At the outbreak of World War II, Iran declared its neutrality. However, when the German armed forces invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, the Allies needed to transport war material across Iran to the Soviet Union. Having violated Iran's neutrality, both Britain and the Soviet Union simultaneously invaded Iran on 26th August 1941. Resistance quickly collapsed and Reza Shah was forced to abdicate on September 16 in favour of his young son, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. Although the occupation of Iran proved of immense significance to the Allied cause and brought Iran closer to the Western powers, it increased their rivalry in Iran.
The effects of the war, however, were very disruptive for Iran accelerating social change and intensifying nationalist sentiments across the country. With the political controls of the Reza Shah period removed, party and press activities revived adding to political turmoil. The communist Tudeh Party was especially active in organising industrial workers. It called for massive economic and social reform. At the same time, the return to their homelands from exile of the tribal leaders, including the Qashqaeis who had shown sympathy towards the German government both in WW I and WW II, posed serious security concerns for the central government as well as the Allies alike.
Eventually, the intensification of hostility amongst Western powers and the Soviet Union brought further disintegration to Iran. The establishment of an autonomous government in Azerbaijan in December 1945 and a Kurdish Republic of Mahabad in neighbouring Kurdistan, which enjoyed the support of the Soviets, aggravated the country's situation. At the same time, a short-lived, yet massive, tribal rebellion, better known as "the Southern Movement of Iran" broke out in southwestern Iran in September 1946. This still questionable rebellion, which bore a nationalist agenda, was largely led by the Qashqaeis. It partly aimed at protesting communist influence in the country and partly at gaining certain concessions from the central government. While the government seemed to be actively engaged in crushing the rebellion, it also attempted to use its bargaining power to defuse the crisis by settling disputes with the tribal leaders, however temporarily. Evidently, the successful dissolution of the rebellion in the South did provide an opportunity to the government to send the Iranian army into Azerbaijan, thus restoring the government's authority there in December 1946. Evidently, this process weakened the Soviet influence in Iran.
This collection of documents deals mainly with tribal affairs in south-western Iran between 1941 and 1946, the formation and dissolution of the Southern Movement of Iran, the Movement's possible relation to other political events of the time, the interaction between the tribes, the central government and foreign agents as well as the role of political parties and media throughout the Movement.
The 'Social and Political Developments in Iran Collection' is available in the International Institute of Social History, see the description and inventory.
Text: N. Kawyani