Gulf War

Gulf War research papers can examine the war from any aspect you need. The historical significance of the Gulf War or the political complexity of the situation may be covered along with what it meant to the United States at the time and now.

In your research paper on the Gulf War, you may want to begin by stating that on August 2, 1990, 100,000 troops from the armed forces of Iraq invaded Kuwait. The dispute originated from Iraq's contention that Kuwait was overproducing oil for export, causing the price of a barrel of oil to plummet from $20.50 to $13.60 in the space of a few months. Iraq invaded Kuwait, quickly overwhelmed the tiny nation and began looting the vast Kuwaiti riches.

Gulf War and Bush

Upon learning of the invasion, President George Bush condemned the action, asking the UN to demand immediate Iraqi withdrawal. The Gulf War began with the following interesting facts:

• On August 7, President Bush ordered a massive US military build up in the Gulf region to deter further Iraqi aggression.
• This operation was given the code name Desert Shield.
• Eventually, thirty other nations joined in a coalition of armed forces in the Persian Gulf, committing troops, combat aircraft or warships to the effort.

During the first week of November 1990, President Bush and his cabinet advisors decided to turn Desert Shield into an offensive. Further troops and material were ordered to the area, and by January 16, 1991, US troops strength in Saudi Arabia was listed as 425,000. That night, the air campaign of Desert Storm began.

Gulf War and Military Strategy

What follows is not a chronological history of the Persian Gulf War. Rather it is a Gulf War examination of the military strategy and tactics employed by the United States against Iraq. These maneuvers can also be seen in light of two of the most influential treatise on war: Sun Tzu's On The Art of War and Carl von Clausewitz's On War. Sun Tzu's work comes from the 6th century BC; von Clausewitz's book was first published in 1832. Both of these works continued to be studied today, proving that they contain key lessons in fighting and winning a war.