Winston's Folly: Imperialism and the Creation of Modern Iraq

Winston's Folly: Imperialism and the Creation of Modern Iraq. Christopher Catherwood. Constable. [pounds sterling]12.99. 268 pages. ISBN 1-84119-939-7. This book was first published in the U.S. It examines Churchill's role as Colonial Secretary in the creation of the Kingdom of Iraq in 1922. The need to stabilise the areas left after the Ottoman Empire's defeat in the Great War was crucial.

After giving the historical background the author discusses the various steps that led to the creation of Iraq, the need for Britain to balance French power with a new string of dependent states and the need to ward off Turkish threats for a revival of the empire. (Britain did not actually hold a League of Nations' mandate for Iraq but the relationship was virtually the same.) The author is critical of British policy not just in creating this artificial state but in perpetuating the minority Sunni domination of the majority Shi'ites. Although many of the author's asides border on the simplistic, he is right to say that Britain's mistake in the 1920s, and America's now, is to assume that 'nationalism is stronger than religion'.

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