After World War I, Britain established Iraq and installed a ruler friendly to them. In the 1950s, this ruler was overthrown by military leaders. In 1979, Saddam Hussein took control of Iraq and was a harsh ruler who limited freedoms and executed political enemies. Iraq invaded Iran in the 1980s, leading to a long and devastating war that killed hundreds of thousands on both sides. In 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, leading to the Persian Gulf War in which a US-led coalition drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait in 1991.