Rashid Ali al-Gaylani
The 1941 Iraqi coup d'état (Arabic: ثورة رشيد عالي الكيلاني), also called the Rashid Ali Al-Gaylani coup or the Golden Square coup, was a nationalist and pro-German coup d'état in Iraq on 1 April 1941 that overthrew the pro-British regime of Regent 'Abd al-Ilah and Prime Minister Nuri al-Said and installed Rashid Ali al-Gaylani as prime minister. Iraq remained a co-belligerent state of the Axis Powers and ally of Nazi Germany until it fought against the United Kingdom during the Anglo-Iraqi War in May 1941, which resulted in the downfall of Ali's government, the reoccupation of Iraq by the British Empire and the restoration to power of the Regent of Iraq, Prince 'Abd al-Ilah, who was pro-German.