Military Allocations in Iraqi Budgets Through the Minutes of the Iraqi Chamber of Deputies 1925–1958

This study addresses the topic of the financial allocations for the Iraqi army in the state’s general budgets during the monarchical era for the period 1925–1958. It does so through an analysis of the minutes of the Iraqi Council of Representatives as a primary source that reflects the nature of parliamentary discussions related to military expenditure and the political and financial implications they carried concerning the Iraqi state's approach to managing its financial resources and determining its priorities in the fields of defense and security. The study aims to trace the development of financial allocations granted to the military institution, analyze the factors influencing their size, and clarify the positions of members of the parliament regarding these allocations in light of the political, military, and economic conditions that Iraq experienced during that period. The study relies on the historical analytical method, which is based on tracing historical phenomena and analyzing them within their chronological context. This was achieved by examining the Iraqi state's general budgets and the allocations assigned to the Ministry of Defense, as well as analyzing the discussions that took place within the Council of Representatives regarding them. The study depended primarily on the minutes of the parliamentary sessions, which constitute an important documentary source for studying Iraq’s political and financial history, In addition, the study utilized a number of primary sources and modern references dealing with the history of Iraq during the monarchical era, as well as documents and specialized studies addressing the development of the Iraqi military institution. The study also sought to highlight the relationship between the political and military developments that Iraq witnessed during the monarchical period and the size of the financial allocations directed to the Iraqi army. These allocations were closely linked to internal political transformations as well as regional and international developments, which directly influenced the state’s financial policy and priorities of public spending. The study shows that the establishment and development of the Iraqi army since the early years of the modern Iraqi state required the provision of financial resources to cover its various expenses. As a result, the military institution occupied an important position among the items of the state’s general budget. These expenditures included salaries of officers and soldiers, military allowances, training and equipment expenses, as well as the establishment of military camps and the expansion and organization of military formations. The study also demonstrates that the Iraqi state’s general budgets since the mid-1920s included regular allocations for the Ministry of Defense, and that these allocations witnessed noticeable variation from one year to another depending on the political and economic conditions that Iraq experienced, in addition to the influence of regional and international events in shaping the state’s defense policy. Furthermore, the study reveals that the Iraqi Council of Representatives represented an important arena for discussing issues of public expenditure, particularly military allocations. The minutes of its sessions included numerous discussions addressing the size of these allocations and the aspects of their expenditure, These discussions reflected differing views among members of parliament, some deputies emphasized the necessity of increasing financial allocations to the Iraqi army in order to strengthen its defensive capabilities and enable it to perform its duties in protecting the country, while others called for reducing or rationalizing military expenditures, particularly in light of the economic conditions facing the country and the need to allocate a larger share of state resources to civil and service sectors. The study also indicates that the volume of military allocations was significantly influenced by the political developments that Iraq experienced during the monarchical era, particularly during periods that witnessed the growing role of the military institution in political life. Iraq was also affected by major international events such as the Second World War and the accompanying changes in political and military balances of power in the region. This was reflected in increased attention to the military institution and a rise in financial allocations directed to it in certain years. In the post–Second World War period, particularly during 1945–1958, the Iraqi army witnessed notable development in its organizational structure and an expansion in its military formations. This required an increase in financial allocations directed to the Ministry of Defense. Successive Iraqi governments during this period sought to strengthen the capabilities of the Iraqi army through modernizing its military equipment and developing its training and administrative institutions in accordance with the political and military changes occurring in the region. The study reached several important conclusions, most notably that financial allocations for the Iraqi army constituted one of the main items in the state’s general budget during the monarchical era, and that the size of these allocations was largely influenced by the political and military circumstances experienced by Iraq, It also became clear that Iraqi governments sought to achieve a balance between the requirements of building a military institution capable of protecting the country and the economic capabilities available to the state. The study further shows that the Iraqi Council of Representatives played an important role in discussing the state’s general budget, including military allocations. Parliamentary debates reflected a level of concern with financial and military issues and demonstrated the nature of the relationship between the executive and legislative authorities in determining priorities of public expenditure. In light of the above, this study contributes to highlighting an important aspect of Iraq’s political, financial, and military history during the monarchical era by analyzing the financial allocations of the Iraqi army in the general budgets and the discussions surrounding them within the Council of Representatives, This helps in understanding the nature of the financial and military policies adopted by Iraqi governments during that period, as well as clarifying the role played by the legislative institution in discussing and evaluating those policies.