14 July Revolution

Iraqi revolution
	Part of the Arab Cold War
	; Abdul Salam Arif and Abd al-Karim Qasim, the leaders of the revolution
Date	14 July 1958
Location	Iraq
Result	Victory for the Free Officers Overthrow of the Iraqi monarchy; Death of King Faisal II and his family; Execution of Prince Abd al-Ilah; Execution of Prime minister Nuri al-Said; End of the Hashemite dynasty in Iraq; End of the Arab Federation; Establishment of the Iraqi Republic;
Belligerents
Arab Federation Kingdom of Iraq Royal Guard; ; Supported by:; Kingdom of Jordan	Free Officers; 19th Brigade; 20th Brigade;
Commanders and leaders
King Faisal II ; Prince Abd al-Ilah ; Nuri al-Said ; Ibrahim Hashem X	Abd al-Karim Qasim; Abdul Salam Arif; Muhammad Najib ar-Ruba'i; Surat al-Haj Sri; Nazem Tabakli
Strength
	15,000 troops
Casualties and losses
	3 US citizens killed; Number of Jordanian officials killed; Total: ~100 killed[citation needed]

The 14 July Revolution, also known as the 1958 Iraqi military coup, was a coup d'état that took place on 14 July 1958 in Iraq which resulted in the toppling of King Faisal II and the overthrow of the Hashemite-led Kingdom of Iraq. The Iraqi Republic established in its wake ended the Hashemite Arab Federation between Iraq and Jordan that had been established just six months earlier.

The Kingdom of Iraq had been a hotbed of Arab nationalism since the Second World War. Unrest mounted amid economic malaise and widespread disapproval of Western influence, which was exacerbated by the formation of the Baghdad Pact in 1955, as well as Faisal's support of the British-led invasion of Egypt during the Suez Crisis. Prime Minister Nuri al-Said's policies were unpopular, particularly within the military ranks. Opposition groups began to organize in secret, modelling themselves after the Egyptian Free Officers Movement that overthrew the Egyptian monarchy in 1952. Pan-Arabic sentiment in Iraq was further bolstered by the creation of the United Arab Republic in February 1958 under the leadership of Gamal Abdel Nasser, a staunch proponent of anti-imperialist causes.

In July 1958, units of the Royal Iraqi Army were dispatched to Jordan in support of King Hussein. A group of Iraqi Free Officers, led by Brigadier Abd al-Karim Qasim and Colonel Abdul Salam Arif, took advantage of the opportunity and instead marched on Baghdad. On 14 July, revolutionary forces seized control of the capital and proclaimed a new republic, headed by a Revolutionary Council. King Faisal and Crown Prince Abd al-Ilah were executed at the royal Al-Rehab Palace, bringing an end to the Hashemite dynasty in Iraq. Prime Minister al-Said attempted to flee but was captured and shot a day later. After the coup, Qasim assumed the position of Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, while Arif was named Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. A provisional constitution was adopted in late July. By March 1959, the new Iraqi government had withdrawn from the Baghdad Pact and aligned itself with the Soviet Union.

^ Romero 2011, p. 112.

[Romero_2011_112-1] Romero 2011, p. 112.

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