Saddam Hussein Biography

12 Questions

Where was Saddam Hussein born?

Al-Awja, near Tikrit, Iraq

In which year did Saddam Hussein become the President of Iraq?

1979

What ideology did the Ba'ath Party espouse?

Ba'athism

What role did Saddam Hussein play in the 17 July Revolution?

He was appointed vice president

What action did Saddam Hussein take upon taking power in 1979?

He instituted the Ba'ath Party Purge

Which war did Saddam Hussein preside over during his time as Vice President?

Second Iraqi–Kurdish War

Why did Saddam order the 1980 invasion of Iran?

To capture Iran's Arab-majority Khuzistan province

What led to Saddam's execution in 2006?

Crimes against humanity related to the killing of Iraqi Shi'a

Why were sanctions placed against Iraq by the United Nations?

For Saddam's human rights abuses

How did Saddam Hussein's mother attempt to prevent his birth?

She attempted suicide

What was the outcome of the 1991 Iraqi uprisings led by Kurds and Shia Muslims?

The uprisings were suppressed by Saddam

What was one reason for the United States and its allies to invade Iraq in 2003?

Saddam's development of weapons of mass destruction

Study Notes

Saddam Hussein's Life and Rule

Saddam Hussein was born on April 28, 1937, in Al-Awja, near Tikrit, Iraq, to a peasant Sunni Arab family.
He joined the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in 1957 and played a key role in the 17 July Revolution.
Saddam nationalized the Iraq Petroleum Company in 1972, diversifying the Iraqi economy.
He was appointed vice president by Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and formally took power in 1979 after al-Bakr's resignation.

Wars and Conflicts

Saddam ordered the 1980 invasion of Iran, which ended in a ceasefire in 1988 after nearly eight years of war and an estimated one million lives lost.
He accused Kuwait of slant-drilling Iraqi oil fields and occupied Kuwait, leading to the Gulf War (1990-1991).
Iraq was defeated by a multinational coalition led by the United States, and the United Nations subsequently placed sanctions against Iraq.

Human Rights Abuses and Downfall

Saddam's rule was marked by numerous human rights abuses, including an estimated 250,000 arbitrary deaths and disappearances.
In 2003, the United States and its allies invaded Iraq, accusing Saddam of developing weapons of mass destruction and having ties with al-Qaeda.
Saddam was captured on December 13, 2003, and his trial took place under the Iraqi Interim Government.
On November 5, 2006, Saddam was convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging.
He was executed on December 30, 2006.