Anglo–Iraqi War - Background

Background

The Kingdom of Iraq (also referred to as Mesopotamia) was governed by the United Kingdom under a League of Nations mandate, the British Mandate of Mesopotamia, until 1932 when Iraq became nominally independent. Before granting independence, the United Kingdom concluded the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930. This treaty had several conditions, which included permission to establish military bases for British use and provide all facilities for the unrestricted movement of British forces through the country upon request to the Iraqi government. The conditions of the treaty were imposed by the United Kingdom to ensure continued control of Iraq's petroleum resources. Many Iraqis resented these conditions and felt that their country and its monarchy were still under the effective control of the British Government.

However, following 1937, no British troops were left in Iraq and the Iraqi government had become solely responsible for the internal security of the country. In accordance with the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) had been allowed to retain two bases; RAF Shaibah, near Basra, and RAF Habbaniya, between Ramadi and Fallujah. Air Vice-Marshal H. G. Smart was the commander of RAF Habbaniya and Air Officer Commanding of all RAF forces in Iraq. The bases in Iraq had a dual role: protecting Britain's petroleum interests and maintaining a link in the air route between Egypt and India. In addition RAF Habbaniya was also a training base and was protected by a small detachment of RAF ground forces and locally raised Iraqi troops.

With the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 the Iraqi Government broke off diplomatic relations with Nazi Germany. However, the United Kingdom wanted the Iraqi Government to take a further step and declare war upon Germany. In March 1940, the nationalist and anti-British Rashid Ali replaced Nuri as-Said. Ali made covert contacts with German representatives in the Middle East, though he was not yet an openly pro-Axis supporter.

In June 1940, when Fascist Italy joined the war, on the side of Germany, the Iraqi government did not break off diplomatic relations, as they had done with Germany. Thus the Italian Legation in Baghdad became the chief centre for Axis propaganda and for fomenting anti-British feeling. In this they were aided by Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. The Grand Mufti had fled from Palestine shortly before the outbreak of war and later received asylum in Baghdad.

In January 1941, there was a political crisis within Iraq and the threat of civil war was looming. Rashid Ali resigned as Prime Minister of Iraq and was replaced by Taha al-Hashimi. Public opinion started to change in Iraq as the Italians suffered a series of setbacks in the African and Mediterranean theatre.