State of repression : Iraq under Saddam Hussein / Lisa Blaydes.
2018
DS79.7
Items
Linked e-resources
Linked Resource
Online Access
Details
Title
State of repression : Iraq under Saddam Hussein / Lisa Blaydes.
Author
Blaydes, Lisa, 1975- author.
ISBN
9781400890323 (electronic book)
1400890322 (electronic book)
9780691180274
069118027X
1400890322 (electronic book)
9780691180274
069118027X
Published
Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, 2018.
Language
English
Description
1 online resource (xix, 354 pages) : illustrations
Call Number
DS79.7
Dewey Decimal Classification
956.7044
Summary
A new account of modern Iraqi politics that overturns the conventional wisdom about its sectarian divisions0How did Iraq become one of the most repressive dictatorships of the late twentieth century? The conventional wisdom about Iraq's modern political history is that the country was doomed by its diverse social fabric. But in State of Repression, Lisa Blaydes challenges this belief by showing that the country's breakdown was far from inevitable. At the same time, she offers a new way of understanding the behavior of other authoritarian regimes and their populations. Drawing on archival material captured from the headquarters of Saddam Hussein's ruling Ba'th Party in the wake of the 2003 US invasion, Blaydes illuminates the complexities of political life in Iraq, including why certain Iraqis chose to collaborate with the regime while others worked to undermine it. She demonstrates that, despite the Ba'thist regime's pretensions to political hegemony, its frequent reliance on collective punishment of various groups reinforced and cemented identity divisions. In addition, a series of costly external shocks to the economy--resulting from fluctuations in oil prices and Iraq's war with Iran-weakened the capacity of the regime to monitor, co-opt, coerce, and control factions of Iraqi society. In addition to calling into question the common story of modern Iraqi politics, State of Repression offers a new explanation of why and how dictators repress their people in ways that can inadvertently strengthen regime opponents.
Note
A new account of modern Iraqi politics that overturns the conventional wisdom about its sectarian divisions0How did Iraq become one of the most repressive dictatorships of the late twentieth century? The conventional wisdom about Iraq's modern political history is that the country was doomed by its diverse social fabric. But in State of Repression, Lisa Blaydes challenges this belief by showing that the country's breakdown was far from inevitable. At the same time, she offers a new way of understanding the behavior of other authoritarian regimes and their populations. Drawing on archival material captured from the headquarters of Saddam Hussein's ruling Ba'th Party in the wake of the 2003 US invasion, Blaydes illuminates the complexities of political life in Iraq, including why certain Iraqis chose to collaborate with the regime while others worked to undermine it. She demonstrates that, despite the Ba'thist regime's pretensions to political hegemony, its frequent reliance on collective punishment of various groups reinforced and cemented identity divisions. In addition, a series of costly external shocks to the economy--resulting from fluctuations in oil prices and Iraq's war with Iran-weakened the capacity of the regime to monitor, co-opt, coerce, and control factions of Iraqi society. In addition to calling into question the common story of modern Iraqi politics, State of Repression offers a new explanation of why and how dictators repress their people in ways that can inadvertently strengthen regime opponents.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Access Note
Access limited to authorized users.
Source of Description
Descirption based on prin version record.
Available in Other Form
State of repression.
Linked Resources
Online Access
Record Appears in
Online Resources > Ebooks
All Resources
All Resources
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Compliance and resistance under autocracy
State and nation-building in Iraq, 1973-1979
War burden and coalitional politics, 1980-1991
Political implications of economic embargo, 1991-2003
Collaboration and resistance in Iraqi Kurdistan
Political orientation and Ba'th Party participation
Rumors as resistance
Religion, identity, and contentious politics
Military service, militias, and coup attempts
Conclusion.
Introduction
Compliance and resistance under autocracy
State and nation-building in Iraq, 1973-1979
War burden and coalitional politics, 1980-1991
Political implications of economic embargo, 1991-2003
Collaboration and resistance in Iraqi Kurdistan
Political orientation and Ba'th Party participation
Rumors as resistance
Religion, identity, and contentious politics
Military service, militias, and coup attempts
Conclusion.