Key Facts
- Date
- Early April 2003
- Iraqi soldiers killed
- Over 2,000
- Coalition troops killed
- 34
- Victory declared
- April 15, 2003
- Mission Accomplished speech
- May 1, 2003
Strategic Narrative Overview
U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division spearheaded the assault on Baghdad, conducting armored raids into the city before consolidating control. Iraqi resistance, while fierce in places, could not withstand coalition firepower and maneuver. The city fell in early April 2003. Coalition forces subsequently entered Kirkuk on April 10 and Tikrit on April 15, completing the sweep of major urban centers held by the regime.
01 / The Origins
Three weeks into the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Coalition Forces Land Component Command converged on the Iraqi capital. The invasion was launched to dismantle Saddam Hussein's regime, based on claims of weapons of mass destruction and alleged links to terrorism. Baghdad, as the seat of Baathist government and military command, became the decisive objective of the coalition's rapid advance northward through Iraq.
03 / The Outcome
The United States declared victory over Saddam Hussein's regime on April 15, 2003, and President George W. Bush delivered his Mission Accomplished speech on May 1. Baghdad suffered severe damage to civilian infrastructure, its economy, and cultural heritage from the battle and subsequent looting and arson. The fall of the capital ended conventional combat but ushered in a prolonged insurgency and sectarian conflict.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Buford Blount (3rd Infantry Division).
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.