The United States became involved in a global military conflict in 1990, which can be traced to both oil consumption and questions of political dominance. Multiple nations around the world stepped in to contribute military force or money to drive Iraqi forces out of the valuable Kuwaiti oil fields. The individual and collective efforts were supported by the United Nations.
An overview of the war is available through the National Desert Storm War Memorial here: War Overview — Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial (ndswm.org).
A map of the Middle East provided by Frontline will help students visualize the locations for the military action of the Gulf War. Maps - Overview Of The Middle East | The Gulf War | FRONTLINE | PBS
Download Image: Over burning Oil Field
Primary Source Links
- Primary Source #1: Oral history interview with Margaret Thatcher
- Primary Source #2: Oral history interview with Richard Haass
- Primary Source #3: National Security Directive 54 from President George W. Bush
Primary Source Questions for Students
- What is an oral history and why are these primary sources important to understanding an event or topic?
- How does the political background of these sources influence the way that you interpret their oral histories?
- How does oil factor into the decisions for war, based on these oral histories?
