Oil has shaped way more than just cars and power, it has shaped how countries interact with one another on a global scale. For decades they've fought, negotiated and fought again to try and control nature's liquid gold.
The '80s and '90s tested how far nations were willing to go to get control. Wars started and cities burned while leaders kept talking about peace and future plans.
It was way more than just politics or business, it was a matter of pride and later on, survival. That’s how the endless race to keep the world running on oil started.
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Desert Storm press event, 1991
Leaders address U.S. troops at an airbase during Operation Desert Storm.
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Highway of Destruction, 1991
Destroyed vehicles line Kuwait’s Highway 80 after forces were bombed.
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Iran–Iraq war, 1980s
Iraqi units fire across the desert front during the beginning of the war.
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President George H. W. Bush visiting troops, 1990
The U.S. president greets the forces deployed for Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia.
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Coalition Commanders, 1991
U.S. military leaders listen during a Gulf War strategy session in Riyadh.
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Desert Shield, 1990
American soldiers stand ready in the Saudi desert.
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President Bush and General Schwarzkopf, 1990
The U.S. president tours Saudi Arabia with the top commander during Operation Desert Shield.
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Operation Desert Storm, 1991
A U.S. tank goes through the desert in the middle of the campaign to liberate Kuwait.
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Kuwait City, 1990
Columns of Iraqi soldiers roll through Kuwait at the start of the invasion.
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Oil well blaze, 1991
An oil well erupts in flames amid Kuwait’s liberation from Iraqi occupation.
