The Command Post - Iraq - Short history of invasions of Baghdad

April 07, 2003

Short history of invasions of Baghdad

This war marks the first time Baghdad has been raided since 1941:

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1258 - Hulagu, grandson of Mongol leader Genghis Khan, captures and destroys Baghdad, ending the Abbasid caliphate.
1393 - Tamurlane, who had proclaimed himself Mongol Khan in 1370, invades Baghdad.
1534 - Baghdad is annexed to the Ottoman Empire by Suleiman the Magnificent. Apart from a five-year interlude of Persian rule from 1623, it remains in the empire until the 20th century, despite recurrent anti-Ottoman insurrections.
1917 - British and Indian troops capture Baghdad, wresting it from the Ottoman Turks who backed Germany in World War One.
1941 - British troops enter Baghdad again to depose a pro-German military-backed government led by Rashid Ali.

Posted By Michele Catalano at April 7, 2003 10:55 AM | TrackBack

Comments

This German-Baghdad axis never seems to work out too well for them, does it?

Posted by: DontTread at April 7, 2003 11:14 AM

Hey you forgot the Greeks, who with a force one fifth the size of the natives, took Baghdad. They held it for 200 years.

Compared to today's logistics they did it as far away from their home base as mars is from earth!

I know this because my neighbor Gus Pagonis was the three star US General who handled all the logistics for the first gulf war. He is Greek American and studied and used his forefathers' campaign.

Posted by: Andy at April 7, 2003 11:38 AM

Historical pedant mode on:
The Greeks under Alexander took Babylon, not Baghdad.

Babylon, IIRC, was greatly reduced by Roman-Persian warfare, and finished of by the Islamic conquest. Baghdad replaced it as the main city of Mesopotamia.

Posted by: John Farren at April 7, 2003 12:00 PM

sorry... I made a mistake and ping your track back URL twice.

Posted by: Sina (Webgard) at April 7, 2003 12:04 PM