Operation Desert Storm Timeline

Iraqi forces launched their only major ground offensive of the war, briefly capturing the Saudi border town of Khafji. Saudi and Qatari forces, supported by US Marines and airstrikes, recaptured the town within days, inflicting heavy Iraqi casualties.

Image source: Battle of Khafji

After weeks of air bombardment, coalition ground forces launched a sweeping offensive. General Norman Schwarzkopf executed a 'left hook' maneuver, sending armored divisions deep around Iraqi lines through the western desert while Marines drove directly into Kuwait.

Image source: Liberation of Kuwait campaign

British and American armored units engaged the Iraqi Republican Guard in the second-largest tank battle of the war. Coalition forces destroyed hundreds of Iraqi vehicles while suffering remarkably few casualties, demonstrating overwhelming conventional superiority.

Image source: Battle of Norfolk

Coalition aircraft attacked retreating Iraqi military columns fleeing Kuwait City along Highway 80 northward, destroying thousands of vehicles. The images of devastation sparked controversy about the proportionality of attacks on withdrawing forces.

Image source: Highway of Death

A fierce tank engagement occurred when the US 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment encountered the Iraqi Tawakalna Division in a blinding sandstorm. Despite being outnumbered, American forces used superior technology and training to devastate the Republican Guard unit.

Image source: Battle of 73 Easting

Kuwaiti resistance fighters raised their flag over the liberated capital as Arab coalition forces entered Kuwait City. Iraqi troops fled northward in disarray amid continued coalition bombardment of their retreat routes.

The US 1st Armored Division defeated the Iraqi Medina Division of the Republican Guard in one of the largest tank battles of the war. American M1 Abrams tanks proved decisively superior, destroying dozens of Iraqi T-72 tanks with minimal losses.

Image source: Battle of Medina Ridge

Exactly 100 hours after the ground offensive began, Bush announced a unilateral ceasefire, declaring Kuwait liberated. The decision to end the war without marching to Baghdad remains one of the most debated choices of the conflict.

Image source: George H. W. Bush

Encouraged by American calls to rise up against Saddam Hussein, Shia in the south and Kurds in the north launched rebellions. The regime brutally crushed both uprisings, prompting a humanitarian crisis and subsequent Western intervention to protect Kurdish refugees.

Image source: 1991 Iraqi uprisings

General Schwarzkopf met with Iraqi military commanders at Safwan to formalize ceasefire terms. Iraq accepted conditions including the return of prisoners and the establishment of a demilitarized zone along the Kuwait-Iraq border.

Schwarzkopf, commander of coalition forces, briefed Congress and the public on the strategy behind the war. His famous briefing video showing precision strikes became iconic, cementing his status as a national hero.

Image source: Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.

Iraq formally accepted UN Resolution 686, which required it to rescind its annexation of Kuwait, accept liability for damages, release prisoners, and return seized property. This marked the official legal conclusion of combat obligations.

Resolution 687 established formal ceasefire terms and created UNSCOM to verify the destruction of Iraq's chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons programs. It also extended economic sanctions until compliance could be verified.

A multinational humanitarian operation delivered aid to hundreds of thousands of Kurdish refugees fleeing Iraqi repression in northern Iraq. A no-fly zone above the 36th parallel was established to protect them, beginning a long-term containment policy.

Image source: Operation Provide Comfort

Under Resolution 692, Iraq accepted liability for losses caused by its invasion of Kuwait. The UN Compensation Commission processed billions of dollars in claims from individuals, businesses, and governments affected by the invasion.

A massive ticker-tape parade in New York City and a national celebration in Washington honored returning Gulf War troops. The swift victory with relatively few coalition casualties boosted American confidence after decades of post-Vietnam uncertainty.

Image source: National Victory Celebration

Following the war, coalition aircraft patrolled no-fly zones over northern and southern Iraq to protect Kurdish and Shia populations. Enforcement continued intermittently for over a decade until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Image source: Iraqi no-fly zones conflict