May 18, 2016 to compensate iran let alone apologize to it would be the ultimate irony. Iran 1953 making it safe for the king of kings excerpted from the book killing hope by william blum so this is how we get rid of that madman mossadegh, announced john foster dulles to a group of top washington policy makers one day in june 1953. Cia overthrows regime in iran operation ajax iran leader mossadeghplanned to nationalize the oil england plotted a coup against iran democracy endeddictatorship enforced us put new leader in iran shah pahlavi tyrannical rulepuppet government. Molavi has a keen and nuanced view of iran, and his book introduces the general reader not only to irans. Understanding iran and why it distrusts britain is a response to that strange experience and the accusations made in the basij leaflet. In retrospect, the united states sponsored coup detat in iran of august 19, 1953, has emerged as a critical event in postwar world history. For irans revolutionaries, many of whom blamed the us for the 1953 coup, carters decision was a clear signal that the shah was planning a counterrevolution with americas help. Ciaassisted coup overthrows government of iran history. A look at the history, culture, and industry of iran in 1953. Mossadeqs willingness to steal, yes steal, all of the anglopersian oil companys iranian assets is a probable cause for the resulting coup. Footage from this subject is available for licensing from. Jan 14, 2020 in august 1953, mohammad reza attempted to dismiss mosaddeq, but the premiers popular support was so great that the shah himself was forced out of iran. Dont just blame washington for the 1953 iran coup that overthrew. Stephen kinzer on usiranian relations, the 1953 cia coup.
The secret cia history of the iran coup, 1953 november 29, 2000. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. In august 1953, mohammad reza attempted to dismiss mosaddeq, but the premiers popular support was so great that the shah himself was forced out of iran. May 30, 2008 a look at the history, culture, and industry of iran in 1953. Operation ajax was always an open secret a timeline. The first memo in the posting is entitled proposal to organize a coup detat in iran, and is dated november 26, 1952.
Kennedy, who did push iran to liberalize, proved an. If these illegal interventions are permitted to continue, the implication seems to be, pretty soon, horror of horrors, no murderously repressive regimes might remain. Jan 16, 2016 1953 cia helps orchestrate overthrow of irans popular prime minister mohammed mossadegh, restoring to power the shah, mohammed reza pahlavi. Over the next twentysix years, the united states backed the unpopular, authoritarian shah and his secret police. Cia secrecy claims are facially incredible, says lawsuit august 2, 2000. After the 1953 coup, iran became one of the client states of the united states. Americans including those in the white house know little about iran and its history with the united states.
The iranian military, with the support and financial assistance of the united states government, overthrows the government of premier mohammad mosaddeq and reinstates the shah of iran. In it, assistant secretary of state henry byroade informs his superior, deputy under secretary of state h. Five books on the legacy of the 1953 coup in iran world. Iran, now in a new and revised seventh edition, deserves to be in the luggage of any traveler to this. Cia coup in iran 1953 p 920 when the iranian government did not comply with the massive western companies controlling the oil in iran, the cia devised a rebellion to put mohammed reza pahlevi, a young dictatorlike figure, into power as the new shah of iran. A resident of tehran washes yankee go home from a wall in the capital city of iran. The book clarified in many ways the current political relation between us and iran. Aug 19, 20 mohammad mosaddeq and the 1953 coup in iran by mark j. Iran remained a solid cold war ally of the united states until a revolution ended the shahs rule in 1979. Was it wrong of the us to support the 1953 coup in iran.
The government of prime minister mohammad mosaddeq which was ousted in the coup was the last popular, democratically oriented government to hold office in iran. Following the 1953 coup in iran, the cia orchestrated the successful guatemalan coup one year later, failed to oust syrias president in 1957. Gasiorowski and malcolm byrne, syracuse university press, may 1, 2004. Mohammad mosaddegh until august 19, fazlollah zahedi starting august 19. Later, the 1979 hostage crisis at the american embassy in.
This is the first fulllength account of the cias coup detat in iran in 1953 a. The historical reality is that iran did have a secular, democratic government, led by prime minister mohammad mossadegh between 1951 and 1953 but mossadegh was removed from power in a coup. If the united states had not sent agents to depose prime minister mohammad mossadegh in 1953, iran would probably have continued along. I wished the author would have taken us up to the coup of 1979 and overthrow. The book chronicles the ciabacked 1953 overthrow of irans democratically elected government after iran nationalized its oil industry. November 1952august 1953suggests that fears that the tudeh party might push iran into.
Mohammad mosaddeq and the 1953 coup in iran on jstor. Aftershocks of irans 1953 coup still felt around the. Mohammad mosaddeq and the 1953 coup in iran june 22, 2004. The angloamerican mission was but one of many attempts by various parties within iran to push mossadegh out from his position. As the author admits, there have been other books written about the military coup in 1953 which overthrew mohammed mossadeq. To understand how the 1953 coup came about, you have to consider irans history, and picture the country on a map. Ali rahnemas newest work is a meticulous historical reconstr. June 12, 1980 in an editorial, iowas cedar rapids gazette states that the cias coup in iran is common knowledge. The cias broken promises on declassification follow the link above for information on the archives lawsuit against the cia to force the declassification of key documents on the agencys role in the european elections of 1948 and the 1953 coup in iran, and to read what five former cia directors and others have said about the agencys declassification policies. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Aug 17, 2015 five books on the legacy of the 1953 coup in iran on anniversary of mossadeghs downfall, neither iranian, american nor british authors can agree on its significance, says gareth smyth. While researching our man in tehran, a book about the canadian caper that. After seizing the company in which the british had spent the equivalent of billions in.
Jan 06, 2019 in the intervening 15 chapters, the book provides a detailed overview of the trajectories of iran and saudi arabia and the shia and sunni nodes of the cold war in the islamic world. The eightyear iraniraq war 19801988 is perhaps the single most important event that has shaped the islamic republic, helping the regimes revolutionary ideology become entrenched. But while historians and journalists see the coup of 19 august 1953 as a pivotal event for iran, they agree on little else including the transliteration of his name into latin letters. Further, irans clerical classthe same people who ultimately founded the islamic republic in 1979 and today wage a little cold war against the united states and its alliesopposed mossadegh as much as the. It is also a definitive account of the history of iran in the twentieth century. What happened in 1953 including pop culture, significant. Iran has pursued its nuclear ambitions at first in secret and then in defiance of the united nations and western protestsand it will not be stopped by western diplomats waving olive branches and offering promises of aid or threats of sanctions. The 1953 iranian coup detat, known in iran as the 28 mordad coup detat persian. In our book eternal iran, patrick clawson and i tackle the mythology surrounding the 1953 coup, the backdrop to which was, of course, mosaddeqs nationalization of the angloiranian oil company the forerunner to british petroleum. July 1980 paved with good intentions, a book on the usiran dynamic by barry rubin, delves into the 1953 coup.
While it certainly appears as though the oil income royalty structure was less than equitableafter all. Jan 16, 2020 the angloamerican mission was but one of many attempts by various parties within iran to push mossadegh out from his position. Oct 25, 2004 to understand how the 1953 coup came about, you have to consider iran s history, and picture the country on a map. Gasiorowski identified cambodia, guatemala, indonesia, iran, laos, nicaragua, panama, the philippines, south korea, south vietnam, and taiwan as strong client states of the united states and identified those that were. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the coup. This weeks 62nd anniversary of the coup upending mohammad mossadegh comes with interest as strong as ever in iran s bestknown prime minister. Five books on the legacy of the 1953 coup in iran iran the guardian.
In august 1953, the cia orchestrated the swift overthrow of irans democratically elected leader and installed muhammad reza shah pahlavi in his place. The fall of mosaddeq revisited, seeking to link it to the current hostility between iran. This book leads one to wonder how many of our contemporary problems in the. May 29, 1997 the broad outlines of the iran operation are known. Jun 21, 2008 a fascinating look at the nation of iran before the 1979 revolution. Freeman matthews, that britains minister in washington, sir christopher steel. Based on new documentation and extensive interviews of participants, mohammad mosaddeq and the 1953 coup in iran syracuse university press, 2004 offers an abundance of new information, analysis and insights into the staging of the overthrow as well as the historical, political, and social context which made it possible. A fascinating look at the nation of iran before the 1979 revolution.
The historical reality is that iran did have a secular, democratic government, led by prime minister mohammad mossadegh between 1951 and 1953 but mossadegh was removed from power in a. Iranian relations kindle edition by abrahamian, ervand. The cia collaborated with the last shah, mohammad reza pahlavi, to overthrow prime minister mohammed mossadeq and install general fazlollah zahedi. Reagans scandal and the unchecked abuse of presidential power kansas, 2014, 464 pp paperback, 2017 by malcolm byrne choice outstanding academic title a highquality, meticulously researched book that sheds much light on a controversy that, nearly three decades ago, shook the american political system to its core. The crucial persian gulf lies on its southern border. To compensate iran let alone apologize to it would be the ultimate irony. Gasiorowski took issue with my 2010 book iran and the cia. Building a client state in iran, gasiorowski identifies the client states of the united states and of the soviet union during 19541977. In the intervening 15 chapters, the book provides a detailed overview of the trajectories of iran and saudi arabia and the shia and sunni nodes of the cold war in the islamic world. One of the few english language guide books to iran currently on the market, lonely planet. The ciasponsored coup in 1953 that deposed muhammad mossadeq, irans popular prime minister, is often noted as a failure of interventionist foreign policy. The broad outlines of the iran operation are known. One such book was written by teddy roosevelts grandson, kermit roosevelt, one of the principle cia operatives involved in engineering the coup. Instead of crippling irans nuclear program, the book alleges, operation.
Jan 09, 2015 the eightyear iraniraq war 19801988 is perhaps the single most important event that has shaped the islamic republic, helping the regimes revolutionary ideology become entrenched. Its time to release the real history of the 1953 iran. Destroyed files on 1953 iran coup the new york times. The ciasponsored coup in 1953 that deposed muhammad mossadeq, iran s popular prime minister, is often noted as a failure of interventionist foreign policy. Irans rulers today should not be granted their claim that the seminary had no role in mossadeqs overthrow. Its time to release the real history of the 1953 iran coup. By 1953, america had a new president, the victor of the second world war, dwight. This film is not merely a survey of persian history, but examines a civilization undergoing a transition into 20th century.