The Origins of the Gulf Wars

by Morris M. Mottale Franklin University Switzerland

Overview

The last quarter of the 20th Century saw political and military upheavals in the Persian Gulf area which included, among other things, an epochal revolution in Iran, a very long and bloody war between Iran and Iraq, a second war between Iraq and an American-led United Nations coalition, following the invasion and annexation of Kuwait by the Iraqi army, and continuing low level warfare between the British and American forces and Iraq well into the beginning of the century. The Middle East was and is to this date the theater for several, often overlapping conflicts. In this book, Morris Mottale examines the various conflicts that have plagued the region.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761821298
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	11/28/2001
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.46(w) x 8.38(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Morris M. Mottale is Senior Associate Professor of International Relations and Comparative Politics at Franklin College, Switzerland.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Acknowledgements Chapter 3 Introduction Chapter 4 Ideology in the Middle East Chapter 5 Oil and Arms: Background to Modernization Chapter 6 The Role of the Superpowers Chapter 7 Iran: Recent History and Military Policies Chapter 8 Iraq: Recent History and Military Policies Chapter 9 Saudi Arabia: Recent History and Military Policies Chapter 10 The Wars Chapter 11 Conclusion Chapter 12 A Note on Sources Chapter 13 Note on Transliteration Chapter 14 Selected Bibliography Chapter 15 Index

Editorial Reviews

An overview of the military and geostrategic history of the Persian Gulf states that focuses on the military backgrounds of the Iran-Iraq war and, to a lesser extent, the American-Iraq war. Introductory chapters briefly discuss the role of nationalism, Islam, oil, the politics of the Cold War, and the artificial (imposed by Europeans) borders of the region in fueling conflict. The recent histories and military policies of Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia are then outlined. The five factors considered most significant in causing the wars are found to be an ideological background that justified militarization as a function of leadership, a surge of oil revenue capital fueling militarization, the willingness of the United States and the Soviet Union to supply weapons, continuing simmering conflicts involving the Israelis and the Kurds, and the use of militarization to control societal forces and counter elites that challenged the political system. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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