When people ask what happened during the Gulf War, they usually picture green-tinted night vision footage and Scuds exploding over Riyadh. It feels like a lifetime ago. Honestly, it kind of was. But if you look closely at the headlines today, the fingerprints of that 1990-1991 conflict are all over our modern world. It wasn't just a desert skirmish. It was the moment the world realized that war had gone digital, and the geopolitical map of the Middle East was rewritten in permanent ink.
On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein sent Iraqi tanks rolling into Kuwait. Within hours, the tiny, oil-rich nation was swallowed. Why? Money, mostly. Iraq was broke after an eight-year slog with Iran. Saddam accused Kuwait of "slant-drilling" across the border and overproducing oil to drive prices down. He thought the West wouldn't care. He was wrong. President George H.W. Bush famously declared, "This will not stand," and the wheels of Operation Desert Shield began to turn.
The Massive Buildup of Desert Shield
Before a single shot was fired in the actual liberation of Kuwait, the world witnessed the largest military buildup since World War II. It was massive. Over 500,000 U.S. troops were deployed to the Saudi Arabian desert. They weren't alone. A coalition of 35 nations joined in, ranging from the UK and France to unexpected partners like Egypt and Syria. This wasn't just a "U.S. thing." It was a global statement.
Life in the desert was brutal for the soldiers. Sand got into everything. Boots, MREs, rifle chambers. Boredom was the primary enemy for months. They waited. While they waited, the UN passed Resolution 678, giving Iraq until January 15, 1991, to get out. Saddam didn't budge. He called it the "Mother of All Battles." He seemed convinced that the U.S. lacked the stomach for casualties after the Vietnam experience.
What Happened During the Gulf War: The Air Campaign
When the deadline passed, the boredom ended instantly. At roughly 2:38 a.m. on January 17, 1991, Apache helicopters took out Iraqi radar sites. This opened a "corridor" for the most sophisticated air campaign in history. If you want to understand what happened during the Gulf War, you have to understand the sheer scale of the bombardment. For 42 days, coalition planes flew over 100,000 sorties.
They dropped "smart bombs." This was the public's first real look at laser-guided munitions. We saw grainy videos of bombs flying down elevator shafts. It looked like a video game. But on the ground, it was devastating. Iraq's command and control were decapitated in the first 24 hours. Their air force? Mostly destroyed on the ground or flown to Iran to "hide" (where the planes were promptly confiscated).
Saddam tried to widen the war. He launched Scud missiles at Israel. The goal was simple: provoke Israel to strike back, which would likely cause the Arab members of the coalition to quit. It was a gamble. It almost worked. But the U.S. rushed Patriot missile batteries to Israel and begged them to stay out of it. Israel sat tight. The coalition held.
The 100-Hour Ground War
By late February, the air campaign had turned the Iraqi army into a shell of itself. On February 24, the ground invasion—Operation Desert Storm—began. It was supposed to be a bloodbath. Military analysts predicted thousands of American deaths.
It lasted 100 hours.
That’s it. Four days and some change. The Iraqi "elite" Republican Guard was outflanked in what General Norman Schwarzkopf called the "Hail Mary" maneuver. Instead of attacking the teeth of the Iraqi defenses along the Kuwaiti border, the coalition swung wide through the open desert to the west. They cut off the retreat.
The images from the "Highway of Death" remain some of the most haunting of the era. Iraqi columns retreating from Kuwait City were caught in a bottleneck and decimated. It was a one-sided slaughter that eventually led to a ceasefire. By February 28, Kuwait was liberated.
Environmental Terrorism and the Oil Fires
One of the most horrific things about what happened during the Gulf War wasn't the combat, but the scorched-earth policy Saddam enacted as his troops fled. They set fire to over 600 oil wells.
The sky over Kuwait turned black. Literally. Noon looked like midnight. It was an ecological catastrophe that took nearly a year to extinguish. Firefighters from around the world, like the legendary Red Adair, had to use dynamite to "blow out" the fires because water couldn't touch the heat. Millions of barrels of oil were also intentionally dumped into the Persian Gulf, killing countless birds and marine life. It was spite on a global scale.
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The Long-Term Fallout: Gulf War Syndrome
Victory felt clean at the time, but the aftermath was messy. Thousands of returning veterans began reporting a strange cluster of symptoms: chronic fatigue, joint pain, memory loss, and respiratory issues. This became known as Gulf War Syndrome.
For years, the government was skeptical. Was it the fumes from the oil fires? Was it the PB (pyridostigmine bromide) pills given to protect against nerve gas? Was it exposure to depleted uranium rounds? Recent research, including studies by Dr. Robert Haley at UT Southwestern, has pointed strongly toward low-level exposure to Sarin nerve gas after the demolition of the Khamisiyah munitions depot. It’s a sobering reminder that the "clean" tech war had very real, very lingering human costs.
Misconceptions About the Ending
A common question is: "Why didn't they just go to Baghdad and get Saddam?"
It’s a valid point. The coalition stopped at the border of Iraq. The mandate from the UN was strictly to liberate Kuwait, not to topple the Iraqi government. General Schwarzkopf and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Colin Powell were wary of "mission creep." They remembered Vietnam. They didn't want to occupy a hostile Arab nation.
However, this decision had consequences. Saddam stayed in power. He used his remaining military might to brutally crush uprisings by the Kurds in the north and the Shiites in the south. The "no-fly zones" that followed would keep the U.S. entangled in Iraqi airspace for the next 12 years, eventually leading to the 2003 invasion.
Why It Still Matters Today
The Gulf War was the bridge between the Cold War and the War on Terror. It proved that the "Vietnam Syndrome" (the American public's hesitation to use military force) could be overcome with a clear objective and overwhelming tech. It also fundamentally changed how we see war. It was the first "CNN War," where people watched live broadcasts of anti-aircraft fire over Baghdad from their living rooms.
The geopolitical shifts were equally massive.
- Permanent Presence: The U.S. kept a significant military presence in Saudi Arabia, which became a major talking point for extremist groups like Al-Qaeda.
- Sanctions: Iraq was placed under a grueling sanctions regime that lasted until 2003, devastating the civilian population.
- Technology: GPS, which we now use to find the nearest Starbucks, was first proven on a mass scale by soldiers navigating the featureless Iraqi desert.
Actionable Insights for History Enthusiasts
If you want to truly understand the nuances of this era, don't just stick to the history books. There are specific ways to dig deeper into the reality of the conflict.
1. Analyze the Powell Doctrine
Research the "Powell Doctrine" created by Colin Powell. It emphasizes using overwhelming force and having a clear exit strategy. Compare it to modern "limited" engagements. You'll see why the 1991 war was so short compared to later conflicts.
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2. Explore the Environmental Impact Reports
Look up the "Kuwaiti Oil Fire" reports from the EPA and international agencies. They offer a terrifying look at how modern warfare can be used for environmental sabotage, a tactic that remains a threat in global security today.
3. Watch the Unedited Footage
Go beyond the 30-second clips. Documentary footage from the frontline (like the documentary "The Gulf War" by PBS Frontline) shows the perspective of the soldiers on both sides, revealing a much less "sanitized" version of the war than what was shown on nightly news in 1991.
4. Study the Weaponry Transition
Look at the transition from the M60 Patton tank to the M1 Abrams. The Gulf War was the first real "proving ground" for the Abrams. Understanding the technical superiority of the coalition's armor explains why the ground war was a 100-hour blowout rather than a months-long grind.
The Gulf War was a turning point. It wasn't just a brief moment in history; it was the start of the world we live in now. From the tech in your pocket to the tension in the Middle East, the echoes of Desert Storm are still very much alive.