The Historical Context Leading to Iraq's July Revolution

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Exploring the events from the coup of 1936 to uprisings in the 1950s, this chapter delves into Iraq's social classes, revolutionary movements, and the struggle for independence from British influence. It examines the role of the Iraqi Communist Party, its growth among diverse classes, and its stance on national issues. The chapter also touches on Kurdish politics, urbanization's impact on Kurdish communities, and the challenges faced by the Communist Party in navigating state repression and ideological shifts.

Featuring Abdel Razzaq Takriti, this is the TENTH episode of Thawra (Revolution), our rolling mini-series on Arab radicalism in the 20th century. Today’s installment tells the story of Iraq’s 1958 July Revolution: a Free Officers’ coup overthrew the imperialist-aligned Hashemite monarchy and brought nationalist Abdul-Karim Qasim to power alongside a surging Communist Party. Revolutionary currents soon turned against one another, however, as did Qasim and Nasser. Conflict stemmed from serious political and strategic differences, but also petty rivalries and bitter feuds. And in Iraq, class conflict often appeared dressed up in the sectarian and ethnic modalities through which class was lived. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Check out our newsletter and vast archives at thedigradio.com Subscribe to a year of Jacobin for only $15— a special offer for Dig listeners! bit.ly/digjacobin Buy The Black Antifascist Tradition at haymarketbooks.org