When Did Iraq Become a Country?

When did Iraq become a country? The country of Iraq became its own independent country in 1932. Before that time, it existed as a country but was under the rule of the British. This is a country with a long and fascinating history going back to ancient civilizations.

Iraq became its own country when it won the war for Independence against the British in 1932. Of course, Iraq existed as a country prior to this date, but it did so as a part of various nations. Thus, understanding when Iraq became a country involves understanding the entire history of Iraq and its various alliances and wars.

Iraq and Mesopotamia

In the seventh and eight centuries A.D., the area now known as Iraq was part of what was called Mesopotamia. A variety of civilizations flourished in the area over the centuries; by the sixteenth century Iraq, and specifically Baghdad itself, became a major outpost for the Ottoman Empire.

Iraq and The Ottoman Empire

Iraq remained under rule of, and a part of, the Ottoman Empire from the 1500s through World War I. During the war, the Ottoman Empire sided with Germany, and was eventually invaded by the British; after losing the war the Ottoman Empire was divided by the League of Nations and put under British rule.

Specifically, Great Britain imposed monarch rule on the area, and organized into a variety of separate territories according to the ruling system they wished to use. The unfortunate part of this situation was that the divisions done by England did not take into account the various religious and cultural groups inside Iraq, who found themselves split up, removed from their homelands, and thrown in with others from totally different cultures. 

War for Independence

War was the result, of course, with the Shiites and the Kurds being some of the most often publicized groups fighting for independence against the British. In 1932, British rule over the area was officially at an end, and an Iraqi constitutional monarchy was put into place, ruled by a family known as the Hashemites, who also ruled the country of Jordan at the time.

Iraq as an Independent Nation

Iraq was now its own nation, so this can be viewed as the answer to when Iraq became a country. Its history from 1932 onward has been as chaotic and active as the years preceding their autonomy. Iraq joined the United Nations in 1945, and in 1956 signed an alliance with Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and the UK. The alliance was known as the Baghdad Pact and it officially declared its main headquarters in Baghdad itself.

Iraq Today

Although it is clear how Iraq became a country, it is not clear what its future is. Today Iraq is struggling to rebuild and re-establish itself after the rule of Saddam Hussein. With American and British troops occupying the country, Iraq continued to have conflict and violence between various cultural groups, the occupying forces, and various groups fighting for control.  Today the problems are not solved, and there is still a problem of violence and upheaval within Iraq. The rocky history of the nation seems to be repeating itself.