Great Power Intervention in Iran

1925 - 1977

Great Power Intervention in Iran: When to Begin?

A. Alexander the Great?

B. Arab Invasion?

C. Genghis Khan?

D. Great Game – Britain and Imperial Russia

Pahlavi IranA. 1925: Reza Khan formally

becomes Shah– Qajars ousted

B. “Modernization from above”

C. Anglo-Persian Oil Co. concession annulled in 1932

D. UK pressure for a new contract– 1933 new concession

World War II

A. Sour relations with British over Anglo-Persian Oil Company (later AIOC)

B. An alliance with Germany?

Anglo-Soviet Invasion of Iran

World War II

A. Sour relations with British over Anglo-Persian Oil Company (later AIOC)

B. An alliance with Germany?C. 1941 British-Soviet InvasionD. 1941 Reza Shah abdicates– Establishment of Tudeh Party (pro-Soviet)– Mohammad Reza Shah becomes new king

E. 1942 Tripartite TreatyF. 1944 Majlis outlaws foreign oil concessions

Post-WWII

A. First crisis of Cold War: “Battle for Azerbaijan”– Soviet troops remain in Azerbaijan Province• Required to withdraw from Iran by 2 March 1946• Troop movement towards Tehran, 4 March 1946

– Ambassador Ala speech to UN• 21 March 1946

Post-WWII

A. The end of Soviet influence– Truman pressures the Soviets

– Ahmad Qavam’s empty promise to USSR

– 1946 Soviet “agreement”• Oil rights in exchange for troop withdrawal

– Soviets leave Iran, 10 May 1946

Mossadeq & Nationalization

A. The National Front– Alliance with Tudeh Party and with Kashani

B. Gen. Ali Razmara becomes Prime Minister– Assassinated 7 Mar 1951

C. Majlis votes Mossadeq as new PM– 29 Apr 1951

D. Nationalization of AIOCE. Worldwide boycott of Iran

After the Nationalization

A. Shah replaces Mossadeq with Qavam

B. Mossadeq returns– Declares “state of emergency”

Mossadeq returns

After the Nationalization

A. Shah replaces Mossadeq with Qavam

B. Mossadeq returns– Declares “state of emergency”

After Nationalization: 1953 Coup

A. Operation AJAX– 28 Mordad / August 19, 1953

B. Mohammad Reza Shah regains power

Mohammad Reza Shah

A. Ending the Oil Crisis– 1954 Oil Consortium

B. Renewed alliance with the West– Baghdad Pact 1955– Creation of security forces in 1957: SAVAK

C. The White Revolution– Pressure from Kennedy for “progressive” leadership– Khomeini: “White Revolution is a serious threat to

Islam” – Exiled 1964

“Policeman of the Gulf”

A. Image of a “strongman”B. Nixon Doctrine and the “Twin Pillars”– “Unlimited” quantities of nonnuclear weapons– IBEX and the surveillance of the Soviet Union– Fighting communism in the Persian Gulf

C. The Shah’s OPEC speech– OPEC as a price-setter– 1974 Petroleum Law

But how secure was the Shah’s throne?

Stay tuned…