King of Iraq. He ascended to the throne at the age of three years upon the tragic death of his father, King Ghazi. Faisal's uncle Abd al-llah served as regent until Faisal came of age in 1953. As a child, he suffered from asthma. In April of 1941, Abd al-llah was briefly deposed by a military coup which aimed to align Iraq with the Axis powers, but he was quickly restored. As a teenager, Faisal attended Harrow School in England with his cousin King Hussein of Jordan. On May 2, 1953, he was able to fully assume the powers of his throne. Faisal relied heavily on the advice of both his uncle and longtime prime minister Nuri al-Sa'id, who were both considered pro-Western. There was growing opposition to his monarchy from the poor and middle class, who felt that the wealthy were the only ones who had any power in the country. During Faisal's reign, Iraq signed the Baghdad Pact in 1955, which aligned the country with the West. On February 14, 1958, Iraq and Jordan joined together as a federation to counter Syria and Egypt's formation of the United Arab Republic. In the summer of that year, King Hussein of Jordan asked Iraq for military assistance during the growing crisis in Lebanon. Iraqi troops under Abd al-Karim Qasim, who were supposed to be going to Jordan, marched on Baghdad instead and mounted a coup on July 14, 1958. Faisal quickly surrendered to the rebels and he, his uncle Abd al-llah, and most of the royal family were executed in the palace courtyard. Nuri al Sa'id, his longtime prime minister, was brutally murdered the next day. Faisal's death brought an end to the 37 year old Iraqi monarchy.
King of Iraq. He ascended to the throne at the age of three years upon the tragic death of his father, King Ghazi. Faisal's uncle Abd al-llah served as regent until Faisal came of age in 1953. As a child, he suffered from asthma. In April of 1941, Abd al-llah was briefly deposed by a military coup which aimed to align Iraq with the Axis powers, but he was quickly restored. As a teenager, Faisal attended Harrow School in England with his cousin King Hussein of Jordan. On May 2, 1953, he was able to fully assume the powers of his throne. Faisal relied heavily on the advice of both his uncle and longtime prime minister Nuri al-Sa'id, who were both considered pro-Western. There was growing opposition to his monarchy from the poor and middle class, who felt that the wealthy were the only ones who had any power in the country. During Faisal's reign, Iraq signed the Baghdad Pact in 1955, which aligned the country with the West. On February 14, 1958, Iraq and Jordan joined together as a federation to counter Syria and Egypt's formation of the United Arab Republic. In the summer of that year, King Hussein of Jordan asked Iraq for military assistance during the growing crisis in Lebanon. Iraqi troops under Abd al-Karim Qasim, who were supposed to be going to Jordan, marched on Baghdad instead and mounted a coup on July 14, 1958. Faisal quickly surrendered to the rebels and he, his uncle Abd al-llah, and most of the royal family were executed in the palace courtyard. Nuri al Sa'id, his longtime prime minister, was brutally murdered the next day. Faisal's death brought an end to the 37 year old Iraqi monarchy.
Bio by: Mr. Badger Hawkeye
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