The Iraq War is one the crucial events of early 21st century history. In many ways it defines the unipolar moment, a historical period where American global power truly stood unchallenged. The events leading up to the war, and the way in which it was justified by the Bush administration, still dominate most people's conception of the conflict. However, the fact that most popular histories of the Iraq war focus on its dubious casus belli tends to obscure what is a fascinating military campaign, one that had a pivotal role in shaping the 21st century global order.

This video is a military history of the Iraq War, one that is almost completely engaged in a technical military analysis of the campaign, rather than the legality of the conflict, Weapons of Mass Destruction or the truthfulness of the Bush administration. Part 1 covers the historical and strategic background to the conflict, including a discussion of the IraqiAmerican strategic relationship, the state of the American and Iraqi militaries in the 1990s, the development of critical American doctrine and technology, campaign planning and then a blow by blow account of the conventional phase of the war.

Although it was followed by a disastrous civil war and insurgency, the conventional phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom was one of the most brilliant military campaigns in modern history. In just 20 days, coalition forces dismembered Baathist Iraq, capturing Baghdad and defeating an Iraqi army that outnumbered them by 5 to 1. It was a triumph of technology and doctrine, a victory that is often obscured by both the war's dubious casus belli and the bloody and painful insurgency which lasted for nearly a decade after the invasion. Despite these strategic blunders, as a piece of operational art it is an amazingly successful military campaign, and certainly one that deserves more attention from military historians.

0:00 A Military History
5:10 Desert Storm, AirLand Battle and the Second Offset Strategy
23:38 The RMA and the Reform of the US Military
31:32 The Iraqi Military in the 1990s
41:09 Neither War nor Peace
46:01 Shock and Awe: Planning for the Invasion
56:33 Saddam's Strategic Indifference
1:04:11 The Coalition Order of Battle
1:09:23 Initial Operations Special Forces, Um Qasr and the Air Campaign
1:25:10 Nasiriyah and the Ambush of the 11th Attack Helicopter Regiment
1:42:16 The Mother of All Sandstorms and the Operational Pause
1:50:08 Technological, Doctrinal and Qualitative Dominance
2:01:46 The Karbala Gap and the Siege of Basrah
2:15:49 The Battle of Baghdad
2:28:48 Decisive Victory, Elusive Peace