520 Chapter 5
MID#3157
Dispute Number: 3157
Date(s): July 14, 1934 to July 31, 1934
Participants: 640 Turkey/200 United Kingdom
Outcome (and Settlement): Yield by side A (Negotiated)
Fatalities: 1–25 deaths
Narrative: A British officer was killed and another wounded when Turkish guards
opened fire on their rowboat as they left their warship anchored near Athens. Turkey
agreed to a joint inquiry into the incident and eventually paid restitution to the family
of the dead officer.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from July 16, 1934. End Date changed from
July 16, 1934.
200 UNITED KINGDOM/645 IRAQ
MID#420
Dispute Number: 420
Date(s): April 30, 1941 to May 31, 1941
Participants: 200 United Kingdom, 900 Australia, 920 New Zealand/255 Germany,
325 Italy, 645 Iraq
Outcome (and Settlement): Victory for side A (Imposed)
Fatalities: 501–999 deaths
Narrative: This dispute describes the British campaign against the renegade Rashid
Ali government of Iraq, which sought to remove all aspects of British influence from
the country. Commonly called the Anglo-Iraq War, the conflict occurs shortly after the
1941 coup that occurred on April 3, 1941, where Rashid Ali installed himself as leader
of Iraq at the expense of the pro-British Taha al-Hashimi government. The aim was to
rid Iraq of all pro-British elements and move closer to the Axis powers.
The British did not take the coup and the upheaval in Iraq lightly and troops from
India arrived near Basra on April 30. Rather than permit them to land, Rashid Ali
opted to march west of Baghdad to RAF Habbinaya for an armed demonstration.
Fighting shortly commenced. The Iraqis could not handle the Royal Air Force, and
British troops quickly advanced to Baghdad. Under pressure, the Rashid Ali govern-
ment collapsed on May 29. A quick armistice was constructed and signed on May 31,
allowing the British to install Abd al-llah as regent of Iraq on June 1 and install Jamil
al-Midfai as prime minister the next day.
Coding changes: Added to the dispute: 325 Italy, 900 Australia, and 920 New Zea-
land. End Date changed from May 23, 1941. Fatalities changed from Missing.
MID#125
Started in May 1958. See the narrative in the 2 United States of America/651 Egypt
dyad dispute list.