1941 Iraqi coup d'état

Lore & Background

The coup led to the British invasion of Iraq. Gaylani sent Iraqi forces to attack RAF Habbaniya, beginning a siege. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered General Archibald Wavell to protect the base. British forces from India landed in Basra on 18 April, and a force from Palestine relieved Habbaniya. The siege was lifted, and Iraqi forces were driven back to Fallujah and Baghdad, which fell within a week. The Regent and pro-British government were restored, and British occupation continued until 1947. Germany and Italy provided minor air support, and Vichy French authorities in Syria allowed staging and refueling, leading to British attacks on Syria.

Reader's Guide

The 1941 Iraqi coup d'état was a pivotal event in World War II, demonstrating the fragility of British influence in the Middle East and the appeal of Axis-aligned nationalism. By overthrowing a pro-British regime and seeking German and Italian support, the Golden Square aimed to achieve full independence from Britain, which had granted limited independence in 1932. The coup directly triggered the British invasion of Iraq, securing Allied oil supplies and the land route between Egypt and India. The brief conflict also drew in Vichy French Syria, leading to the Syria–Lebanon Campaign. The coup's failure and subsequent British occupation until 1947 reinforced British control but sowed seeds of future Iraqi nationalism. The involvement of figures like the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem highlighted the pan-Arab dimension, linking Iraqi events to the broader Palestinian struggle. The coup remains a key example of wartime nationalist uprisings against colonial powers.

Did You Know?

• The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, had fled to Iraq after the failed 1936–39 Arab revolt in Palestine.
• The British justified their invasion under the 1930 Anglo-Iraqi Treaty.
• Vichy French authorities in Syria provided airfields for German and Italian aircraft supporting the nationalists.