This paper highlights a group of historical events that bear the seeds of the current crisis. It also shed some light on some of the central concepts for understanding Kuwaiti political mobilization

It is not possible to understand a book by simply reading its last page. Likewise, it is not possible to understand what is happening in Kuwait today without reviewing the previous episodes of crises that have generated the state of affairs we see today, which many have described as a state of crisis from which it is difficult to exit without opening political wounds. This paper will highlight a group of historical events that bear the seeds of the current crisis. It will also briefly shed some light on some of the central concepts for understanding Kuwaiti political mobilization. The first of these concepts is the nature of the Kuwaiti government. The second is the current constitution, which defines not only the nature and roles of the three powers, but also the very nature of today’s current conflict.