Editing Iraqi Ground Forces (section)

===Republic declared===
{{Main|Iraqi Republic (1958–68)}}
[[File:Iraqi Soldiers, 1958.tif|thumb|A group of Iraqi soldiers, 1958.]]
The [[Hashemite monarchy]] lasted until 1958, when it was overthrown through a [[coup d'état]] by the Iraqi Army, known as the [[14 July Revolution]]. King [[Faisal II of Iraq]] along with members of the royal family were murdered. The coup brought [[Abd al-Karim Qasim]] to power. He withdrew from the [[Baghdad Pact]] and established friendly relations with the [[Soviet Union]].

When [[Abdul-Karim Qasim|Qāsim]] distanced himself from [[Gamal Abdel Nasser|Abd an-Nāsir]], he faced growing opposition from pro-Egypt officers in the Iraqi army. `Arif, who wanted closer cooperation with Egypt, was stripped of his responsibilities and thrown in prison. When the garrison in [[Mosul]] rebelled against Qāsim's policies, he allowed the Kurdish leader [[Mustafa Barzani|Barzānī]] to return from exile in the Soviet Union to help suppress the pro-Nāsir rebels.

The creation of the new Fifth Division, consisting of mechanized infantry, was announced on 6 January 1959, [[Army Day]].<ref>''[[The Times]]'', 'New Division for Iraq Army,' 7 January 1959</ref> Qāsim was also promoted to the rank of general.

In 1961, an Army build up close to [[Kuwait]] in conjunction with Iraqi claims over the small neighbouring state, led to a crisis with British military forces ([[British army|land]], [[Royal Navy|sea]], and [[Royal Air force|air]]) deployed to Kuwait for a period. In 1961, [[Kuwait]] gained independence from Britain and Iraq claimed sovereignty over Kuwait. As in the 1930s, Qasim based Iraq's claim on the assertion that Kuwait had been a district of the Ottoman province of Basra, unjustly severed by the British from the main body of Iraqi state when it had been created in the 1920s.<ref>Tripp, Charles. ''A History of Iraq''. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2002, p.165</ref> Britain reacted strongly to Iraq's claim and sent troops to Kuwait to deter Iraq. Qāsim was forced to back down and in October 1963, Iraq recognized the sovereignty of Kuwait.

Qāsim was assassinated in February 1963, when the [[Ba'ath Party]] [[February 1963 Iraqi coup d'état|took power]] under the leadership of General [[Ahmed Hasan al-Bakr]] ([[Prime Minister of Iraq|prime minister]]) and Colonel [[Abdul Salam Arif]] ([[President of Iraq|president]]). Nine months later `Abd as-Salam Muhammad `Arif led a successful coup against the Ba'ath government. On 13 April 1966, President Abdul Salam Arif died in a helicopter crash and was succeeded by his brother, General [[Abdul Rahman Arif]]. Following the [[Six-Day War]] of 1967, the Ba'ath Party felt strong enough to retake power (17 July 1968). Ahmad Hasan al-Bakr became president and chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC).