The Iran-Iraq War

New International Perspectives

• Author(s): Nigel Ashton, Bryan Gibson,
• Publisher: Routledge
• Pages: 264
• ISBN_10: 1135115354
  ISBN_13: 9781135115357
  
• Language: en
• Categories: Political Science / International Relations / General , Political Science / International Relations / Diplomacy , History / Middle East / General , History / Military / General , Social Science / Regional Studies , Technology & Engineering / Military Science , Political Science / Political Freedom , History / World ,

Description:...

This volume offers a wide-ranging examination of the Iran–Iraq War (1980–88), featuring fresh regional and international perspectives derived from recently available new archival material.

Three decades ago Iran and Iraq became embroiled in a devastating eight-year war which served to re-define the international relations of the Gulf region. The Iran–Iraq War stands as an anomaly in the Cold War era; it was the only significant conflict in which the interests of the United States and Soviet Union unwittingly aligned, with both superpowers ultimately supporting the Iraqi regime.

The Iran–Iraq War re-assesses not only the superpower role in the conflict but also the war’s regional and wider international dimensions by bringing to the fore fresh evidence and new perspectives from a variety of sources. It focuses on a number of themes including the economic dimensions of the war and the roles played by a variety of powers, including the Gulf States, Turkey, France, the Soviet Union and the United States. The contributions to the volume serve to underline that the Iran–Iraq war was a defining conflict, shaping the perspectives of the key protagonists for a generation to come.

This book will be of much interest to students of international and Cold War history, Middle Eastern politics, foreign policy, and International Relations in general.