ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

The Gulf War Did Not Take Place

Okay, so remember the time when you and your friend got into an argument about something and then you both had different stories about what happened? That's kind of like what happened with the Gulf War. Some people say that it happened and some people say that it didn't happen.

But first, let's talk about what the Gulf War is. The Gulf War happened a long time ago, in 1990. It was a big fight between some countries in the Middle East and a bunch of other bigger countries. The main fight was between Iraq (which was led by a guy named Saddam Hussein) and a group of countries that were led by the United States.

Now, some people believe that the Gulf War didn't actually happen because they think that it was all just a made-up story that people in power told everyone. They think that the countries that were supposedly fighting in the war were actually just pretending to fight each other, and that it was all just a big show for the world to see.

One reason why people might believe this is because sometimes politicians and other people in power will say one thing to the public and then do something different behind the scenes. So some people think that maybe the countries involved in the Gulf War were just playing a game of pretend, so that they could still get what they wanted without actually fighting a real war.

But, there are other people who say that the Gulf War definitely happened and that it was a real, actual conflict. They say that there is a lot of evidence to support the idea that it really did happen. For example, there are lots of stories from soldiers who say that they were there and fought in the war. There are also lots of pictures and videos that were taken at the time that show the fighting and the destruction that resulted from it.

So, in short, some people think that the Gulf War was just a made-up story or a big show, while others think that it was a real war that happened a long time ago. It's hard to say for sure either way, but it's an interesting thing to think about!