The Iraqi Republic period, from 1958 to 1968, was a transformative era in Iraq's history. It began with the 14 July Revolution in 1958, when a military coup led by Brigadier General Abdul Karim Qasim and Colonel Abdul Salam Arif overthrew the Hashemite monarchy. This revolution ended the monarchy established by King Faisal I in 1921 under the British mandate, transitioning Iraq into a republic.

Abdul Karim Qasim became the first Prime Minister and de facto leader of the new republic. His rule (1958–1963) was marked by significant socio-political changes, including land reforms and the promotion of social welfare. Qasim also withdrew Iraq from the pro-Western Baghdad Pact, sought to balance relations between the Soviet Union and the West, and played a pivotal role in the nationalization of the Iraqi oil industry in 1961.

The period was characterized by political instability and conflict, with tensions between communists and nationalists, as well as between different Arab nationalist groups. In 1963, a coup by the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, supported by the military, overthrew Qasim's government. Abdul Salam Arif became president, steering the country towards Arab nationalism. However, Arif's rule was short-lived; he died in a helicopter crash in 1966.

Following Arif's death, his brother, Abdul Rahman Arif, assumed the presidency. His tenure (1966–1968) continued the trend of political instability, with Iraq facing economic challenges and increased societal tensions. The Arif brothers' rule was less ideologically driven than Qasim's, focusing more on maintaining stability and less on socio-economic reforms.

The Iraqi Republic period ended with another Ba'athist coup in 1968, led by Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, who became the president. This coup marked the beginning of the Ba'ath Party's extended period of control in Iraq, which lasted until 2003. The 1958–1968 decade of the Iraqi Republic laid the groundwork for significant changes in Iraqi politics, society, and its position in the international arena.