The Iran-Iraq WarHarvard University Press, 2015 M11 3 - 640 pages From 1980 to 1988, Iran and Iraq fought the longest conventional war of the twentieth century. The tragedies included the slaughter of child soldiers, the use of chemical weapons, the striking of civilian shipping in the Gulf, and the destruction of cities. The Iran-Iraq War offers an unflinching look at a conflict seared into the region’s collective memory but little understood in the West. Pierre Razoux shows why this war remains central to understanding Middle Eastern geopolitics, from the deep-rooted distrust between Sunni and Shia Muslims, to Iran’s obsession with nuclear power, to the continuing struggles in Iraq. He provides invaluable keys to decipher Iran’s behavior and internal struggle today. |
Contents
Preface | |
Abbreviations | |
Chapter 1 Escalation | |
Chapter 2 Saddams Qadisiyyah | |
Chapter 3 How Did It Come to This? | |
Chapter 4 Did the United States Push Saddam to Attack? | |
Chapter 5 France Sides with Iraq | |
Chapter 6 The Arabs Divided | |
Chapter 19 Money Has No Smell | |
Chapter 20 Total War | |
Chapter 21 The Year of the Pilot | |
Chapter 22 Oil and the War Machine | |
Chapter 23 The Slaughter of the Child Soldiers | |
Chapter 24 Deadlock | |
Chapter 25 The IranContra Affair | |
Chapter 26 AllOut Offensives | |
Chapter 7 Israel Banks on Iran and Turkey Benefits from the War | |
Chapter 8 The Valmy Effect | |
Chapter 9 Stalemate | |
Chapter 10 The Initiative Changes Sides | |
Chapter 11 The Mullahs Take Power | |
Chapter 12 First Victories | |
Chapter 13 New Mediation | |
Chapter 14 The Iranians Recapture Their Territory | |
Chapter 15 Blessed Ramadan Offensive | |
Chapter 16 Bloody Dawns | |
Chapter 17 Saddams Ace in the Hole | |
Chapter 18 The Lebanese Hostage Crisis | |