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ConflictThe Middle East

The Gulf War

Jan 1991

The first war the world watched live on television

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The war was fought under a UN mandate and stands as the model of what a united Security Council can achieve — a rare situation, made possible by the Cold War having just ended. Militarily it showed what precision weapons and air superiority mean. Burning oil wells in Kuwait sent smoke across half the region for months.

For children

Iraq invaded neighbouring Kuwait, and a coalition of over thirty countries drove them out again. The war was broadcast live around the clock — the first time people at home could follow a war as it happened.

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Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org · Last changed 2026-08-15