The Dispute between the Royal Court and Nuri al-Said during the reign of King Ghazi and its impact on the political Situation in Iraq

Abstract

      The aim of this study is to shed light on the nature and causes of the intellectual and political conflict between the royal court and Nuri al-Sa’aeed, who lived during the monarchy under King Ghazi (1933-1939). The features of this conflict started to become apparent on the political scene after the military coup led by General Bakr Sidqi against Yasin al-Hashimi's government on October 29, 1936. This coup led to the downfall of al-Hashimi's government and the assassination of Defense Minister Ja’afar al-Askari, Nuri al-Sa’aeed 's brother-in-law. Following the coup, Nuri al-Sa’aeed accused King Ghazi of collaborating with the coup leaders, which exacerbated the conflict between them and transformed it into a personal animosity. King Ghazi's nationalist stance towards Arab states, particularly Palestine, his call for its complete independence from colonial powers, his demand for the annexation of Kuwait to Iraq, and his opposition to the policies of Nuri al-Sa’aeed and Britain all had a clear impact on the hostile plans devised by Britain in collaboration with its agents within Iraq, especially Nuri al-Sa’aeed. Nuri al- al-Sa’aeed orchestrated an assassination attempt against King Ghazi through a staged accident: the king's car collided with a power pole. However, inquiries and deductions revealed that King Ghazi was killed by a blow from a ball bearing. He was struck on the back of the head by his servant (the slave) who was sitting behind him in the car, contrary to what was stated in the medical report issued by the government.

     After the death of King Ghazi and the coronation of his young son, Faisal II, as King of Iraq, a dispute arose among the political forces regarding the selection of a regent. Following several meetings at the royal palace, Prince Abdul-Ilah was chosen as regent for King Faisal II until he reached the legal age in 1953.