Wars of Modern Babylon: A History of the Iraqi Army from 1921 to 2003 (Foreign Military Studies)

About this book

As long as there have been wars victors have written the prevailing histories of the worlds conflicts. An army that losesand especially one that is destroyed or disbandedis often forgotten. Nevertheless the experiences of defeated forces can provide important insights lessons and perspectives not always apparent to the winning side. In Wars of Modern Babylon Pesach Malovany provides a comprehensive and detailed history of the Iraqi military from its formation in 1921 to its collapse in 2003. Malovany analyzes Iraqi participation in the 1948 1967 and 1973 Arab wars against Israel as well as Iraqs wars with the Kurds during the twentieth century. His primary focus however is the era of Saddam Hussein (19792003) who implemented rapid and significant military growth and fought three major wars: against Iran from 1980 to 1988 and against coalition forces led by the United States in 1991 and 2003. He examines the Iraqi military at the strategic operative and tactical levels; explains its forces and branches; and investigates its use of both conventional and unconventional weapons. The first study to offer a portrait of an Arab army from its own point of view Wars of Modern Babylon features interviews with and personal accounts from officers at various levels as well as press accounts covering the politics and conflicts of the period. Malovany also analyzes books written by key figures in the Iraqi government and the army high command. His definitive chronicle offers English speakers new and overlooked perspectives on critical developments in twentieth-century history. The book won the Israel Yitzhak Sade Award for Military Literature in 2010.