The Gulf War Explained

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Mr. Beat explains the Persian Gulf War, aka The Gulf War.
Produced by Matt Beat. All images and video by Matt Beat, used under fair use guidelines, or found in the public domain. Music by Dyalla and King Canyon.
Here's an annotated script with footnotes:
docs.google.com/document/d/1h...
Sources/further reading:
Simons, Geoff (2004). Iraq: from Sumer to post-Saddam (3rd edition). Palgrave Macmillan.
Purchase here: amzn.to/3vuHl4H
Kennedy, David M. (2015). The American Pageant. (16th edition). Cengage Learning.
www.pbs.org/newshour/politics...
www.history.navy.mil/our-coll...
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#gulfwar #ushistory #apush
The Gulf War was lopsided. Just 292 coalition soldiers died in this war, compared to as many as 50,000 Iraqi soldiers killed.
Most Americans were happy about the quick and decisive victory, and George H.W. Bush’s approval rating skyrocketed to around 89%, the highest approval rating for an American President recorded in history up to that point.
Many coalition soldiers came home with lingering sickness with common symptoms like chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and serious stomach issues. In fact, this sickness was so common it became known as “Gulf War syndrome.” Historians still debate what caused this sickness, but one recent study found a strong link to exposure to the nerve agent sarin.
There were other unintended consequences of the Gulf War.
Because the embargo against Iraq for invading Kuwait was never lifted by the United Nations after the war was over, millions of ordinary Iraqis suffered. Poverty dramatically increased in Iraq over the next several years. Not only that, after the Gulf War the Shiite in the south of Iraq and Kurds in the north of Iraq both rebelled against Saddam’s regime. Well, Saddam responded to these rebellions with extreme brutality, and this brutality led to the United States and United Kingdom continuing to patrol skies over Iraq, setting up no-fly zones, which are basically areas where aircraft are not allowed to fly and if they do they may get shot down.
After the United States accused Saddam of developing weapons of mass destruction and him refusing to let the United Nations look for them, the next President, Bill Clinton ultimately ordered Operation Desert Fox in December 1998. The American military dropped bombs on around 100 military sites around Iraq, killing or wounding as many as 1400 Iraqis.
And then, of course, the much more controversial and devastating Iraq War, which the United States started after invading Iraq again, this time without support from the United Nations. While it DID ultimately lead to the overthrow and execution of Saddam Hussein, the war, and especially the occupation of the country by American forces afterward, did not go so well, especially compared to the Gulf War. And this ultimately led to what’s simply known as the War in Iraq later on, which many people don’t realize was just as devastating.
Simply put, because of all these conflicts hundreds of thousands of civilians have died in Iraq since the Gulf War.
Even today, Iraq is not a stable place, still recovering from decades of warfare. Now, we often treat the Gulf War as a blip, a short victory overshadowed by much bigger losses later on.
In fact, while we SHOULD remember what went RIGHT during the Gulf War, we are more likely to remember what went WRONG after it.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:07 Causes of the Gulf War
4:12 What went down in the Gulf War?
7:47 Operation Desert Storm
11:10 Effects of the Gulf War
15:16 Raycon
16:18 Outro

[@iammrbeat]

What war in American history should I cover next? My social media stuff: Linktree: linktr.ee/iammrbeat Discord: discord.gg/KsN92RMM Instagram: www.twitch.tv/iammrbeat Mastadon: mastodon.online/@iammrbeat Twitter: twitter.com/beatmastermatt Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/mrbeat/ (I'm looking for mods on there) TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@iammrbeat Twitch: www.twitch.tv/iammrbeat If you're in the earbuds market, please support my sponsor. Go to www.buyraycon.com/mrbeat for 15% off your order!

[@Liam_Daly]

LOVE YOU MR BEAT !!! PLZ NOTICE ME 🥺🥺🥺

[@ninjawarrior8994]

Sticking to the 90s, how about the Yugoslav Wars (The US bombed Belgrade, so it's part of American history right?)

[@valguero7256]

mr beast pls give money

[@SiVlog1989]

I think, given how you mentioned (in your Worst Presidents video, where you talk about William McKinley) that it doesn't get mentioned in history lessons because of how it makes the US look bad, I think it'd be a good idea to mention about the Phillipine American War.

[@davidelabarile1634]

guarma chapter of red dead rede-......eeeeeem i mean the spanish-american war!!

[@SiVlog1989]

It's crazy to think that George HW Bush went from an 89% approval rating after this decisive action to losing his bid for a second term just a year later

[@iammrbeat]

It really is!

[@anthonymorris5084]

He lost to Clinton's powerful campaign slogan "It's the economy stupid".

[@markusbisma5015]

Most people already move on and forgot about it by the next year.

[@moses4769]

Bill Clinton was also a famous candidate

[@Persona1996]

Clinton also won thx to his music skills

[@Spongebrain97]

The Gulf War is almost forgotten in my mind because my childhood was all about the Invasion of Iraq in 2003 which my dad served in as a US Marine and all the events afterwards essentially overtook the first war for me

[@iammrbeat]

Yep, I bring up this point in the video. Thank your dad for his service.

[@TheManinBlack9054]

@@iammrbeat wait, wasnt iraq war unjustified? i thought it was condemned now. Sorry if its insensitive or offensive.

[@tuthuihfthjgfyh1922]

@@TheManinBlack9054 eh the dude we killed weren't anywhere near good, but we went there for money and no to help out

[@TheMntnG]

@@iammrbeat why would you congratulate someone for the iraq war?

[@destronger5313]

I was in high school at this time. a bunch of kids had a walk out when the US got involved.

[@frogglen6350]

Persepolis is a comic about a girl who grew up in Iran during the 80s and 90s. When Kuwait got invaded, the comic pointed out how the news was making such a big deal out of it in the USA, that citizens started panicking and mass buying stuff from stores. Kinda like how people reacted when Covid got big

[@iammrbeat]

I must check this comic out. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

[@frogglen6350]

@@iammrbeat Strongly recommend it. It's only 2 books. But the animated film is good too. It skips over stuff, but it's still awesome

[@danielpalama3700]

@@iammrbeat first one is better if you want to know about the history of the Iranian revolutions' and how complex it was compared to how most Americans remember it.

[@thaliabirrueta8456]

@@iammrbeat You should especially check it out considering the Masha Amini protests that are still going on in Iran. Persepolis was my gateway to awareness of the Iranian Regime.

[@Arron01]

@@iammrbeat we actually read this in AP Lit back when I was in high school. It’s a really awesome read

[@bigboss7681]

I’m Kuwaiti, and we are always thankful and grateful for the coalition who saved us, much appreciated

[@piloto34HD]

Hey bro, sorry for what my country did to Kuwait, you know Saddam, he be trippin😔

[@justinkim7756]

@@epic9746 lmao saddam was killed like a dog lmfao imagine buying the best Soviet anti air missle batteries and watching every military ha being cut off in less than 20 min after the first bombs lmfao

[@Harib_Al-Saq]

@@epic9746 Stay mad.

[@rakkatytam]

Are your slaves just as grateful?

[@ew123]

Ayyy Im Kuwaiti too

[@alarabi98]

I am a Kuwaiti, whose father and uncle participated in the Kuwaiti resistance and later joined Desert Storm after smuggling themselves out of Kuwait with my grandmother and aunts. Both my Father and Uncle have many stories in the war, some they've refused to even talk about. My father has said he has personally met General Schwarzkopf during briefing, and had a huge respect for the general. Also, Kuwait was an autonomous entity within the Ottoman Empire, separate from the Vilayet of Basra. Our sheikhs ruled the area since 1756.

[@Sagadali523]

I am a Iraqi and we support you, but not Saddam .

[@andrewrogers3067]

On behalf of the U.S. we’re glad you’re safe.

[@EnemyAtom65]

My father was part of the Kuwaiti military in the Kuwaiti Commandos, but the Americans later did to the Iraqi people was horrible.

[@Sagadali523]

@@andrewrogers3067 Who, me or the Kuwaiti?

[@iammrbeat]

I'm so happy you shared this.

[@scotterbean1278]

My dad served in this war as an Army Reserves Mechanic. This is an interesting event to learn about, and was surreal to hear his stories and experiences while deployed.

[@iammrbeat]

That's what my dad almost ended up doing himself!

[@ZFEK]

@@iammrbeat MrBeast pls give me money!

[@jime19911]

@@ZFEK reread and then reconsider your comment

[@haticecamoglu9334]

hello, my father needs surgery and I only need 3000$ for this, can you help me please 🥺🥺

[@thomast3570]

After Vietnam, the Army restructured its forces so that any major mobilization would have to draw upon the Reserve forces for support units.

[@MCMIVC]

The Gulf War may also have been partially responsible for the death of King Olav V of Norway. He was a veteran of WW2, and while watching the live coverage of the war, he suffered a heart attack. His son and successor, King Harald V has said in interviews that he is cconvinced his father thought this could be the start of WW3, and the trauma of that possibility brought on the heart attack. King Olav had been having health problems during the past year, but still, it's interesting to think about.

[@Waybackwhennn]

That’s actually really sad if that is true

[@hydra70]

I really hope that the king of Norway was not stupid enough to think that a war against a third rate military power with no remaining allies would lead to WW3.

[@willch.2259]

​@@hydra70I don't think people predicted Franz Ferdinand's assassination to lead to World War I but here we are

[@semipenguin]

It was Jan 17 in the Gulf when the war started. I was attached to the Medical Logistics Company out of Camp Lejeune at the Port of Jubail. I woke up to my 21st birthday to air raid sirens going off. One thing people might have forgotten was how much people supported us during the was. A lot of people remembered how service members were treated during and after the Vietnam War. People went out of their way to support us. When we arrived back to the US, people were cheering for us when we left Norton AFB, and when we arrived back at Camp Pendleton.

[@WNH3]

It was 17 January in the Gulf; still 16 January back here in the US, which is why so many remember the earlier date.

[@alex_flamer267]

I was born a few months after this war. And yes, I also heard very little about it but no one could give me exact details as to the causes, what happened during, and the aftermath. People probably never talk about it because it was so fast and we were victorious. It's also common human nature to dwell on negative effects which is why you are more likely to hear about the Iraq War and The War in Iraq. But yes, great video as always! 👏👏👏

[@iammrbeat]

Well it's still important to learn about! Thanks for watching. It's crazy to think you're in your 30s and weren't even born yet for it. I feel old. lol

[@alex_flamer267]

@@iammrbeat yes I think it's important too. I see a lot of what happened based on how you described it as somewhat of a preview to how we would handle the aftermath of 9/11 and the Iraq War. Though, I would like to know why we weren't as victorious the second time around.

[@SamWinchester000]

The Iraq War was pretty much very victorious, as well. The difference was to occupy Iraq. Populations usually despise and fight foreign occupations that go on for so long, and they're destined to go wrong. In Afghanistan the problem was that the US never really fought the Taliban, they were too lazy and only pushed them out of the cities and never did anything substantial to eliminate them.

[@varyolla435]

Iraq accused Kuwait of "stealing oil" in the form of "angling drilling" from the Kuwaiti side of what are large oil fields between the border of the 2 nations which in truth represent vast single underground reservoirs. Also Iraq coming out of a years long border war with Iran was unhappy believing that the other Arab States were "suppressing the price of oil" - which Iraq desperately needed to be higher because it had incurred considerable debt from their war with Iran. So Iraq used this pretext to invade Kuwait. The US responded by forming a coalition against Iraq as if their invasion was allowed to stand then Iraq would have had control of huge oil reserves in the region and could have subsequently threatened neighboring States like Saudi Arabia. So it was "about oil" = just not as depicted. The US was not fighting for its own access to oil per se but rather to prevent the destabilization of the global oil market. As an aside. Today the US gets most of its oil from Canada and Mexico as well as domestic production rather than the Middle East. So if the US supposedly "went to war for oil" as some claim = where it is????? Moral of the story: the Iraqi military gave up the initiative when they dug in to assume they'd fight a "static war". In their border war against Iran neither side really had air supremacy and it was largely a ground war of a mostly fixed nature. Naturally = the US et al do not fight thusly.......... So the Iraqi military never had a chance as once it dug it the coalition air forces could smash them without much resistance + they could not maneuver about in response to coalition ground forces advances. As such they were simply destroyed in place by combined air and ground forces while the coalition much as the Germans did in WWII against the French Maginot Line swung around to disrupt the Iraqi rear at the same time ground forces broke through the defensive line the Iraqis created. They never stood a chance. 🤨 p.s. - in the aftermath HW Bush left Saddam in charge because they did not want to totally destabilize the nation - as Bush's son ultimately did with OIF. The Iraqi military however was largely destroyed and only a shell of it remained compared to the past. It was enough for Saddam to continue to brutalize his people but he never again could threaten anyone else. When OIF overran Iraq the Iraqi military - again never standing a chance - dissipated to take up an insurgency in the light of Bush the younger destroying what remained of civil infrastructure. By wiping out the means of the Iraqi people to sustain themselves and civil order + not acting to replace that quickly enough the coalition set the stage for years of insurgency which followed as the "freed people" seeing their plight as worse than under Saddam proceeded to take up arms against the coalition occupation forces. GW forget the age old maxim: _"you break it = you buy it."_

[@MCGROOBER48]

Hi Mr Beat, I have recently binged almost all of your videos. You are currently my favorite creator, thank you for making these topics so digestible and interesting with your unique sense of humor. Have a nice day :D

[@iammrbeat]

That made MY day, James. Thank you so much!

[@kennymayberry1054]

One of my friends in college is Kuwaiti, and he said that it was striking how George H.W. Bush is revered in the country for helping to liberate them, but then his son is largely reviled in the entire region for actions just a decade later.

[@Domand2002]

This happened just 10 years or so before my birth, but I find it interesting I actually never hear or heard too much about it other then that it happened. Very nice video Mr. Beat and thank you, it’s the most informative bit about the war I’ve ever gotten!!

[@iammrbeat]

Glad to hear it! Thanks for the kind words. :)

[@FredoRockwell]

I spent most of the Gulf War glued to CNN, and I've got to say that was an excellent synopsis! Way to go!

[@iammrbeat]

Thanks Fredo. I figured we were about the same age.

[@I.____.....__...__]

Yup, it was one of the first big news events. Round-the-clock coverage for the first time made it feel apocalyptic. I mean, it was apocalyptic for those involved, but the constant news made it feel like incoming-asteroid or alien-invasion or zombie-outbreak big for the whole world. Things have only gotten worse since then; the journalism is full-on urine-yellow now. 🤦

[@FredoRockwell]

@@iammrbeat I'm confident I'm older! If you search for it you can find CNN's coverage of the first few hours of the war here on YT. Bernard Shaw (who was then the lead anchor is reporting from underneath a bed in Baghdad, and a young Wolf Blitzer is in what looks like a closet-turned-studio at the Pentagon. You can tell none of them have covered anything like this before and after having to figure out our as they go. It's actually really gripping.

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

🎞 Have you ever seen 'Live from Baghdad' (2002), from HBO, and starring Michael Keaton and Helena Bonham Carter?

[@varyolla435]

Keeping in mind that people only saw a fraction of what actually was happening - for good reason. The Coalition battle plan necessitated secrecy in its shift of the 18th Abn Corps to Iraq's border beyond their defensive lines. Also the coalition deceived the Iraqis into believing the coalition was going to launch an amphibious assault into Kuwait - which pinned down Iraqi forces along the coast. Had the Iraqis caught on they could have shifted more forces towards southern Iraq. People people were largely kept in the dark until it was too late and coalition forces were streaming into southern Iraq = thereby cutting off Iraqi forces. As much as the people and the press hate "news blackouts" - sometimes it is necessary.

[@ThePolerbearproducts]

My dad is a veteran of Desert Storm and Shield. He’s told me a lot of stories from then. Always loved hearing about it

[@navchinna]

Thanks for dropping bangers and teaching us and being fun at the same time, buddy!

[@colinsteadland]

The fact that this dude has almost 800k subscribers and still takes the time to respond to comments is really telling of his character

[@randomchannel-px6ho]

It is important to note the larger geopolitical situation surrounding the Gulf War. Though the Cold War was for all intents and purposes over, Iraq had been a large customer of Soviet weapons and had modeled their arm forces off of the Soviets. Therefore even though the USSR had given up the arms race, the conflict between the Iraqi forcss and the US led coalition was observed by many as window into a potential showdown between the US and Soviet militaries. The resulting demonstration of utter superiority by the US armed forces would stick with leaders at the Kremlin. Later on when the United States felt emboldened to take it upon itself to remove Saddam Hussein from power and once again demonstrated utter military superiority far beyond what any other nation could yield, it set in motion the geopolitical power struggle we are by now quite familiar with between the United States and it's allies on one side and Russia and China on the other.

[@iammrbeat]

Thanks for adding this context.

[@randomchannel-px6ho]

@iammrbeat Eh, it's not the most substantial analysis. But with obvious current events it is with the power of hindsight that we can observe the Gulf War being the first domino to fall to put the pieces in place for an ever more ambitious and open opposition to the US global hegemony resulting from the fall of the Soviet superpower. Thank you for the great educational content Mr. Beat.

[@Waybackwhennn]

@@randomchannel-px6ho wow thank you for providing such good and well structured context on this. I’ve been looking into all the events that surrounded both the wars and i just couldn’t understand what was the actual motive of the Iraq invasion. It was so frustrating and everyone’s view on the topics are just facts surrounding what happened but not why exactly. You’ve answered all my questions about it ! I’m also curious to know do you think that 9/11, Afganistan invasion, war on terrorism etc were all coincidental leading up to the Iraq invasion or was it all perhaps not a coincidence ?

[@benjamindickel3868]

Thanks for this video! In school US and World history usually ended around the Vietnam war, so it's great to see some contemporary history covered

[@randysterbentz5599]

True! I wish American history classes would focus a bit more on what has led up to our current situation. Sure the Revolutionary War and our foundations are important, hit all the major wars and their causes/effects, then let's examine the past 30-40 years with a bit more detailed scrutiny. Especially for high schoolers who lived through the past 15 years and probably have no idea what was going on!

[@richardmiller7239]

Great video Mr. Beat. I've watched many of your videos (including all US presidential elections). I'm a retired instructor of History (BA, MA). This is the first one I decided to comment on. I'm a reservist (USAR, '82-'12) who served in both the Gulf War (90-91) and Iraq (2004). I have nicknames for these two experiences that I penned in my personal history notes. 'Sand and Scuds' and 'Palm trees and IED's'. Keep up the good work. MILLER, ABQ, NM.

[@JustinianG]

Can you check out my video on Saddam Hussein? I think it provides some good context

[@latiendadepaikawaii]

You're that guy who's literally the embodiment of "Welcome to the final test, i'm MrBeast. We can scrap the S 'cuz i've never missed a beat."

[@its_jawsh6145]

My dad served in the Army from 84-94 and served in the first gulf war. He has some great and terrible stories from his time in the desert and when he was in combat with Iraqi armor and under artillery fire. The scuds into saudi arabia were actually feared among servicemen and many men thought the Iraqis were going to destroy them. People forget that many people thought it would be a bloodbath in Kuwait City and at the border. He loved the military but that time was tough and frustrating. He’ll always hold against HW his decision not to push to the Iranian border and collapse on the Iraqis retreating. They had em

[@jakewatson1113]

My dad was in this war I'm happy I was able to find a video that explained why the war happened because when I was in school it got a paragraph at most in textbooks and I feel it deserves more than that considering it's impact on future wars in the middle east

[@ralphlaurensmascot3663]

Thank you so much for this video. This question randomly popped in my head on how this war happened. Love the channel.

[@ThatThrashGuy99]

Thank you Mr. Beat! My parents are Desert Storm Navy vets and I never ask them directly about the war for no particular reason (I just don't feel comfortable asking my vet relatives about the actual wars.) And it makes wayyy more sense. Love the beard!!

[@SexyPumpkin69]

Hi Mr. Beat. I am British and I would like to know about the founding fathers. We don't really learn about American history. A founding fathers tier list would be awesome! I also would like to know why people like John Handcock, among a few others, are not citied as a founding father. But when researched individually they are described as founding fathers. Super confusing! Great work as always. Thank you for the free content

[@SirSamuel_Smith_Squirrel_TheIV]

Hancock. It’s Hancock. He didn’t touch his dick… maybe he didn’t..

[@hismajesty6272]

Most people call George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, James Maddison, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton as the Founding Fathers, but some people include others, since who the “spiritual fathers” of America are is subject to some debate. John Hancock was the wealthiest man of his time during the Revolutionary War, but he’s mostly remembered for his absurdly large signature, which is one of the only signatures that can still be easily read on the Declaration of Independence. (Also, one’s “John Hancock” became slang for a signature) Hancock was also a prominent member of the Sons of Liberty, the secret society that incited unrest (and even tarrings) against the British and their sympathizers.

[@history-jovian]

About the founding father, most of the prominent of Revolutionary war such as Benjamin F, John A, Washington and much more are considered by many as founding fathers. Others are not really considered founding fathers but are respected for their contribution (except for Bendict Arnold, he is a traitor, the first major one)

[@jacobsims8307]

The American revolution bloody stains I think on history's yt is pretty good.

[@kingjom5651]

Thank you for this! I've always heard things about the gulf War but never know the context and I'm too lazy to delve into researching it myself, so a video like this explaining it to me in a way that's easy to understand is exactly what I needed.

[@iammrbeat]

You're not lazy. You're here learning, after all. That takes brain exercise.

[@ikward2217]

That’s exactly how I feel!

[@billytompkins6633]

The less said about the sequel the better. Great video as always Mr Beat

[@iammrbeat]

ha...well eventually I will have to cover the sequels :/ Thank you!

[@drstrangeluv25]

Why less the better?

[@Tom_Cruise_Missile]

@@drstrangeluv25 it was an absolute shitshow. Yeah we rolled in fine but we botched what came after, leading to the guerilla wars and turmoil that's still going on to this day.

[@johnshafer7214]

I was in 7th grade when this war started in 1991. Can't believe how long ago this war happened.

[@iammrbeat]

I think I was in 3rd grade?

[@wildbill7267]

Junior year in college! Thought I would get drafted. Was over well before that point.

[@robinhess9570]

I was 14 years old at the time

[@iz_that_mj]

Damn it Mr. Beat! I just did a presentation about it today, I wish I had this video during my research 😅

[@iammrbeat]

Woahness. That's a weird coincidence there.

[@EmuInDenial]

Excellent work! Finally a video that can answer all my questions about the reasons of the invasion. And with a sense of humor which makes the content more easily comprehensible.

[@iammrbeat]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@EmuInDenial]

@@iammrbeat Do you also have videos on the Iraq war and the war of Iraq? I would love to watch them.

[@karenmorcos3693]

Thank you for not talking fast like in most videos I see on KZbin. I was actually able to understand without confusion.

[@abrahamlincoln937]

Congratulations on reaching 700,000 subscribers, Mr. Beat!

[@leserpentvert3364]

Mr President, I’m sure he will be -honoured- honored (sorry, I’m British)

[@damongrosvenor2346]

Good video. One thing you neglect to mention is the seriousness the coalition took the Iraqi forces. They were the second largest army in world and supposedly premier hardened veterans and the coalition, and Gen. Schwarzkopf, expected extremely high casualties. That was a big part of Desert Shield, preparing freezer storage in Germany for the expected KIA.

[@SniperInTheTower]

According to my father they shipped a horrendous amount of body bags over there in preparation for massive casualties. However by wars end we arguably lost less soldiers than if they'd have just stayed home and driven on the highway.

[@dragonstormdipro1013]

4th largest but agree on otherwise

[@bendover1028]

Well Schwarzkopf didn't get to filled those freezers but over the next two decades. after the great victory. clocked up a fair few .

[@varyolla435]

US military axiom: _"hope for the best = plan for the worst."_ US military units were purposely overmanned prior to the ground war starting. As an aside. Because it occurred in the desert where there is nowhere to hide the Iraqi army was doomed as the coalition forces had complete air supremacy. As with later OIF - if they had opted to fight in the cities rather than withdrawal then casualties would have been much higher. Instead they created fixed lines of fortifications along the border and stood their ground there much as they did during their war with Iran foolishly assuming the battle would take place there. The coalition then smashed their positions with air power to subsequently break through that line while simultaneously swinging around behind them to cut off their retreat to the north. 🤔

[@spartan2867]

Thanks for the subtitles, Mr Beat!

[@michaeldamico6938]

The deadpan delivery is so over-the-top its charming......my brother-in-law is from Q8 and experienced this as a child....history really is the key to our future

[@skibalovesya]

This might be a little off-topic but I wanted to express my gratitude in your making these channels/videos. I had a pretty tumultuous experience with US History in school. In 8th grade, my teacher derided me for not knowing things I "should have learned in 5th grade" even after I told her I skipped 5th grade, then she left for the entire school year and we had subs in a revolving door. In 10th grade, my teacher got sick and we had another year of subs in a revolving door, and by 11th grade, I felt that I had to take a 10th grade class over again because I learned virtually nothing. Luckily, he was a fantastic history teacher and made me love the subject, and even though I had to take US History II as a 2-week summer school class, I did pretty all right. But in 12th grade when I was learning Government (and thus all the landmark Supreme Court cases), my parents got divorced and I stopped paying attention to virtually anything in school. Obviously this left me with a lot of gaps in my US History knowledge. So finding your channel and seeing the information I missed out on being presented in a digestible and entertaining way has been a godsend. Your students are lucky to have you, and we're lucky to have your content.

[@iammrbeat]

I'm sorry you had to go through all that. Your comment means a lot to me, and folks like you are the main reason why I make these videos. We all deserve an education, but sometimes those opportunities are taken away from us. Thanks for the kind words!

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

Subscribe to history matters, kings and general, great war

[@Sagadali523]

As an Iraqi, I really like your content. I can't believe Kuwait is so poor in 90s when the evil dictator invade them. Love Kuwait from Iraq.

[@iammrbeat]

Represent! I'm glad you're here and glad you don't have that evil dictator anymore.

[@hah5663]

Saddam is the best leader Iraq ever had.

[@putinsneighbor8351]

@@iammrbeat For a man that dedicates himself to making videos about history, you strike me as an ignorant fool with this comment. That “evil dictator” kept Iraq strong, stabilized and rich. Have you seen Iraq after his unjustified murder and how Iraq is today??? Your ex-president claimed to free the Iraqis from Saddam, but instead he got millions killed, homes and schools destroyed and destabilized the whole country. “F-R-E-E-D-O-M”

[@putinsneighbor8351]

@Sagad Ali you’re not Iraqi

[@Sagadali523]

@@putinsneighbor8351 Yes I am.

[@joemigliore5385]

You covered so much content so concisely. Really nice job on your flow

[@robertomongia2630]

This was an extremely helpful and informative video. Thanks!

[@D00MMAST3R]

Glad you made this video! Seems whenever I talk about Iraq to other people, they often tangle these two different wars as if they're the same. Ex. My mom thought that we invaded Iraq in 2003 because of weapons of mass destruction AND because they invaded Kuwait, even though that was in the 90's. Weird considering she was alive back then yet somehow thought they were the same conflict?

[@TheManinBlack9054]

People also think about September attacks

[@iammrbeat]

You hit on a big reason why I decided to make this. This war is already so forgotten despite many of us LIVING THROUGH IT.

[@JohnDoe-mz7ud]

You seem knowledgable about geopolitics. Thats why your profile pic confuses me lmao

[@haticecamoglu9334]

hello, my father needs surgery and I only need 3000$ for this, can you help me please 🥺🥺

[@edwardkirby5225]

You are a disgusting Ukrainian spreading pro war propaganda and embezzling money.

[@ItsJustMe0585]

Thanks, for covering this! It was the last military shindig my mother served for after her 21 years in the US Army. It's kinda forgotten, except for the name.

[@thewinner2782]

Very good video as always, my father was a lieutenant I the Iraqi army back then, very unfortunate events that were easily avoidable if not for the insanity of one man and his party

[@koolaidknickers8831]

great video love the sprinkles of humor and the subtle animations.

[@revolutionaryape7568]

Amazing video, Mr. Beat! I It is kind of interesting how Iraqi-American relations transformed over the course of 80s. Under Ronald Reagan, U.S. kept close relations with Iraq, partly due to their common animosity towards Iran. Also, congratulations for getting 700K+ subscribers, I hope you get 1M+ subs soon :) A video suggestion - You can make a video on West Virginia Coal Wars.

[@user-cg2tw8pw7j]

America, you have oil in your house, you need democracy

[@Harib_Al-Saq]

@@user-cg2tw8pw7j America is a republic. Democracy is anarchy.

[@alwillk]

The reagan administration publicly supported Iraq during the Iraq/iran war. Covertly it also supported Iran as we found out during the Iran/contra scandal.

[@revolutionaryape7568]

@@alwillk Yes you're right.

[@L_back]

@@alwillkit wasn’t the entire Reagan administration that was involved in the scandal. Also, I’d actually say Iran supported the US, not necessarily the other way around, in funding the Contras. Also, let’s not act as if sudden (Sudden Hussein, haha) decisions don’t change international relations. The US didn’t like Iraq, but they disliked Iran even less. After Kuwait was invaded, they decided that’s not good

[@TomsRetroGames]

Congratulations on hitting 700k! Your content is very interesting and enjoyable and deserving of even more subscribers.

[@burper-oe6tm]

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOO This video is a combination of my two favorite things: Mr Beat, and the Gulf war (the best war)

[@maxramlau6459]

Very interesting and enjoyable vid. Keep up the good work.

[@mr.mohammedabdullah6443]

As Kuwaiti Thank you for taking about the gulf war🇰🇼🤝🇺🇸 My father was in 90s

[@mrmuhammedalfadhli]

Hi me two 🇰🇼 🇰🇼 🇰🇼

[@numbers8908]

It's cool to see the different perspectives from all the different countries involved. Isn't the internet great?

[@junel186]

Cool vid, got to watch it early with Patreon!

[@iammrbeat]

Thanks June 😊

[@bustahh7592]

This video is f ing amazing, the way you talk is extremely comfortable

[@KnisleyKnisley]

Been waiting for you to cover the gulf war!

[@valmid5069]

*Truly one of the pivotal points during the aftermath and post Cold War history such as the hotspots in Middle East's geopolitics. Thanks for the analysis, Mr Beat!*

[@PremierCCGuyMMXVI]

Mr. Beat, great video, thank you. The Persian Gulf war is a war not many people know about, at least the general public. Suggestion for a feature video, I’d be interested if you can talk about the government systems and electoral systems of other countries. Like explain how politics are in countries like S. Korea, France, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Ukraine, etc and or a video about how the government was run in former countries like the Soviet Union. It be interesting to see how similar or different government systems are in different countries compared to the United States.

[@paulgordon6949]

Really? I've never met anyone who is unaware of the gulf war. Desert storm, Saddam hussein, SCUD missiles, etc were all household names in the 90s and ever since. Of course the 2nd Iraq war a decade later is more fresh in people's minds, but the gulf war was big news.

[@KanyeTheGayFish69]

@@paulgordon6949 gen zers probably don’t even know there was more than one war in Iraq. These are people that have lived their entire lives in a post 911 world, and everything before 2000 might as well be ancient history

[@PremierCCGuyMMXVI]

@@paulgordon6949 I’m talking about younger generations who never lived through it like Gen Z folk like me

[@shiningstaer]

It’s nice seeing the quality KZbinrs still plugging away. Like you’re a volunteer high school class. I love it

[@slrevtrollge9355]

Hey Mr Beat! Kind of a weird thing to ask for, but... So, I've been a fan of your channel for about a year now and I watch a lot of your vids :) Could you do a video about how West Virginia (and also the main appalachian area) became so poor? I think it's a fun idea for a video cuz it's an area that's often overlooked and slept on when it comes to history and economy, apart from coal and the confederacy.

[@AaronEdwards]

I lived that time period and there was a lot in this video I did not know. Good job!

[@syria0110]

My grandpa served during the Gulf War, but I've always wanted to learn more about it than what little my history classes would offer, plus what my grandpa wouldn't talk much about

[@iammrbeat]

Tell him thank you for his service!

[@AndrewMFAult]

Great educational stuff!

[@iammrbeat]

Thanks Andrew!

[@Aceistotallyhot]

Its always a good day when this legend posts

[@chriseidam7319]

You did an excellent job covering this topic. One thing missed, however, is the health effects of depleted-uranium munitions used by the U.S. and their role in Gulf War Syndrome.

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

It was most likely toxic waste from chemical weapons facilities being bombed. Other countries use Tungsten Carbide instead of Depleted Uranium, and both cause the same heavy metal poisoning. However, you don't hear about syndromes caused by those wars.

[@chriseidam7319]

@@ChucksSEADnDEAD That was the cover story. There is more to it than reported. A federally-funded researcher at UF discovered that a combination of DEET, small pox vaccine and an anti-nerve agent antidote administered pre-emptively (and stupidly) caused the negative reactions/side effects of each to increase exponentially. His funding was immediately cancelled after he published his findings. But make no mistake, depleted uranium weapons incorporate nuclear power plant waste. U.S. nuclear power plants deplete the radiation of uranium fuel rods by only 3% before the rods are replaced. Anybody in contact with DU munitions is suffering 97% of the radiation exposure of U.S. fuel rods. It is incredible. If you use a Geiger counter on an armored vehicle that has been destroyed by a DU projectile, it will go off like you are walking into the Chernobyl power plant. I have seen it. It is what is used to make a "dirty bomb". In Iraq, kids were playing on those destroyed vehicles. They were radiated. Now their kids are grossly deformed. Ditto for American vets' kids. Anybody serving in those theaters reported a metallic taste in their mouths and in their food. That metal was DU. Not for nothing, the use of DU munitions is categorized as a war crime. All of the Ukrainian farmland that has been peppered with DU munitions from both sides has forever ruined that farmland. Will it still be farmed? Of course it will. But anybody eating those crops (mostly grains) will be killed by the slow death of radiation poisoning.

[@adrian8bit64]

So excited to watch this

[@iammrbeat]

Thanks for being here early

[@emmersonmannin1457]

Another great video, thank you Mr. Bear!

[@johngrantham5508]

Thanks for covering this conflict. The home front was very supportive appreciative and patriotic. I served during this era and was one inch away from going to war. We hadn't seen this kind of reaction during and after a war conflict since world war 2. It's the only time in modern times we have this type of reaction involving the military. We

[@sarahenchanted]

My middle and high schools did a terrible job explaining anything related to the Cold War era and I didn't get a good handle on it until I took an elective in college about the history of American Foreign Policy + wikipedia rabbit holes. Thank you for breaking this down as simple as possible.

[@jojbenedoot7459]

Tbf this is barely Cold War era. By 1991 the only Eastern Bloc country remaining is the USSR, and it's on its last legs

[@haticecamoglu9334]

hello, my father needs surgery and I only need 3000$ for this, can you help me please 🥺🥺

[@thunderbird1921]

Did they teach anything about the Korean War at all, or why it was so important? I've heard that even AP classes don't talk about it much, which to me is utterly shocking.

[@ninapatalo]

If you can and have time, can you make a video about Benjamin Franklin? And by the way, congratulations on reaching 700,000 subscribers.

[@iammrbeat]

Thank you, Nina, and I'd love to make a video about Ben at some point.

[@TPChatter]

Very good video Mr Beat! Learned a lot as always ❤

[@iammrbeat]

Thank you buddy!

[@brotjack]

I love it when Steve from Blue's Clues talks about history. Keep it up

[@UndergroundSkat2000]

I love the opening statement "the rumors are true, I am Mr Beat" and "we call The Persian Gulf War, The Gulf War bc talking is hard..."

[@twodo]

I've seen people talk about the "Highway of Death" being a massacre of surrendering soldiers. No escape because of the two ended blockade and continuous bombing of the highway. If it was a massacre I feel like you should have mentioned it, and if it wasn't could you (or other viewers) give me some resources to read up on the situation?

[@guillemedina7908]

It wasn't a massacre

[@HarvestStore]

I appreciate you, thank you for making content.

[@themightydumbass]

Crazy, I just looked up “what was the gulf war” on KZbin and this video is only 5 days old lol perfect timing. Thank you!

[@chrisnemec5644]

One side story I remember seeing from this invasion was this: Some of the Iraqi troops did not have adequate supplies when they entered Kuwait, and ended up hunting for food in the Kuwait City zoo. When they were driven out, the zoo found that many of their animals were dead and shown signs of being cooked on their bones.

[@jets9629]

For someone who loves history So Much And Has a passion for it, I am very surprised that I have Never Heard Of This War so I am glad you covered it 😀.

[@JustinianG]

Can you check out my video on Saddam Hussein? I think it provides some good context for this war and others

[@iammrbeat]

Glad you are learning about it! :)

[@OMNIBAD]

Watch the movie “jarhead”

[@jets9629]

@Alfredo Cisneros I have Watched Jarhead.

[@rodrigovelasquez49]

Nice beard , Master Beat, thank you so much for all your magnificent work.

[@christophercambra3754]

Great video. I learned about the context of why Hussein invaded Kuwait in the first place because of this video. Thanks Mr. Beat for expanding my knowledge on this subject!

[@user-cg2tw8pw7j]

Damn George Bush, the Iraqi resistance and the sniper are strong, but this is not important. The lives of the American slaves are not important. Let's fight the Afghan Scythians.

[@kellyrankin8844]

The Gulf War may have been decisive, but I can tell you that the effects were far-reaching on the soldiers who went over there as well as their families back home. Living with someone who has PTSD as a 9 year old is terrifying and causes damage to your mental well-being for the rest of your life.

[@iammrbeat]

Well put

[@BartholomewJamesJones]

Mr Beast give me miney

[@liammcnicholas918]

Wrong guy

[@icemediapro]

Great vid. First visit to Channel and now a subscriber part way through this production.

[@chennis134]

Thanks. My APUSH teacher in 2008-09 didn't really talk about the Gulf War, so I never knew what it was about

[@TheAndrewSchneider]

Just noticed Afghanistan was on the map.

[@iammrbeat]

hee hee

[@icantcatch288]

What map

[@mr.biggs0907]

@@icantcatch288 map is at 7:16

[@The_Horse-leafs_Cabbage]

Maybe because it was overshadowed by the later Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but it's interesting how rarely I hear people talking about the Persian Gulf War. Especially when it, from my limited perspective, seems to act as a prologue to both wars. The more I learn about the Middle East, the more I appreciate its vibrant, consequential history and many many cultures. Tho some parts of the region certainly serve as cautionary tales against interventionist movements from outside powers (whether they be British, Russian, Soviet, or American). I'm oversimplifying with that last statement, of course. It's not like there'd be any complex politics to a regional crossroads of Arabic, Persian, Iranian, Turkish, and a myriad other cultures both still existing and long since extinct.

[@theawesomeman9821]

Plenty of Americans think Gulf War 1 and 2 were one single coninuous war since the break between them wasn't long.

[@bilalabawi9064]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@user-fn2mx6dd5k]

Remember britain and france caused it all

[@dennismetzger9287]

Or how the weapons used by Saddam where sold to him by Reagen and Gen. Oliver North in 1987.

[@subparnaturedocumentary]

i was 9 when the gulf war happened, i definitely remember the nonstop news coverage, the victory or coming home parade in woodbury new jersey, people wearing yellow ribbons or tying them to poles and trees, there was a small fear for awhile of scud missle attacks, my father was still working at the philadelphia navvy yard at the time and i recall my mom being scared the shipyard might get attacked lol it was on the verge of it eventual closure at the time so my dad laughed about it, the simpsons and the critic have a decent amount of show material from this era also.

[@steelhammer103]

Thanks for the video. I pretty much leaned about this war and the politics behind it from KZbin. I was born the year after it happened and I never learned much about in school growing up because it was considered too recent at the time. Also whenever I think of Iraq I think of the second invasion in 2003.

[@alonkatz4633]

(Not so) fum fact: I live 2 neighborhoods away from the only building that was destroyed in Israel during the Gulf War. If you walked around the area there, you would see a 3-story building after another, and then you would see much taller one. Nowdays, many of those 3-story buildings were since demolished because of their age. P.S. Congratulations for 700,000 subscribers, Mr. Beat. You deserve it.

[@iammrbeat]

Woah! I didn't even know! I hope to visit your fine country one day. Thanks for the support and congrats. :)

[@sadexe2k996]

@@iammrbeat no FUCK his country FREE PALESTINE

[@mafia_dave32]

I knew a guy who was in a tank during the main attack . His tank the Blitzkrieg broke down on the main attack and was left behind to get repaired . By the time it was fully functional (3 days) the other tanks were coming back in victory .

[@greenhat7618]

For those interested in more details of the war, the operations room made a great series on operation desert storm.

[@DavidJamesHenry]

I actually didn't know anything about this war, a great overview

[@gravity2500]

Bro really scrapped the S because he never missed a beat

[@YL0F]

💀

[@ruthlessambassadorofthecat9211]

MRBEAST

[@gunnerizized3444]

I’ve been listening to Bill Hicks a lot recently, and he talks about this war.

[@henrypage-jones9841]

Just started looking at this in college. Good timing!

[@iammrbeat]

Niiice :)

[@WeyounSix]

Thank you Mr. Beat for not overlooking the sad reality for the Iraqi citizens on the ground, them and the Kuwaiti civilians were the real victims of this conflict.

[@dj4160]

Mr. Beat talking about kuwait let's goo lol. Thank you for your content.

[@poopoohead7427]

Great video Beat Sama…great video

[@OFFICIALDJFLASHBACK]

Mr. Beat our main man in Kuwait City!

[@imnomoremaverick]

This war was so unanimously that Italy also joined the Coalition,with 8 attack fighters and several ships. Italy,which became neutral after WWII and refused to fight for 45 years, literally said "NAHH" and bombed Iraqi positions. My uncle served in that war inside the Italian Air Force and he told me many things, that's why I wrote a thesis about this war and all the consequences,even in media

[@thomast3570]

Italy covered landing US troop planes with armed vehicles.

[@imnomoremaverick]

@@thomast3570 not during the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War

[@thomast3570]

@@imnomoremaverick In Italy, my experience

[@imnomoremaverick]

@@thomast3570 I'm Italian,and as you can see I have an indirect and close experience with this war. And i can assure you that during the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War, Italy only provided the effort with 8 Tornados IDS,8 Corvettes,1 Missile Frigate,1 Refuelling Ship and 1 LHD. No armed ground vehicles were used

[@thomast3570]

@@imnomoremaverick I should have made it clearer that this was in Italy.

[@shaggythewriter8185]

The Raycon ear bud ad makes me think that "The Beat Goes On," will have a Ray Jay episode soon

[@skranz2732]

So well done!

[@Tawheed_Taqwa_Tawakkul]

Ideas for future videos: - Iran-Iraq War - Algerian War of Independence - The Sétif and Guelma massacre - The Nakba (The Palestinian Catastrophe) - First and Second Chechen War - The Srebrenica massacre

[@thestarseeker8196]

🙏🏻 I hope more in my part of the world learn about the Nakba and outside of the bias which is forced upon everybody.

[@Tawheed_Taqwa_Tawakkul]

@@thestarseeker8196 There is also the Sabra and Shatila massacre. The ideaology of zionism is not exclusive to the Jewish community, nor is there unanimous support. (ex: Neturei Karta) In reality, Arabic people are Semitic also (descendants of Sam/Shem).

[@Tawheed_Taqwa_Tawakkul]

@@thestarseeker8196 Bi'ithnillah, its astounding how much tax money, arms, and defense systems the US has supplied. There is the "Zionist lobby" in the US and they are well funded..Yet the Zionist regime refuses to send defensive arms to Ukraine. The opressed have become their former opessors. Carrying out mass forced population displacement, the internment and ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Christians and Muslims. The IDF provides "security" for illegal settlements blatantly breaking international law..all the while claiming victimhood.

[@mikeoxlong3676]

The Nakba needs to be talked about more. Israel accepted the two state solution and the Arabs responded by invading. After the Arabs lost they played the victim for 70 years.

[@Tawheed_Taqwa_Tawakkul]

The Nakba is ongoing. Also you have highlighted a key point, that this is forced population displacement along ethnic lines. Not only Muslims or Christians are effected. The rhetoric within the occupied state reflects this reality aswell. @@mikeoxlong3676