Why did events in the Gulf matter, c.1970–2000?

Focus Points

• Why was Saddam Hussein able to come to power in Iraq?

• What was the nature of Saddam Hussein’s rule in Iraq?

• Why was there a revolution in Iran in 1979?

• What were the causes and consequences of the Iran-Iraq War, 1980–88?

• Why did the First Gulf War take place?

Specified Content

• The rise to power of Saddam Hussein in Iraq

• The rule of Saddam Hussein up to 2000, and the consequences of his rule for different groups in Iraq

• The nature of the Shah’s rule in Iran and the Iranian Revolution of 1979

• The causes and consequences of the Iran-Iraq War, 1980–88; Western involvement in the war

• The causes, course and consequences of the Gulf War, 1990–91.