Gulf War

1990–1991 Middle East Status: ended Casualties: ~40,000

Iraq's invasion of Kuwait reversed by Operation Desert Storm. 100-hour ground war. Coalition aircraft flew 100,000 sorties. Coalition stopped short of Baghdad, a decision that shaped the region for decades.

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Belligerents

Iraq
US-led 35-nation coalition

Casualties

~40,000

Key events

Aug 1990 — Iraq invades Kuwait
Jan 1991 — Operation Desert Storm air campaign
Feb 1991 — Ground war (100 hours)

Aftermath

Restored Kuwait. Established US as the sole superpower of the post-Cold War 'unipolar moment.' US military bases in Saudi Arabia (a stated grievance of Bin Laden) contributed to the rise of al-Qaeda → 9/11. UN sanctions on Iraq led to estimated 500K+ child deaths and set up the 2003 invasion.

Weapons & matériel

M1A1 Abrams tank (defining engagement: Battle of 73 Easting)
F-117 stealth fighter (combat debut)
Tomahawk cruise missile
GPS-guided munitions (early)
AWACS / J-STARS
Patriot vs Scud

Technology

First TV war (CNN), first GPS war, stealth aviation proven, precision-strike doctrine validated; '100-hour ground war'

Cost

~$61B; allies (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Japan, Germany) reimbursed ~$54B — net US cost ~$7B

Sources

Atkinson, Crusade
Gulf War Air Power Survey

From World at War, an interactive atlas by Jairus Pereira. Figures are approximate, drawn from Wikipedia, UCDP, ACLED and academic sources — a design artefact, not an authoritative register. Contact.