1941 Iraqi coup d'état

1941 Iraqi coup d'état
Part of theMediterranean and Middle East theatreofWorld War II
Coup leaderSalah al-Din al-Sabbaghin 1930
Date 1 April-2 May 1941 Location Kingdom of Iraq Result Golden Squarevictory Overthrow of government of'Abd al-Ilah Formation of National Defence Government British intervention in Iraq
Belligerents
Iraq Supported by: United Kingdom	Golden Square Supported by: Germany Italy
Commanders and leaders
'Abd al-Ilah Regent of Iraq Taha al-Hashimi Prime Minister of Iraq	Rashid Ali al-Gaylani Salah al-Din al-Sabbagh 3rd Division Commander Kamil Shabib 1st Division Commander Fahmi Said Independent Mechanized Brigade Commander Mahmud Salman Chief of the Air Force
Units involved
Royal Guard	3rd Infantry Division 1st Infantry Division Independent Mechanized Brigade

The1941 Iraqi coup d'état(Arabic:ثورة رشيد عالي الكيلاني,Thawrah Rašīd ʿAlī al-Kaylānī), also called theRashid Ali Al-Gaylani couporthe Golden Square coup,was anationalistcoup d'étatinIraqon 1 April 1941that overthrew the pro-British regime of Regent'Abd al-Ilahand his Prime MinisterNuri al-Saidand installedRashid Ali al-GaylaniasPrime Minister.

The coup was led by fourIraqi nationalistarmy generals, known as "theGolden Square",who intended to use the war to press for full Iraqi independence following the limited independence granted in 1932. To that end, they worked withGerman intelligenceand accepted military assistance fromNazi GermanyandFascist Italy.The change in government led to theBritish invasion of Iraqand subsequent occupation until 1947.

The coup

From 1939 to 1941 a pro-British government headed by theRegent'Abd al-IlahandPrime MinisterNuri as-Saidruled Iraq. Iraq severed relations with Germany on 5 September 1939, following the outbreak ofWorld War IIin Europe. However, Nuri had to tread carefully between his close relationship with Britain and dependence on pro-German Army officers and cabinet members.By that time, Iraq became a refuge to Arab leaders who fledMandatory Palestineas a result of the failedPalestinian Arab revoltagainst the British. Among the key figures to arrive was the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem,Haj Amin al-Husseini,thePalestinian Arab nationalist leaderof the failed revolt.

The Golden Square coup was launched on 1 April 1941,overthrowing the Regent and installing Rashid Ali al-Gaylani as Prime Minister.

On 2 May of the same year, Prime Minister Taha al-Hashimi was forced to resign after the conspirators surrounded the Royal Palace in Baghdad.

British response

Empire forces sent to quell the revolt

Main article:Anglo-Iraqi War

On 18 April, Britain reacted by landing theIndian 20th Infantry BrigadeatBasra,they first used Native Assyrian Levies especially in Habbaniyah, with elements ofIraqforce.Britain claimed it was entitled to do this under itsdefence treatywith Iraq.

Siege of Habbaniya

In the following days, the new Iraqi government moved substantial ground forces, including an infantry brigade, an artillery brigade, and 12 armoured cars as well as tanksto the plateau overlookingRAF Habbaniya,the largeBritishRoyal Air Force(RAF) base beside the RiverEuphrates50 miles (80 km) west ofBaghdad.Upon arrival, the Iraqis demanded that the British not move any troops nor aircraft in or out of the base. The British responded by first demanding that the Iraqis leave the area and then, following the expiry of an ultimatum given in the early hours of 2 May, launched an attack. The base had a force of 96 lightly-armed aircraft, most of which were either purpose-built trainers or obsolete combat aircraft converted to training use. They also had an understrength battalion from theKing's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster),six companies ofAssyrian Levies(troops raised by the British), 18 armoured cars and a company of RAF personnel, giving a total strength of 2,200 troops to defend the base.TheRoyal Iraqi Air Force,despite having aircraft that included numerous modern British-, Italian- and US-built machines, failed to defeat the RAF. By the second day of fighting (3 May), fourBlenheim fighter bombersarrived.

With British forces having air superiority, the Iraqi army was forced back toFallujahand the RAF attacked the Iraqi Air Force bases at Mosul and Rashid. Habbaniya had essentially lifted the siege with its own resources.

Reinforcements, officially called "Iraqforce", came from two directions. British andArab Legionforces arrived in two columns (HabforceandKingcol) across the desert from Palestine andTransjordan.Additional Indian forces continued to arrive inBasra.

The Iraqi army was driven out of Fallujah and pursued to Baghdad, which fell within a week. This cleared the way for the nominal restoration of the Regent and the pro-British government. British military occupation of Iraq continued until late 1947.

German and Italian support for the nationalists

In the course of the Iraq war, minor reinforcements for the nationalists were received from firstGermanyand thenItaly.Arriving aircraft were crudely painted with Iraqi colours. Small numbers ofLuftwaffe(German air force) bombers and heavy fighters, followed a few days later by obsolescentRegia Aeronautica(Italian air force) biplane fighters, flew sorties fromMosulagainst both RAF Habbaniya and the relieving Empire forces moving across from Transjordan. This was done to little effect.

TheVichy Frenchauthorities in theSyria and Lebanonhad helped the pro-Axis Iraqi nationalists and the German and Italian air forces, providing airfields for staging and refuelling.Even before the end of the Iraq campaign, this led to RAF attacks on airbases inSyria.Within weeks these events led to British and Empire forces invading Vichy-administered Syria andLebanonin theSyria–Lebanon Campaign.

See also

• 14 July Revolution
• Airspeed Oxford
• Fairey Gordon
• Farhud
• Fawzi al-Qawuqji
• Führer Directive No. 30
• Gloster Gladiator
• Hawker Audax
• King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
• Vickers Type 264 Valentia
• Vickers Wellington

Sources

• de Chair, Somerset(1944).The Golden Carpet.London:Faber and Faber.
• Dudgeon, Anthony G (2000).Hidden Victory: The Battle of Habbaniya, May 1941.Stroud and Charleston:Tempus Publishing.ISBN0-7524-2001-1.
• "The Battle for Habbaniya – The forgotten war RAF".History (Campaign Histories).Royal Air Force. Archived fromthe originalon June 7, 2008.
• Dunford Wood, Colin (2 June 2011)."Habbaniya Campaign, Iraq 1941".A Story of War.– an RAF pupil pilot's diary of the Habbaniya campaign
• Dunford Wood, Colin (4 March 2012)."RAF Habbaniya Daily Intelligence Bulletins".A Story of War.

External links

• "Near East: Trouble in Paradise".Time.21 April 1941. Archived fromthe originalon June 24, 2010.Retrieved15 July2009.
• "May 12 – U.S.S.R. recognizes pro-Nazi Government of Iraq".Time.30 June 1941. Archived fromthe originalon April 13, 2008.Retrieved5 July2009.