4 1 ▁by ▁the ▁Golden ▁Square ▁officers , ▁head ed ▁by ▁R ash id ▁Ali . ▁The ▁short - l ived ▁pro - N azi ▁government ▁of ▁Ira q ▁was ▁defeated ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁by ▁the ▁Al lied ▁forces ▁in ▁the ▁Ang lo - I ra qi ▁War . ▁Ira q ▁was ▁later ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁base ▁for ▁Al lied ▁attacks ▁on ▁the ▁V ich y - F rench - h eld ▁Mand ate ▁of ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁Ang lo - S ov iet ▁invasion ▁of ▁Iran . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁Kur d ish ▁leader ▁Must af a ▁Bar z ani ▁led ▁a ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁the ▁central ▁government ▁in ▁Bag hd ad . ▁After ▁the ▁failure ▁of ▁the ▁u pr ising ▁Bar z ani ▁and ▁his ▁follow ers ▁fled ▁to ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁during ▁the ▁final ▁stages ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁Ira q ▁joined ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Arab ▁League . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁massive ▁violent ▁protest s , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Al - W ath bah ▁u pr ising , ▁broke ▁out ▁across ▁Bag hd ad ▁as ▁a ▁popular ▁demand ▁against ▁the ▁government ▁treat y ▁with ▁the ▁British , ▁and ▁with ▁commun ist ▁party ▁support . ▁More ▁protest s ▁continued ▁in ▁spring , ▁but ▁were ▁interrupted ▁in ▁May , ▁with ▁the ▁mart ial ▁law , ▁when ▁Ira q ▁entered