What is it about?
This is a brief summary of operations in the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991 and a synopsis of some of the books and historical arguments surrounding those operations. It is a bibliographical essay.
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Why is it important?
This essay, published shortly after the twenty-fifth anniversary of the conclusion of the main military operations of the war, discusses the path of historical scholarship from that time to the present and shows the war to be more than merely a prequel to the subsequent post 9-11 wars in the Middle East that began in 2003.
Perspectives
The Gulf War was important to me personally since I served in the operation as an Army officer and, like many in my generation of soldiers and historians, the review of what has been written about the war has helped me understand the broader context of that war. The war was critical in engaging the United States and its coalition of allies in the turmoil of Middle Eastern politics with ground forces. It is critical to understanding the rapidly evolving role of technology, especially in air operations and precision-guided munitions. And the war was critical to understanding the full range of choices and constraints of the West in our collective engagements with Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf States. However, It must be understood on its own terms and not just as a historical "hiccup" before the start of Operations Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) or Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) in 2001 and 2003, respectively.
Dr. Richard W Stewart
U.S. Army, Retired
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (Part I), International Journal of Military History and Historiography, November 2016, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/24683302-03602004.
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