The Gulf War—also called the Persian Gulf War—was a crisis that affected the world for years after it ended. The Gulf War was one of the shortest wars that the U.S. has engaged in, dating from August 1990 to February 1991. Initiated by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the Gulf War was the first crucial international conflict the U.S. faced after the Cold War. The crisis stemmed from a growing tension between two countries—Iraq and Kuwait.
Following the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, Iraq had accumulated an enormous amount of debt, including to Kuwait, which it owed several billion dollars. Saddam Hussein thought that this debt should be canceled, and considered the price of Iraq's protection of the Arabian Peninsula against Iran. However, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates refused to cancel the debt, leading Saddam to begin threatening attacks, which eventually turned into a full-scale war.
During the Gulf War, the U.S. deployed high-tech military equipment that had never been used before. Cruise missiles and Stealth bombers were among the new weapons used to fight the war. The Global Positioning System (GPS) was also introduced, significantly improving the military's land navigation. It was the first time that a major U.S. military mission extensively used resources in space, leading Operation Desert Storm to be dubbed "the first space war."
Though short in duration, the Gulf War produced lasting consequences for both the military troops involved and the world at large. Areas such as the "Highway of Death" symbolized the brutal reality of the war, with American aircraft destroying hundreds of vehicles, killing their uncounted occupants.
There are differing reports on the number of Iraqi troops who went to war and the number of those who died. Estimates of participating Iraqi soldiers in the Kuwait theatre range from 180,000 to 630,000. Death estimates range from 8,000 to 50,000 Iraqi troops killed. It is nevertheless clear that Iraq suffered many more deaths than the Allied forces did. It is reported that about 697,000 U.S. soldiers went to war, with 299 deaths.
Surviving troops suffered, too, though. After the war ended, soldiers began reporting mysterious, unexplained medical ailments. Now known as Gulf War Illness or Gulf War Syndrome, this illness includes symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, insomnia, joint pain, and other maladies. Years later, veterans continue to be plagued by these odd symptoms. Experiences of the war also haunt veterans, resulting in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for many of them.
The war took a toll on the planet as well. As Iraqi troops retreated from Kuwait, they set more than 700 oil wells on fire and left multiple pools of oil. This resulted in an environmental catastrophe. About 300 oil lakes eventually sat on the desert surface, contaminating the soil. Crude oil flowed into the Persian Gulf. Fires burned for 10 months, creating thick clouds of smoke. While the fires were eventually put out, the repercussions of the environmental crisis still remain even today.
Also, the end of the Gulf War in 1991 did not mean the end of disputes with Iraq. The U.S. continued to have conflicts with Iraq in the following years, which eventually led to the beginning of the Iraq War in 2003.
Using multiple sources, Stacker created a timeline of the Gulf War. Keep reading to learn more history about this brief but important war.
