Critical

Gulf War

War triggered by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and ended by a U.S.-led coalition campaign.

Timeline
1990-1991
Duration
2 years
Region
Middle East
Record
Static archive

Historical overview

Overview adapted from a Wikipedia summary and stored locally on May 11, 2026.

The Gulf War was an armed conflict between Iraq and a 42-country coalition led by the United States. The coalition's efforts were in two phases: Operation Desert Shield, which marked the military buildup from August 1990 to January 1991; and Operation Desert Storm, from the bombing campaign against Iraq on 17 January until the American-led liberation of Kuwait on 28 February.

Theater countries

KuwaitIraqSaudi Arabia

Actors

IraqKuwaitUnited States-led coalition

Tags

interstate-warcoalition-warpersian-gulf

Border context

1990-1999historical border era

Post-Cold War state breakup

The Soviet Union and Yugoslavia collapse, producing new borders, new states and violent secession wars.

The Balkans and Caucasus become major border-change theaters. The Gulf War restores Kuwait's sovereignty after Iraqi occupation.

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