OSHER 788 - Modern History of Iraq

This course will cover the modern history of Iraq, including background discussion of the major sects of Islam and their socio-political influence in Iraq. A monarchy created by the British following World War I was overthrown in the late 1950s. It was eventually replaced by a military dictatorship with economic activity concentrated in the hands of the ruling Ba'ath Party. By the late 1970s, Saddam Hussein had risen to power, and his brutal dictatorial regime dominated Iraqi history until he was removed by the U.S.- led invasion in 2003. This course will examine the political and economic conditions in Iraq that enabled Saddam Hussein to create a multilevel security system which succeeded in suppressing all political opposition to his regime.