In its attempt to control state and society, from ideological and cultural points of view, the Iraqi Ba‘th used madrasat al-i‘dad al-hizbi (the party preparatory school) as the vehicle for training its cadre and for expanding the ideological education of existing members. The talk will explore, by using the original documents of the Ba‘th Party, how the school operated, how members were chosen to attend, the courses given and the role it played in developing the ideology of the party. The Ba‘th party’s dominance in Iraq was more than simply holding on to power. While it did not directly govern; it led, directed and controlled all institutions of governance: army, security services, government bureaucracy, and mass organizations such as labor unions. Thus, preparing the elite that controlled these different organizations of the state was a vital task. The talk will underline the linkage to the political indoctrination of the masses, and will analyze the impact of this ideology on policies such as creating the cult of personality for Saddam Hussein and launching the faith campaign.