The military history of Iraq, due to a rich archaeological record, is one of the longest in written human history. The region of Iraq, which used to be Mesopotamia, has been referred to as the "cradle of civilization", and wars of conquest have been recorded in this region as far back as the third millennium BC. The area possesses strategic value, initially for the rich, fertile agricultural region in the Mesopotamian plain, and more recently for large petroleum deposits and access to the oil-rich Persian Gulf. The present territory of Iraq lacks significant strategic barriers, making it difficult to defend against foreign invasion. The border between Iraq and Iran, or in ancient times between Babylonia and Persia, has been regarded as the most fought over frontier in the world.
Read more about Military History Of Iraq: Ancient Times, Middle Ages (634–16th Century), Ottoman Rule (16th Century–World War I), British Mandate of Mesopotamia (1918-1932), Post-colonial Monarchy (1932–1958), Early Republic (1958–1963), Interim Government (2003–present)
Famous quotes containing the words military and/or history:
“I’m not a military man, Captain. War holds no romance for me. The side effects are repulsive.”
—Richard Bluel, and Henry Hathaway. Major Hugh Tarkington (Clinton Greyn)
“When the coherence of the parts of a stone, or even that composition of parts which renders it extended; when these familiar objects, I say, are so inexplicable, and contain circumstances so repugnant and contradictory; with what assurance can we decide concerning the origin of worlds, or trace their history from eternity to eternity?”
—David Hume (1711–1776)