How could a country with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, once a formidable force in the Middle East, collapse in the blink of an eye?
In less than a month, an entire regime evaporated. Imagine Iraq in the early 2003 as a house that was once very magnificent but now is old and shaky, ready to collapse with a strong gust of wind. The head of that house was Saddam Hussein, a figure whose name alone sent shivers down many spines or commanded respect. He came to power in 1979 and for over two decades, he built a regime of iron and blood. He controlled everything, from the military and politics to the way people thought. His giant statues rose throughout Baghdad.
But behind that glittering facade, Iraq was crumbling. Many years of war and sanctions had drained this country. Before 2003, Iraq had endured a series of major wounds. The Iran-Iraq War from the 1980s lasted until 1988, resulting in millions of deaths, a devastated economy, and Iraq drowning in debt. Before it could recover, Saddam Hussein led the country into a new adventure by invading Kuwait in 1990. The result was the Gulf War the following year, where the US-led coalition defeated Iraq in a matter of weeks.
The Iraqi army was devastated, infrastructure like bridges and factories was destroyed. Then, the United Nations imposed severe economic sanctions. The people lacked food and medicine, while the military had insufficient modern weapons. Rusty tanks, planes that could barely take off, or were buried in the desert. Nevertheless, Saddam Hussein was not without forces to rely on. He had the Republican Guard, an elite force that was well-equipped and absolutely loyal. He also built a powerful propaganda system that made the people believe that Iraq was still a great power.
But what is the truth?
The Iraqi army, with about 375,000 disorganized soldiers, was exhausted after many days. Now, let's come to the fateful moment. On March 20, 2003, as the whole world turned its eyes to Iraq, the US, under the leadership of President George Bush, along with the UK, Australia, and some other allies, launched Operation Iraqi Freedom. The official reason given by the US was that Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction and had ties to terrorism, especially Al-Qaeda. Later, we learned that these accusations were not entirely accurate, but at that time, the US was determined to overthrow Saddam Hussein, and they did so very quickly. They launched a military campaign called Shock and Awe.
The sky over Baghdad on the night of March 20, 2003, was a cacophony of explosions, lights, and bombs, as well as missiles illuminating the entire city. B52 bombers, Tomahawk missiles, and stealth aircraft continuously bombed strategic targets. These included military command centers, Saddam Hussein's palaces, power plants, and communication facilities. In just a few hours, thousands of tons of bombs were dropped, making Baghdad feel like it was submerged in a firestorm.
The US objectives were clear: to strike directly at the brain of Iraq, to paralyze Saddam Hussein's command capabilities, and this tactic proved terrifyingly effective. Communication centers were destroyed, many Iraqi units could no longer communicate with each other. The command system of the Iraqi army collapsed within just a few days. Meanwhile, on the ground, coalition forces began their advance from the south, starting from the border with Kuwait. They captured major cities in just a few days. The Iraqi army, despite its size, could hardly resist.
Iraqi aircraft could not take off while coalition planes roamed freely in the sky. Moreover, the fighting spirit of Iraqi soldiers was very low. As a result, tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers fled or surrendered as soon as they saw the shadow of American troops. The US also employed extremely effective psychological warfare tactics. They dropped millions of leaflets over Iraqi cities, calling on soldiers to surrender with the promise of humane treatment. Coalition radio broadcast messages that demoralized Iraqi soldiers. In just 10 days, the coalition had advanced close to Baghdad, just a few dozen kilometers from the capital.
April 9, 2003, was a historic moment that the whole world could not forget. Just 20 days after the war began, US troops entered the center of Baghdad. This was the day that Saddam Hussein's regime officially collapsed. The image everyone remembers is a group of Iraqis, with the support of American soldiers, pulling down the giant statue of Saddam Hussein in Firdos Square. This scene was broadcast live worldwide as a symbol of the end of an era. As American troops advanced to the outskirts of Baghdad, they faced Saddam Hussein's last forces, the Republican Guard. This was the most elite army, well-equipped and believed to fight to the end to protect the capital.
But what is the reality?
Even the Republican Guard could not withstand the overwhelming power of the coalition. The US used artillery, air power, and tanks to crush these units. Fierce battles took place in the west and south of Baghdad, but the Iraqi forces were quickly overwhelmed. Notably, in these final days, no one knew where Saddam Hussein was. He had disappeared from Baghdad as soon as the war began. Some said he had prepared secret bunkers underground, but the truth was he was constantly moving from one house to another to avoid detection.
When Baghdad fell, the Iraqi regime completely disintegrated. There was no one to command, no one to organize resistance; generals and high-ranking officials either fled or were captured. On April 9, when American tanks entered the center of Baghdad, they encountered almost no resistance. Government buildings, museums, and even hospitals were looted clean. This chaos was the first sign of the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.
So why did Iraq collapse so quickly?
Let's analyze further. First, the military strength of the coalition was a key factor. The US and its allies not only outnumbered in weapons but also in technology. Laser-guided missiles, reconnaissance satellites, and drones allowed them to strike precisely at each target. Meanwhile, Iraq had almost no air force, and the military technology gap was too great. Furthermore, Iraq was already severely weakened before the war began.
More than a decade of economic sanctions had drained this country, with people lacking food and medicine, and the military not maintaining its weapons. Thirdly, the internal disintegration of Saddam Hussein's regime was an important factor. His government relied on the loyalty of a small group, mainly Sunni. When the war began, generals and high-ranking officials began to flee. He lost control, and the command system collapsed like a sandcastle. There was no one to organize resistance, no one to lead the army. But the story does not end there. Even after Saddam Hussein was overthrown, he remained in hiding for many months.
By December 2003, US troops finally found him in a small hole near his hometown. But his downfall was not the end of a tragedy called Iraq. Many believed that once he was overthrown, Iraq would become a peaceful and prosperous country. But no, in reality, the rapid collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime opened a new chapter full of chaos. When Baghdad fell, there was no one to run the country. The Iraqi army was disbanded, the police were gone, the government disintegrated, resulting in rampant looting, the rise of criminal gangs, and society fell into chaos.
Museums containing thousands of years of Iraq's cultural heritage were looted clean. Hospitals ran out of medicine, schools were closed. The Iraqi people, who had already suffered from sanctions, now faced an uncertain future. Moreover, the collapse of Saddam Hussein ignited ethnic and religious conflicts within Iraq. Under his rule, the Sunnis held power even though they made up only one-fifth of the population. When the US handed power to the majority Shia, the Sunnis felt sidelined. This led to armed uprisings. From 2004, Iraq fell into an unofficial civil war with tens of thousands of deaths.
The US itself also made serious mistakes after the victory. One of the most disastrous decisions was to completely disband the Iraqi army and implement a de-Baathification policy, expelling all those who had worked for Saddam Hussein from the government. Tens of thousands lost their jobs, teachers, doctors, officers, many of whom, out of anger and having nothing to lose, joined insurgent groups.
The story of Iraq's collapse in 2003 is one of the most tragic in modern history. In just 20 days, a regime that once made the whole world fearful vanished into thin air. But that victory did not bring peace; instead, it opened a period of instability with consequences that the Iraqi people have endured for decades and continue to face today.