Year |
Day Month |
Fact / Detail |
1900 |
|
|
1909 |
10 Mar |
Gertrude Bell (1868-1926) enters Iraq (then Mesopotamia) via El Gaim [mod. Al Qaim]. As Honorary Director of Antiquities in Iraq, she established the Iraq Museum in Baghdad.?More at the website: http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/ (informative, interesting, rich ? editor?s opinion). To read how she entered in detail go to Link
El Gaim [mod. Al Qaim] |
Gertrude Bell
(A lady that puts the mythical Indiana Jones to shame. Editor's opinion.)
|
| 1910 |
|
|
1914 |
|
British troops occupy Basra. Turkey had declared an alliance with Germany (4). See Powerpoint slide presentation:
For IE users. Link.
For Firefox, Opera, etc. go to below. or click on 'Play' button on image below.
(Seen much better in FULL SCREEN - click the small rectangular icon; furthest right on bottom menu panel of the presentation).
Britain at war with Turkey WW1 in Iraq
|
| |
|
1916 |
15, 16 May |
British and French officials secretly agree that southern Mesopotamia, including Baghdad, will be handed to Great Britain (4). This agreement was designated the "Sykes-Picot Agreement". See more details at (Document). |
1917 |
11 Mar |
British forces occupy Baghdad (4).(32) Faisal 1 takes control over Transjordan.(14) |
1918 |
|
British troops occupy Mosul ( 4). After conquering
Damascus
, Faisal 1 establishes an Arab government under the auspices of Allied forces. (14) |
1919 |
|
Under the Paris Peace Conference, Faisal 1 claims the right to establish an Arab kingdom or a federation of Arab emirates, but has no success. Faisal negotiates an agreement with the French, in which he allows them to take control over modern
Lebanon
and Syria.(14) |
1920
|
Mar |
Faisal 1 (Film) is declared king of greater
Syria
(today's
Syria
,
Lebanon
,
Jordan
,
Israel
, and
Palestine).
(14)
|
King Faisal 1
|
April |
The French authorities are handed the mandate to administer
Syria
and
Lebanon
by the League of Nations.(14)
|
25 Apr |
Iraq is placed under British mandate (5). San Remo conference grants British a mandate for governing Iraq ( 4). |
Jun - Oct |
Widespread Iraqi revolt quelled by British troops and RAF ( 4). |
1921 |
Mar |
As the British experience opposition to their presence in
Iraq
, they forge an agreement with Faisal, within which he will become king of the country, the British, however, maintaining its mandate. The agreement, however, provides for the eventual independence of Iraq.(14)
|
23 Aug |
Faisal (spelling corrected from (1) ), son of Hussein Bin Ali, the Sharif of Mecca, is crowned Iraq's first king (5). He is enthusiastically received by the people, by whom he is elected with 96% of the votes.(14)
. British officials in Cairo appoint Prince Faisal bin Hussein alHashemi (Figure 1) of what is now Saudi Arabia to be king of Iraq ( 4). |
1923 |
|
Faisal is conferred the title of constitutional monarch by the national assembly of
Iraq
(14). During his reign he made it a point to personally go to the Mamuniya school in
Baghdad
every Tuesday and teach young pupils directly. This showed his deep belief that education is vital for progress [15]. |
15 Oct |
The first Iraqi women's magazine 'Layla' publishes its first issue.(21) |
 |
1926 |
|
Opening of the National Museum of Iraq (originally known as the Baghdad Archaeological Museum). |
 |
1930 |
|
King Faisal 1 signs an agreement with
Britain
, which is intended to lead to the independence of
Iraq
. The agreement provides that British troops can still be stationed in
Iraq
, and it binds Faisal to coordinate his foreign policy with the British political line.(14) |
1932 |
3 Oct |
Iraq becomes an independent state (5). Iraq is granted formal autonomy from Britain. Britain continues to operate military bases in the country. ( 4) |
1933 |
|
King Faisal 1 dies in September and is succeeded by his son Ghazi. ( 4) |
1935 |
|
An oil pipeline from Kirkuk to the Mediterranean is opened. ( 4) |
1937 |
Mar |
Royal Air Force (British) Habbaniya Base fully operational.(Link) |
1939 |
|
King Ghazi dies in April, succeeded by his infant son Faisal II. ProBritish Nuri al Said dominates the ruling regency. ( 4) Ghazi's picture as a child Photo. |
| 1940 |
|
|
1941 |
April |
In a coup, a group of nationalist Iraqi officers known as the Golden Square call for Arab independence. British troops retake Baghdad in May, execute coup leaders, and restore the regency. ( 4) |
| |
7 Dec |
Japan attacks the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, which technically wasn't sovereign soil of the United states (at the time).  |
1948 |
January |
A new Anglo-Iraqi treaty that would grant greater influence to Britain is withdrawn after mounting protests in Baghdad. ( 4) |
| |
May |
Iraq sends an expeditionary force to Palestine to battle the new State of Israel. The force withdraws again in February 1949, infuriating Arab nationalists.( 4) |
1949 |
|
|
