ABSTRACT
This chapter is an introduction to the turbulent history of Kurds in Iraq and the strained relationships with Baghdad, from the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the foundation of the Kingdom in the aftermath of World War I to present days. Without losing sight of transnational aspects and the mythology of the Greater Kurdistan, the chapter reconstructs origins and evolution of Kurdish political self-identification, from diluted ethnic consciousness to the emergence of nationalist mobilisations. In line with modernist theories, Kurdish nationalism is explained as a reaction to the coercive assimilation into nation-state institutions. Concentrating on Iraqi Kurdistan, the construction of a Kurdish nation is explored through the lens of territorial identity and competition with Arab nationalisms. Against this background, the chapter details the transformation of the insurgency into a state-building project supported by the international community after the Gulf War. A detailed excursus on the birth of the petroleum industry in the country is also provided. In that respect, the ousting of Saddam Hussein marks a watershed. Once a symbol of oppression, oil becomes a symbol of redemption. On the heels of re-privatisation of the oil and gas sector across the whole country, the exploitation of hydrocarbons has offered Kurds an economic base to push forward in their quest for self-determination.
