WORLD WAR I & WORLD WAR II: An era of chaos and confusion
تورکمنچه, Iran. 1941. Photograph. Iran historical photographs gallery. Web.
<http://fouman.com/Y/Picture_View-World_War_II_British_Occupation_Iran_1941.htm>
The outburst of World War I caused Iran to see rapid changes in its relationships with the Western world. As World War I broke out in Europe in around August 1914, Iran remained neutral but eventually ended up joining with the Russian, Turkish, and British troops mainly due to oil supply. First, a group of Iranian notables led by Nezam os Saltaneh Mafi left Tehran to Kermanshah where they established a provisional government. This governmental system lasted during the war but eventually had to break up due to lack of support from the country. Before the war, through the Anglo-Russian Agreement in 1907 between Britain and Russia divided Iran into spheres of influences: Russia was in charge of the north along the Caucuses and the British claimed the south along the Persian Gulf and the east along British India (History of Iran). However, through the war, after the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia no longer had the right to control Iran and so Britain then took in charge of Tehran and promised to provide Iran with a loan and with advisers to the army, which later became known as the Anglo Persian Agreement of 1919 (History of Iran). Many Majlis refused to approve this agreement, but it died towards the end of the war. Thus, since Iran’s ancient history, Iran was heavily influenced by external powers and foreign intervention. The region has often been characterized by numerous conflicts and struggles even since the Persian Empire. However, World War I was more significant than previous invasions in that it forced Iran to interact with the Western world.
Although many European powers attempted to control Iran due to the WWI, Iran eventually took advantage of foreign interventions to their own benefit. During WWI, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi came into power in Iran. He once again declared a neutrality with the outbreak of World War II in Europe in September 1939 (Curtis). By this point, Shah Pahlavi was mostly in charge of Iran, not any other countries like Britain or Russia, thus, within the issue of removing all the Germans out, Shah refused to do so. In WWII, Iran was the major oil-supply source and link in the Allied supply for the lend-lease supplies. Then in the Tehran Conference of 1943, it gained guarantee post-war independence and boundaries of Iran. However, Soviet troops did not give up Iran until May 1946 (Schmider). Thus, Iran started off as a vulnerable empire that was forced to be influenced by the supreme powers. However, because it took great advantage of its rich oil supplies and was eager to also rise as a dominant force in world affairs, it was able to build up a stable base for modern Iran.
Although many European powers attempted to control Iran due to the WWI, Iran eventually took advantage of foreign interventions to their own benefit. During WWI, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi came into power in Iran. He once again declared a neutrality with the outbreak of World War II in Europe in September 1939 (Curtis). By this point, Shah Pahlavi was mostly in charge of Iran, not any other countries like Britain or Russia, thus, within the issue of removing all the Germans out, Shah refused to do so. In WWII, Iran was the major oil-supply source and link in the Allied supply for the lend-lease supplies. Then in the Tehran Conference of 1943, it gained guarantee post-war independence and boundaries of Iran. However, Soviet troops did not give up Iran until May 1946 (Schmider). Thus, Iran started off as a vulnerable empire that was forced to be influenced by the supreme powers. However, because it took great advantage of its rich oil supplies and was eager to also rise as a dominant force in world affairs, it was able to build up a stable base for modern Iran.