The history of modern Iraq is made up of many components, from the British occupation, to its monarch, the non-Iraqi Faisal, and its desire for a pan-Arab state. This document will present several events and topics that will allow the reader to understand the history of Iraq from 1920 to 1958 and what events occurred in that time period. Before we can begin to learn about the modern history of Iraq, we need to briefly learn about the events that led to the creation of the state, formerly known as Mesopotamia. Britain's occupation of Mesopotamia occurred less by design than by accident. Modern Iraq was an invention of British military and administrative convenience in the wake of the First World War. During the First World War the British wanted to defeat the Ottoman Empire at any cost, and at the end of 1914, when it was clear that Turkey, traditionally an ally of Great Britain, would enter the war on the side of the Central Powers and was mobilizing in the Gulf, Britain occupied Basra and al-Faw to “protect its strategic interests, communications and oil fields at the head of the Gulf”. Desperate to defeat the Ottomans, the Arab Government Office in Cairo issued letters and proclamations promising independence to Palestine, Syria and Mesopotamia, under British protection, in exchange for help in defeating the Ottoman Empire . British officials in India, who ran foreign policy east of the Suez Canal, feared the impact of Britain's involvement in Islamic affairs. When World War I ended, the British faced a series of dilemmas. First, the Arab Revolt had contributed to the end of the Ottoman Empire, and although Britain was occupied outside Turkey, so were the Arab allies who fought alongside the British officer T. E. Lawrence. Thanks to the effort... middle of paper... national monarchy with a democratic parliament, which slightly resembles the British model. However, it was supposed to prepare Iraqis for self-government, British advisors were placed in key ministries, and British and Indian army officers held important positions in the police force. Britain continued to manage foreign policy, as well as internal security policies. Most importantly, much of the old Ottoman bureaucracy was retained, and Indian Muslims from Bengal occupied lower-level jobs that should have gone to Iraqis. The British Mandate produced many irrigation projects for Iraq, as well as public health services, which were now a priority. priority over education. As a result, between 1920 and 1932, the nation experienced a population boom that nearly doubled Iraq's population. Iraq's modernization continued as the British built dams and restored canals.