According to French President François Hollande, the terrorist attacks in Paris —which claimed more than 120 lives — were the work of the Islamic State, better known as ISIS. The group rose to prominence in June 2014, when it seized Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city.
Watch: The origins of ISIS, explained in 3 minutes
Zack Beauchamp is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he covers ideology and challenges to democracy, both at home and abroad. His book on democracy, The Reactionary Spirit, was published 0n July 16. You can purchase it here.
But to understand the militant group, you have to understand where it came from — a story that really starts in the aftermath of America’s invasion of Iraq. The above video explains.
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