Abdul Karim Qasim

Abdul Karim Qasim was an Iraqi Army general and nationalist who came to power when the Iraqi monarchy was overthrown during the 14 July Revolution in 1958. He ruled the country as the prime minister until his downfall and death during the 1963 Ramadan Revolution. During his rule, Qasim was popularly known as al-zaʿīm (الزعيم), or "The Leader". He was born in Baghdad in 1914 to a Baghdadi Jewish family. He graduated from the Iraqi military academy and advanced steadily through the ranks until he became a high-ranking officer. He disliked the socially conservative and pro-Western policies of the monarchy and joined several opposition groups in the army. On 14 July 1958, Qasim and his followers seized military control of Baghdad and abolished the monarchy. Qasim became the prime minister and assumed direction of a new republic. The major issue facing Qasim was that of Arab unity. The union of Egypt and Syria into the United Arab Republic (U.A.R.) in 1958 had aroused immense enthusiasm in the Arab world. Despite strong Pan-Arab sentiment in Iraq, Qasim was determined to achieve internal stability before considering any kind of federation with the U.A.R. He faced opposition from both the Nasserists and the communists, who tried to overthrow him several times. He also faced the Kurdish rebellion led by Mustafa Barzani, who demanded autonomy for the Kurdish region. Qasim tried to balance the various political forces and maintain his independence. He introduced some social and economic reforms, such as land redistribution, women's suffrage, and nationalization of some industries. He also adopted a neutral stance in the Cold War and established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and China. He was assassinated on 9 February 1963 by a group of Ba'athist officers who staged a coup d'état and killed him by firing squad. He is considered one of the most influential figures in modern Iraqi history and a symbol of Iraqi nationalism.