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How did the Gulf War shape global politics and military strategy going forward?

Delle Matteotti

Well, the Gulf War definitely had a huge impact on the world and changed the way we view military strategy and global politics. First and foremost, it marked the United States as the world's preeminent military power. The speed and effectiveness of the Allied coalition's victory over Saddam Hussein's forces demonstrated the superiority of American military tactics and technology, and showed the world that America was not to be trifled with.

The war also had a significant impact on the Middle East. The U.S. and its allies' ability to muster a coalition of countries from around the world to expel an occupying force from Kuwait was unprecedented in the region. It also underlined the importance of oil in the global political landscape. After the Gulf War, the U.S. and other Western powers worked to create new alliances and deepen existing ones with major oil-producing countries like Saudi Arabia.

The war also demonstrated the limitations of military force in achieving long-term political goals. The U.S. may have been able to remove Saddam from Kuwait, but they did not achieve their larger strategic objective of removing him from power altogether. This would eventually lead to the U.S. intervening again in Iraq more than a decade later.

Another important result of the Gulf War was the strengthening of international institutions like the United Nations. The U.N. played a key role in authorizing the use of military force to expel Iraq from Kuwait, and subsequent sanctions against Iraq were also put in place through the U.N. This demonstrated the ability of the international community to work together to resolve conflicts.

Overall, the Gulf War had a significant impact on global politics and military strategy going forward. It solidified the U.S.'s position as the world's preeminent military power, underlined the importance of oil in the global political landscape, and demonstrated the importance of international institutions in resolving conflicts. However, it also highlighted the limitations of military force in achieving long-term political goals.