50
tor; the ‘terrorist’ methods he had employed to stifle all opposition and
compel public expression of support all combined to indicate that political
events had been directed by the Axis powers. That they had been able to
turn Iraq from being a British ally into a German one was not surprising
in view of the systematic way in which, since long before the outbreak of
war, they had instructed Fritz Grobba, the German minister, to dissemi-
nate pro-Nazi sentiment in a relentless campaign of commercial, cultural,
and political propaganda designed to undermine British prestige.
By the time a European war broke out in September 1939, when dip-
lomatic relations between Iraq and Germany were of course severed, and
all German nationals were forced to depart or face internment, the virus of
Nazism had already been well inoculated into the Iraqi body politic. Axis
influence, far from diminishing, increased considerably. Before leaving,
the Germans transferred the greater part of their propaganda organization
to the Italian legation, the members of which, enjoying diplomatic immu-
nity, were admirably suited to act as couriers and contact agents. Full use
was also made of the Italian diplomatic bag, which provided a secure
means of communication. Judging by the number of well-known suspects
in the habit of frequently visiting the legation, there was little doubt that
a link through that legation had also been established whereby German
agents in Iraq were communicating with the Nazi organization in Persia.
In November 1939, the Japanese opened a legation in Baghdad with the
primary object of developing trade with Iraq on a large scale. It was not
long before this legation had also become yet another centre for the dis-
tribution of Axis propaganda. These developments, coupled with the
presence in Iraq of the ex-Mufti and his large retinue of Palestinian and
Syrian sycophants, illustrate the powerful influence that the Axis powers
possessed in Iraq. All that remained was for them to put it to profitable
use, at the appropriate moment, in pursuit of their war aims.^8
That moment came on Friday 2 May 1941, when hostilities broke out
between the British and Iraqi forces at the vast RAF Habbaniya base
90 km west of Baghdad (Fig. 3.1).^9 The dropping of bombs and the firing
of these first shots had been preceded by a massive buildup of British and
Indian forces (10th Indian Division) in southern Iraq totalling some
14,000 troops by the end of April. The port of Basra was occupied to
safeguard the Abadan refinery and Persian oil shipments. The Royal Navy
blockaded the Persian Gulf with a large fleet, including an aircraft carrier
(HMS Hermes).