Iraqi Politics

Shortly after being named King of Iraq, Faisal I turned his attention to the army. He didn't have much support from the people or a natural power base, so the army ended up playing a big role. The king insisted on bringing in military service, even though the UK and the tribes didn't want it. The use of the army for political purposes was common in the past, so the military was more involved in political duels than on the battlefield. Officers with political ambitions, some of them nationally oriented, were an effective extension of the ruling party. However, like their civilian partners, the officers had different loyalties and thus contributed to the disunity in the state. 

When King Faysal died in September 1933, completely exhausted and worn down, his young and popular son Ghazi took over. He was later perceived as a strong patriot, i.e., an anti-British ruler. But he lacked his father's authority and prestige. Rival political factions undermined the tribal structure and showed increasingly dictatorial tendencies. As a result, their governments were short-lived. The opposition was an alliance of the middle class, intellectuals, and patriotic officers inspired by Kemal Atatürk. 

The sudden death of King Ghazi in April 1939 was accompanied by rumors of assassination. Nuri as Said and influential officers appointed King Faysal's nephew, Abdalilah, as the new regent. The new political constellation was completely torn apart by the outbreak of World War II. France's defeat was a great motivation for the government of Rashid Ali al Kaylani to rid his country of British influence once and for all. However, British military intervention in May 1941 almost completely destroyed the Iraqi army and led to the reoccupation of Iraq.