After the end of the first world war and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq (then known as Mesopotamia) came under a British Mandate. We avoided the word ‘control’ in the last sentence as managing a new country and subjugating disparate ethnic and religious groups who felt that they had simply swapped one imperial Turkish master for another British one proved difficult – and costly. 

An uprising in Iraq in May 1920 was put down but required the deployment of more than 100,000 British and Indian troops. The military campaign in Iraq between 1920 and 1922 cost Britain over £40 million – money that Britain could ill afford after the first world war. 

To bolster state control and reduce the cost to the British taxpayer, it was decided to create an Iraqi military. The Iraqi Army was activated, based on the British model, in January 1921. 

In the almost 100 years since then, the Iraqi Army has gone through many changes and fought in several long conflicts.  Iraqi Army Day is seen as a day to recognise the role of the armed forces in protecting the state and honour those who have lost their lives in military service to the country. Beleaguered after years of fighting so-called Islamic State, the day is also partly to encourage new recruits and improve/repair the effectiveness of the Army.