch of Islam, as did most Iranians. He denounced the Baath government of Iraq as corrupt and called on Iraqis to overthrow Hussein.
The Iranian military ranks had disintegrated during the Islamic revolution and were replaced by independent organizations of often untrained men, such as the Revolutionary Guards. Tribunals executed many of the shah's supporters, including military officers. In November 1979, Iran alienated much of the West when the government allowed American hostages to be taken in the U.S. Embassy and held captive.
The Invasion: To the ambitious Hussein, Iran looked unstable and isolated. On September 17, 1980, Hussein appeared on television and literally ripped up the Algiers Agreement. Five days later, Iraqi forces invaded Iran. The first
Border and religious disputes had troubled relations between Iran and Iraq for centuries, erupting in violence right up to 1974. In 1975, during an OPEC meeting in Algeria, the two countries signed the Algiers Agreement; Iraq agreed to observe Iran's definition of the border along the Shatt al-Arab, an important shipping channel that emptied into the Persian Gulf. In return, the shah of Iran stopped arming and supporting the Kurds of northern Iraq in their rebellion.
Positions of Iran and Iraq: After 1968, Iraq was ruled by President al-Bakr and, after 1979, Saddam Hussein. These men established friendly relations with both the Soviet Union and the West to build up Iraq's arms and technology base. The ruling Baath Party espoused a Socialist, pan-Arab philosophy and was dominated by Sunnis.
In Iran, however, the shah pulled away from the West as religious unrest threatened his rule. Finally forced to abdicate, the shah left Iran in 1978; the Ayatollah Khomeini then returned from exile to oversee the creation of a new Islamic state. Khomeini followed the conservative Shi'ite branch of Islam, as did most Iranians. He denounced the Baath government of Iraq as corrupt and called on Iraqis to overthrow Hussein.
The Iranian military ranks had disintegrated during the Islamic revolution and were replaced by independent organizations of often untrained men, such as the Revolutionary Guards. Tribunals executed many of the shah's supporters, including military officers. In November 1979, Iran alienated much of the West when the government allowed American hostages to be taken in the U.S. Embassy and held captive.
The Invasion: To the ambitious Hussein, Iran looked unstable and isolated. On September 17, 1980, Hussein appeared on television and literally ripped up the Algiers Agreement. Five days later, Iraqi forces invaded Iran. The first