ABSTRACT
The revolution in Iraq led by General Kassem, which broke out on 14 July 1958, brought an end to the Hashemite monarchy in the country. It was a bloody revolution that had far-reaching repercussions throughout the Middle East and in Great Britain. For Great Britain, Hashemite Iraq had been a favorite son and a central link in its Middle Eastern policies. The shock produced by the revolution brought relations between Israel and the United States and Israel and Great Britain to a new, friendlier level. The revolution also put the Eisenhower Doctrine to the test, which it passed with flying colors. The swift implementation of elements of the Doctrine in response to events in Baghdad dampened the shock waves produced by the revolution and, most importantly, prevented the revolution from spreading into Jordan and Lebanon. The day after the revolution broke out in Baghdad, American Marines landed in Lebanon to ensure the safety of the pro-American regime there. They helped the government put an end to the civil war that was raging in the country between the predominantly Muslim ‘Nasserites’ who favored joining the UAR, and those who tried to preserve the independence and unique character of Christian Lebanon.
