Global Faultlines podcast | Iraq Part 1: How was the modern Iraqi state created?

Modern Iraq was not born in 2003. Its origins lie in the aftermath of the First World War, when the collapse of the Ottoman Empire led Britain to assemble a new state. The borders were drawn quickly. Building a stable political order proved far harder.

Under the British Mandate, Iraq inherited centralised institutions that concentrated power but struggled to accommodate its ethnic and sectarian diversity. Sunni Arab elites dominated the new state, while Shia Arabs and Kurds often remained politically marginalised, patterns that would shape Iraq’s politics for decades.

The 1958 revolution ended the monarchy and marked a turn toward military-led republicanism. The rise of the Ba’ath Party deepened authoritarian rule and ideological nationalism, culminating in the regime of Saddam Hussein.

By the late 20th century, Iraq had fought a devastating war with Iran, invaded Kuwait, and endured years of sanctions. The state remained intact, but it was weakened, centralised, and heavily securitised.

To understand why Iraq became the focal point of the 2003 invasion, it is essential to examine how the modern state was constructed, and how the fault lines embedded in its early formation continued to shape its trajectory.

In this episode of Global Faultlines, we trace the creation of modern Iraq and the foundations of its long instability.

Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu 

Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian 

Camera: Shivaraj S

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