Few countries can claim to have endured such a difficult and tortuous history as that of Iraq. Its varied peoples have had to contend with externally imposed state-building at the end of the First World War, through to the rise of authoritarian military regimes, to the all-encompassing power of Saddam Husseins dictatorship. They have endured destructive wars, internationally-imposed sanctions, and a further bout of destabilizing regime change and subsequent state-building from 2003. The recent rise of the Islamic State, the consolidation of the Kurdistan Region, and the response of the Shii populace have brought the country to a de facto partition that may bring about Iraqs final demise.
The second edition of Iraq: People, History, Politics provides a comprehensive analysis of the political, societal, and economic dynamics that have governed Iraqs modern development. Situating recent events within a longer historical timeframe, this book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the deep histories that underpin the contemporary politics of this war-torn and troubled state.
Introduction: Artificiality, Identity, Dictatorship, and State-Building
Chapter 1: Legacies of Civilizations and Empires
Chapter 2: State Formation, Monarchy, and Mandate, 1918-1932
Chapter 3: Conceptualizing Iraqi Society
Chapter 4: From Authoritarian to Totalitarian State, 1933-1979
Chapter 5: Iraq at War, 1979-1989
Chapter 6: The Pariah State, 1989-2003
Chapter 7: Regime Change, 2003-
Chapter 8: From the Brink, to the Brink
Chapter 9: The Disintegration of Iraq
Chapter 10: The Rise of the Islamic State
Conclusion
Gareth Stansfield is Al-Qasimi Professor of Arab Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter and lcé
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