Second Kurdish–Iraqi War

Second Kurdish–Iraqi War
Part of Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
Date April 1974 – Mid 1975 Location North Iraq Result Iraqi Government victory Iraqi government re-establishes control over Kurdistan Peshmerga fighting ability mainly destroyed KDP-Iraqi Cease-fire PUK low-level insurgency
Belligerents
KDP	Iraq
Commanders and leaders
Mustafa Barzani	Saddam Hussein
Strength
50,000–60,000 peshmerga 50,000 irregulars Total: 100,000–110,000	90,000 men 1,200 tanks and armored vehicles 200 aircraft (not all engaged)
Casualties and losses
Kurdish claim: 2,000 killed	7,000 killed 10,000 wounded 150 tanks destroyed 100 planes destroyed
Total: 7,000+ to 20,000 killed 600,000 displaced

Iraqi Government victory

90,000 men
1,200 tanks and armored vehicles

7,000 killed 10,000 wounded
150 tanks destroyed

The Second Kurdish–Iraqi War was the second chapter of the Barzani rebellion, initiated by the collapse of the Kurdish autonomy talks and the consequent Iraqi offensive against rebel KDP troops of Mustafa Barzani during 1974–1975. The war came in the aftermath of the First Iraqi–Kurdish War (1961–1970), as the 1970 peace plan for Kurdish autonomy had failed to be implemented by 1974. Unlike the previous guerrilla campaign in 1961–1970, waged by Barzani, the 1974 war was a Kurdish attempt at symmetric warfare against the Iraqi Army, which eventually led to the quick collapse of the Kurds, who were lacking advanced and heavy weaponry. The war ended with the exile of the Iraqi KDP party and between 7,000–20,000 deaths from both sides combined.

Kurds led by Mustafa Barzani were engaged in heavy fighting against successive Iraqi regimes from 1960 to 1975. The First Iraqi–Kurdish War (1961–1970) led to a stalemate and in March 1970 Iraq announced a peace plan providing for Kurdish autonomy. The plan was to be implemented in four years. However, at the same time, the Iraqi regime started an Arabization program in the oil-rich regions of Kirkuk and Khanaqin.

The 1970 peace agreement did not last long, and in 1974, the Iraqi government began a new offensive against the Kurdish rebels, pushing them close to the border with Iran. As in the First Iraqi-Kurdish War, the Kurds received material support from Iran and Israel. Israel regarded the Iraqi military as a possible threat in case of renewed fighting between Israel and Syria (during the 1973 War about one third of Iraq's army had been sent to fight against Israel on the Syrian front) and so wished to keep the Iraqis occupied elsewhere. Iran wished to strengthen its own political and military position vis-à-vis Iraq—the only other regional power in the Persian Gulf.

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