1. Homework Reading: Shias & Sunnis
Who are they?
Key distinctions
Facts, Numbers, Locations, & Geography
Why do you think it might be important to understand a little about these two groups?

2. Distributions of Shias & Sunnis in the Middle East
Why might these maps be significant?

3. Activity #4 Reasons for tensions in the Gulf. See handout
Create a concept map on your own paper
Summarize each cause
Rank them in order of significance

4. GQ#1 = Why was Saddam Hussein able to come to power in Iraq?

5. Ancient Iraq Iraq lies in the ancient land of Mesopotamia.
7th Century AD – invaded & conquered by Arabs
Adopted language, culture & religion - Islam

6. The British Mandate
By 1900 Modern Iraq was part of Turkish or Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire broken up after WW I
Many Iraqis thought they should be an independent state
League of Nations said, “No.” Gave Iraq to Great Britain to run as a mandate.
Iraqis rebelled against British rule.
1920 – 100,000 British soldiers crushed rebellion
Iraqi school children still learn about the “Revolution of 1920” – Iraqis stood up to the invaders

7. King Faisal
British were not accepted by many Iraqis – decided they needed collaborators to run the country with them
Invited Faisal to become King of Iraq in 1921
He was from a prominent Arab family
British still controlled military & the oil!

8. Discontent Monarchy lasted 35 years
Many improvements in the economy and in education
However, growing discontent with the British & King Faisal
Big inequality – few rich landowners – most of the population was poor
1948 Britain supported new state of Israel – most Arabs did not
Control over oil – Iraqi people wanted more control

9. Republic 1958 Monarchy overthrown – Iraq becomes a Republic
1968 coup by military officers
Iraq ruled by Ba’ath Party (Ba’athists)
Ba’athists believed in Arab Nationalism & Anti-colonialism
One of those Ba’athists was a dude named Saddam Hussein.

10. Activity #5 Brief paragraph
Based on your understanding of Iraq’s history, explain what might have motivated the Ba’ath Party & Sadaam Hussein to take power?