1958: Revolution/Kurdish Autonomy Movements in Iraq:

In 1958, General Abd al-Karim Qasim led a coup that overthrew the Hashemite monarchy under King Faisal II, an event that fundamentally reshaped Iraq’s political landscape. Qasim was supported by various Kurdish nationalists, who joined his rebellion with the promise that they would be granted autonomy once victory was secured. Following the coup, an interim constitution was introduced that recognized both Kurds and Arabs as equal partners in Iraq, marking the first time in the country’s history that the Kurds were formally acknowledged as a distinct national group. This new political climate allowed Mustafa Barzani to return from exile in the Soviet Union, where he had been since the fall of the Republic of Mahabad, and the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) was permitted to operate more openly. Barzani forged political alliances with Qasim, fueling Kurdish hopes for autonomy and greater self-determination. However, despite these early promises and gestures of inclusion, Qasim ultimately failed to deliver meaningful autonomy to the Kurds. By the early 1960s, frustrations mounted, and tensions between the Kurdish movement and the Iraqi government escalated sharply, setting the stage for future conflicts.

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