Preface
On 2 August 1991, Iraqi forces suddenly broke into Kuwait and occupied the entire territory of the small country in just two days. Iraqi President Saddam's ambition and hegemony are completely exposed here. However, what Saddam never expected was that the war would not only plunge Kuwait into disaster, but also push Iraq itself into the abyss.
As the "world policeman" of this era, the United States soon organized coalition forces to intervene. Advanced weaponry and combat systems enabled the U.S. military to achieve an overwhelming victory in the war known as Operation Desert Storm. In less than a month, Iraq was disgraced by the "iron horseman".
However, for China, a distant eastern power, this seemingly unrelated war has become a shot in the arm in the process of China's defense modernization. It can be said that it was the outbreak of this war that made China soberly aware of the gap with the world powers, so as to accelerate the pace of building a modern national defense system.
So, what kind of warning did this inconspicuous "Gulf War" bring to China, and how did it arouse China's determination to develop national defense?
Saddam Hussein intended to use war to safeguard oil interests and international status
Contradictions Accumulate Between Iraq and Kuwait, and War Is on the Verge The Middle East has a dry climate, and it is difficult to grow other cash crops on barren land, so oil has become the most important economic source in this region. In the 90s of the last century, there were many wars between Middle Eastern countries over oil resources.
Iraq is a traditional power in the Middle East and is rich in oil resources. In the 80s of the 20th century, Iraq and its neighbor Iran had a war between Iraq and Iraq, which lasted for many years. This has not only cost Iraq a lot of financial and material resources, but also put the country in debt. In order to pay off the war debt as soon as possible, Saddam Hussein hoped to make more profits by controlling the oil market and raising the price of oil.
At the same time, Kuwait, a small neighbouring country, has secretly taken the exact opposite of Iraq's moves, bucking the trend and expanding its oil production. As a result, the contradictions between the two countries intensified. In Saddam's view, Kuwait, a small country, is openly antagonistic to a powerful country, and this is a serious challenge to its international status.
So, he decided to teach Kuwait this "anti-bone boy" a lesson. In the early morning of August 2, 1991, Iraq suddenly invaded Kuwait and annexed the small country, which is less than the mainland of Beijing, in just two days.
The hegemonic Saddam Hussein's move seemed to be a blockbuster, but what everyone never expected was that this war would immediately lead to far-reaching international involvement and a huge disaster.
The United States organized coalition forces to intervene and was well prepared, and Iraq was difficult to defeat its front
The occupation of Kuwait made Saddam get carried away, but he did not know that he touched the bottom line of the entire world order. Kuwait is small, but it has close ties with the United States. The United States must not watch one of its allies in the Middle East be overrun.
On 7 August, the United States adopted a resolution at the United Nations condemning Iraq's aggression and demanding the unconditional withdrawal of its troops from Kuwait. At the same time, a multinational force, dominated by US troops, began to assemble in Saudi Arabia in preparation for a military strike against Iraq.
The U.S. response was swift and resolute. At the same time, it is trying to resolve the crisis diplomatically. Russia had sent a special envoy to Iraq in the hope of persuading Saddam Hussein to withdraw his troops from Kuwait on his own initiative. As long as Iraq shows that it does not challenge US authority in the Gulf region, there is room for manoeuvre.
However, under Saddam's leadership, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry displayed eye-popping arrogance and unreasonableness. Not only did they refuse to cooperate with Russia's mediation, but they even ignored the ultimatum of the coalition forces, aiming to achieve it.
This has caused the United States to lose its last patience. On January 15, 1991, the US-led multinational coalition officially declared war on Iraq, launching the Gulf War that shocked the world.
In the face of the coalition offensive, Iraq is full of self-confidence. According to the ranking of military strength that year, Iraq's military strength is on par with traditional powers such as Britain, France, and Iran, with a powerful air force and a well-equipped army. And this is only a regional war, and the projection of coalition forces seems to be a bit of a fuss.
Iraq, however, underestimated the resolve of the United States. The United States regarded the war as an important demonstration of national power, and it threw unprecedented military power into the Middle East. A large number of advanced weapons, including 8 aircraft carriers and 2,500 fighter jets, were all on display, and even the world's most advanced stealth fighter F117 "Nighthawk" was used for the first time.
Under the command of the information-based combat system, the US military can accurately strike targets hundreds of kilometers away. At the same time, coalition forces blockaded the Gulf and completely cut off Iraqi oil exports. Iraq soon fell into a state of fuel depletion.
Under this all-round suppression, the Iraqi army was quickly defeated. On 26 February, all of Kuwait was recovered; On February 28, the U.S. military began a counteroffensive in Iraq and marched into Baghdad. On 3 March, Iraq surrendered unconditionally to the coalition forces, marking the end of the coalition victory in the Gulf War, which lasted only a month and a half.
China is soberly looking at the disparity in military strength and speeding up the process of national defense modernization
The 42-day Gulf War ended with the defeat of Iraq and the liberation of Kuwait. However, this seemingly inconspicuous regional conflict has caused huge waves around the world. It is a complete demonstration of the military power of a contemporary power.
China has also recognized the reality of this war. Similar to Iraq's military strength, China feels that it is still far from being a world-class power. We do not yet have the capacity to have an independent voice in major international events.
At the same time, in this war, China has also fully realized the importance of the military's informationization construction. The application of the C4ISR system has enabled the US military to have unparalleled combat effectiveness. Since then, the mainland has begun to accelerate the development of electronic countermeasures systems.
It can be said that the Gulf War has made China recognize its own shortcomings. In the following decade or so, China adhered to the principle of independence and self-reliance, accelerated the development of military science and technology, weapons and equipment, and narrowed the gap with the developed countries. The combat effectiveness of our army has also been greatly enhanced. This war, which seems to have nothing to do with us, has become a hammer blow to China in speeding up the modernization of its national defense.
On August 2, 1991, Iraq sent troops to Kuwait, and the war quickly swept through the entire Gulf region. However, the fires in the Middle East soon spread and shook distant China. It was this war that made China realize its own limitations and strengthen its determination to develop its national defense. It can be said that for China, this is a war that will never be forgotten.
That is why people say that the "Gulf War" was a war to spur China.