Republican Guard (Iraq)
The Iraqi Republican Guard (Arabic: حرس العراق الجمهوري, romanized: Ḥaras al-ʿIrāq al-Jamhūrīy) was a branch of the Iraqi military from 1969 to 2003, which existed primarily during the presidency of Saddam Hussein. It later became known as the Republican Guard Corps, and then the Republican Guard Forces Command (RGFC) with its expansion into two corps. The Republican Guard was disbanded in 2003 after the invasion of Iraq by a U.S.-led international coalition.
"RGFC" redirects here. For the Scottish football club, see Rutherglen Glencairn F.C.Iraqi Republican Guard
1969
April 2003 (de facto)
23 May 2003 (de jure)
≈70,000–75,000 (as of 2002)
T-72 tanks
Lion of Babylon tanks
AK-47
TT-33
- Iran–Iraq War
- First Battle of Khorramshahr
- Operation Dezful
- Operation Nasr
- Operation Ramadan
- Operation Before the Dawn
- Operation Dawn (1983)
- Operation Dawn 3
- Operation Dawn-4
- Operation Dawn 5
- Operation Dawn 6
- Battle of the Marshes
- Operation Badr (1985)
- First Battle of al-Faw
- Battle of Mehran
- Second Battle of Al Faw
- Siege of Basra
- Tawakalna ala Allah Operations
- Operation Karbala-7
- Operation Karbala-8
- Persian Gulf War
- 1991 Iraqi uprisings
- Kurdish Civil War
- 2003 invasion of Iraq
Lt. Gen. Majid al-Dulaymi (I Corps Commander)
Lt. Gen. Ra'ad al-Hamdani
(II Corps Commander)
The Republican Guard were the elite troops of the Iraqi army directly reporting to Hussein, unlike the paramilitary force Fedayeen Saddam, and the ordinary Iraqi Army. They were better trained, disciplined, equipped, and paid than ordinary Iraqi soldiers, receiving bonuses, new cars, and subsidized housing.[2]
Operational history[edit]
Iran–Iraq War[edit]
Initially, the Guard had limited capabilities; however, during the Iran–Iraq War, it was expanded to five brigades, which was initially mostly used in counterattacks, notably in Operation Dawn-4. By 1986 the war had exhausted Iraq with both Iran and Iraq suffering heavy casualties. Iran had by then captured Al Faw Peninsula and generally pushed Iraqi forces beyond the pre-war border and captured territory inside Iraq, repulsing counterattacks by the Republican Guard. This, coupled with another defeat at the Battle of Mehran, caused the Iraqi Ba'ath Party to convene the Ba'ath Extraordinary Congress of July 1986.[5] During this Congress the Ba'ath Party decided on a new strategy to overhaul the Iraqi military and utilize Iraq's manpower capability. The government closed all colleges and universities and began a mass mobilization program to force draft dodgers into the Iraqi Popular Army. This decision allowed for the drafting of thousands of university students, who were sent to military summer camps. In addition, the military began accepting volunteers from throughout Iraq.
With this massive influx of manpower the Republican Guard expanded to over 25 brigades which were led by loyal officers drawn from the Iraqi military. This force then conducted the Tawakalna ala Allah Operations which, allowed for the eviction of the Iranians out of occupied Iraqi territory including the liberation of Al-Faw, as well as allowing for renewed major offensives into Iran.