'IRAQ AND THE PERSIAN GULF' [‎208r] (420/862)

MODERN IRAQ 303
general Bekr Sidqi, which began with the assassination of Jafar al
Askari, one of the most notable of the governing clique, and ended with
that of Bekr himself in 1937. Bekr did not take office in person but
worked through a nominee cabinet, under Hikmet Sulaiman. A Party
of National Reform was founded which drew much of its inspiration
from the new Turkey of Kemal Ataturk and made proposals for the
radical modernization of Iraq. Some regarded Bekr as the Kemal
of Iraq, but the government of Hikmet showed itself no ‘stronger’
than its predecessors and did not survive Bekr’s death. Power re
verted to the elder statesmen such as Jamil Madfai, Rashid Ali al
Gailani, and Nuri as Said, turn in turn. But the moral had been
established that the benefits of government must be evenly and
widely distributed, and that the towns could neglect the countryside
only at their peril. Two large schemes of public works, a Five Year
Plan and a Four Year Plan, which had been first drafted in 1935,
were put in hand (p. 483). These schemes, which were financed by
the oil royalties, now yielding large sums, included the Kut barrage,
which should greatly improve conditions for the tribes along the
Gharraf channel. Efforts were made to dissociate the army from
politics, but at the same time a conscription law, which was not likely
to diminish military influence, was retained and amended (1938).
This controversial measure, first enacted in 1934, was dear to most
Iraqi nationalists because they hoped thereby to secure their Chosen
Instrument at a cheap rate. The tribes are traditionally averse from
any form of conscription, and the Shias dislike the subjection of
their sons to a predominantly Sunni organization. But the nationalists
maintain that conscription unites rather than perpetuates the
numerous internal divisions of the population.
The influence of the army in politics remained and increased, being
particularly successful in overturning ministeries of which it dis
approved and in preventing the punishment of political murders; it
was said to be much influenced by Italian and German propagandists.
After the outbreak of war in September 1939 Iraq broke off relations
with Germany, but army influence prevented a similar rupture with
Italy in 1940. The army seems to have filled the place left vacant in
politics by the death of King Faisal. His son Ghazi was not merely
lacking in experience through youth, but proved unworthy of his
father by personal vices and, what was worse, did not gain strength
of character as he grew up. The prestige of the Hashimite house,
never very great in Iraq, steadily declined, and after family scandals
a bill was passed to provide a Private Council for the control of the