Kurdish History Journal
Articles filed under Wars and Resistance.
From 23 February to 6 September 1988, Iraqi state forces carried out the eight-stage Anfal campaign against rural Kurdish communities. Its history is documented through survivors’ accounts, captured government records, forensic investigation and the later Iraqi tribunal judgment.
Read article →The Barzani campaigns changed across the Iraqi monarchy, Mahabad, exile and renewed war. Museum research and diplomatic documents explain air power, divided leadership and dependence on foreign support.
Read article →The conflicts associated with Sheikh Said, Mount Ararat and Dersim shared a struggle over state power and Kurdish society, but differed in leadership, organisation and the targeting of civilians. Their histories should be compared without collapsing them into one revolt.
Read article →The 19th-century wars that destroyed Kurdish autonomy: Baban, Soran, Botan, Bedr Khan, and Yezdanser vs Ottoman centralisation.
Read article →The Ayyubid army combined Kurdish and Turkish military networks, revenue assignments and campaign logistics. Its victories and limits emerge from scholarship and medieval accounts.
Read article →The Hasanwayhids, Annazids, Marwanids, Rawwadids and Shaddadids fought for towns, fortresses and succession. Their histories reveal changing alliances and different paths into imperial dependence.
Read article →Inscriptions, administrative records and Greek narratives reveal changing conflicts along the Zagros and neighbouring northern highlands. They also describe trade, agriculture and imperial government: the evidence is richer than a story of permanent mountain resistance.
Read article →This archive brings together dated sources on the Iran–Iraq War, attacks in June 2025 and the escalation beginning on 28 February 2026. The selected 2026 humanitarian report covers 28 February–17 March. A separate map notebook lets readers organise their own notes; it supplies no live incident feed.
Read article →A dated account of the war’s opening and its early Kurdish dimension: Iranian Kurdish coalition statements, Kurdistan Region diplomacy and attacks documented in northern Iraq. Later reports are identified by date rather than presented as same-day live updates.
Read article →The uprising that began in February 1925 brought military suppression and exceptional powers. Original legislation, parliamentary records and research on newspapers explain how its consequences extended beyond the battlefield.
Read article →Selected records trace Iraqi Kurdish armed struggle, negotiations and institution-building from the 1960s to Sinjar in 2015. Diplomatic memoranda, a human-rights investigation and regional parliamentary history show changing partnerships and the experiences of civilians alongside military events.
Read article →The Peshmerga in Iraq and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces developed through different institutions and alliances. Their anti-ISIS campaigns, coalition relationships, civilian responsibilities and the changes reported in 2026 require a history of particular organisations rather than one undifferentiated Kurdish army.
Read article →The history of genocide against Iraqi Kurds is documented in survivor testimony, government records and investigations of mass disappearance. Understanding Anfal also requires careful attention to dates, casualty estimates, recognition and families’ continuing search for relatives.
Read article →The aftermath of World War I reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East, igniting a wave of nationalism among various ethnic groups, including the Kurds. This blog post explores how the events of the Great War influenced Kurdish aspirations and identity, touching on their rich kurdish history, the role of kurdish public figures, and the enduring kurdistan culture and heritage. Understanding this context is crucial for grasping the complexities of modern Kurdish political movement...
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