Abstract
This paper challenges the prevailing narrative of the 1991 Persian Gulf War as a popular war. While support for war against Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, was evident, it was not universally shared by U.S. citizens. Substantial antiwar rallies occurred during the build-up to war. In addition, soldiers who refused orders grew rapidly during the short conflict. This paper documents the considerable tide of antiwar dissent, with special attention given to GI resisters. A related focus is the underreporting and mismanagement of conscientious objector claims during the war, which is inseparable from the general tendency to discourage and reduce dissent. Scholarly studies have all but ignored this GI resistance, and the very suggestion that there was a viable GI antiwar movement during the Persian Gulf War is likely to arouse doubt and suspicion. By foregrounding GI opposition, and how the military systematically attempted to expunge it, this essay helps to illustrate that the so-called popular war was met with significant resistance.