The Gulf War- A Realist Perspective
Introduction
Persian Gulf War, also called Gulf War (1990–91), was an international conflict that was triggered by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, ordered the invasion and occupation of Kuwait with the apparent aim of
• acquiring that nation’s large oil reserves,
• canceling a large debt Iraq owed Kuwait,
• and expanding Iraqi power in the region.
If Saddam were successful in capturing Kuwait, he would be considered the Supreme Leader of the Oil rich area. But it was not only a question of oil; territory was another relevant issue in Saddam’s agenda. He wanted to gain access of an old disputed territory, Kuwait. The United States, Europe and Japan saw such a potential monopoly as a danger.
This war is important because it puts forward a perfect example of Realism being practiced in real life. The war shows us the need of an International Peacekeeping Organization but also warns us that they might not always be useful and this is when the use of ‘Power’ comes in which is the essence of Realism. In this case the ‘Power’ we are referring to is the United States which intervened in this war to help Kuwait defeat Iraq.
Realist Perspective of the War:
According to realists, the International Political system is anarchical. There is no sovereign entity ruling above the sovereign states in the world. Whilst this anarchy needs not to be chaotic, for various member states of the international