Shah Of Iran Visits Great Britain For The First Time 1948

Shah Of Iran Visits Great Britain For The First Time 1948
by Darius Kadivar
18-Oct-2011
 

First State Visit of a Pahlavi King to Great Britain. Greeted by King George VI ( the hero of the 'King’s Speech '), the Shah visits diplomatic corps and reviews British military bases particularly the Air force. Also meets Iranian students studying in Great Britain. (Circa, 1948)

Related pictory:

Qajar Royal Predecessor's Visit to the UK:

BERTIE & AHMAD: Ahmad Shah Qajar greeted by Future King George VI

Although an ally of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, under Reza Shah who was forced to abdicate (due to Iran’s neutrality in the World Conflict opposing the Allies to Axis Forces) in favor of his son Mohamad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Imperial Iran’s contribution to the War effort was fully acknowledged after the War as a “Bridge to Victory”.

Iran in London WW II parade

Iran in London WW II parade (2)

Tehran Conference: 1943

Shah and Churchill at Tehran conference

Roosevelt in Tehran

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Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Dear MM

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

 

RP II may say what he wants. But I know how Mossadegh legacy poisoned Iranian politics. Maybe that is not what he wanted but that is what we got. Being stubborn in face of impossible odds is stupid. Sure be stubborn when you got a chance. But not when you have 0 chance. I don't pick a fight with a 900 pound Gorilla. I know better! If I did I would take a dozen elephant guns or better a bazooka with me. Mossadegh picked a fight he could not win. Then did not even prepare for it.

With all due respect for the man he was not up to the job. I don't hate or dislike him. I just don't think he was a good leader. RPII has to praise him to get his supporters. RPII has to act with tact because he wants to be a leader. I have no such ambitions hence get to say what I think. Who cares if I don't get any votes: don't want any! That gives me a lot more freedom than RPII. A King or prince is bound by any rules. 


MM

Mosaddegh menace - really? Even RPII considers him OK

by MM on

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Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

DK

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on

 

I agree in the past "all or nothing" has not served Iran well. Here are a few instances where it failed:

  • Mossadegh and Britain. No need to rehash it.
  • Bakhtiyar in 1979. No need to rehash it either.
  • Khomeini and Saddam instead of taking the victory 2 years in the war he had to go for "full victory". Got 6 more years of war; many more killed; no Saudi money and the same borders.

But if you get people still worshiping Mossadegh and cursing the Shah. Because to some "compromise" is a dirty word and see where it got us. More realism less stubbornness does all good.


Roger_Rabbit

Excellent analysis Darius aziz

by Roger_Rabbit on

I couldn't agree more with you.  

Darius Kadivar

anglophile jan Thanks for your knowledgeable feedbacks

by Darius Kadivar on

interesting indeed.

I truly wonder if Mossadegh had adopted a less stubborn stance on Oil Nationalization if Iran would have not benefited on the long term from stronger ties with the British than with the Americans.

YES, PRIME MINISTER: A Step By Step Guide To Mossadegh's Premiership and the Coup of '53 ...

LOL

But More seriously The British Constitutional model ( albeit Britian not even having a written constitution) would have certainly been an interesting model to experience for a country like Iran with an equally ancient Royal heritage.

ROYAL RHINOPLASTY: Stephen Fry On The Imperfections of the Monarchy and Why It Should Be Preserved

Cause Iran in many ways was an Island in the Middle East and it still is albeit surrounded not by water but threatening neighbours.

If one looks at the way the Indian Democracy took root it is largely due to the fact that the British tought the indians how to govern themselves and built their administration from A to Z but also tought them about Self governing.

We on the otherhand had our administration basically put together by an American Morgan Shuster who delivered to us on a Silver plate and we Screwed it up entirely ... LOL

The British were flexible enough to even give up India once they realized that Indians wanted Full Independance and by 1948 ( the date of this video by the way) India had it's independance.

We on the other hand never were a colony and our relations with the UK however troublesome were not beyond repair if handled with diplomacy and flexibility. For despite the outrageous occupation of Iran by the Allies due to exceptional circumstances linked to Nazi Germany's warmongering ( rather than a genuine or deliberate intention by the Allies to invade us ( except for the Soviets perhaps) but rather making sure that Oil and arms were delivered to the Russians on the Eastern Front,

Instead because of our geo strategic situation and the Cold War dillemmas as a nation we never were able to strengthen the gains of the Constitutional Revolution and build a stable and enduring Democracy.

As such our National Economic Interests became more of a Priority for all those concerned in the Political Arena than the mere fact of implementing the set of rules that Operate stable democracies like in most European Monarchies.

How Truly Democratic And Stable Is The British Monarchy?

Had our Political Elite been more visionary and more loyal to the Crown, I think Iran could have become something like the Great Britain of the Middle East with a strong and thriving civil society.

The trouble with our Politicians is that they have always had a larger stomach than what they could afford.

Instead of behaving like a Churchill or Disraeli in rallying the nation behind the Monarch and the Flag in times of Crisis, our Qavams, Mossadeghs, Amir Kabirs or other prominent Prime Ministers have often proved to be short sighted despite their great qualities in their own right. I know I may be unfair towards Amir Kabir ( who is to Iranians what Colbert was to French since he built a modern army in his time, supervised many architectural and engineering developments and was by far one of the greatest Iranian Statesmen ) who very much like Hoveyda was sacrificed on the altar of Politics. But then Politics is a cruel game.

My Point is elsewhere.

Why is it that other nations notably in Europe managed their democratic transitions whilst maintaining their heritage where as we seem to have squandered each and everytime by screwing up our Priortities ?

Even to this day when you look at the behavior of our so called Public figures. The Minute somone  (male or famale) says something slightly politically correct or in tune with what society expects them to day that person is immediately hailed as a Genius and Potential Next "Presidenteh Mahboub" ...

As Shirine Ebadi Gerefteh:

FINALLY GETTING IT RIGHT: Shirin Ebadi say's "I Don't believe in an Islamic Declaration of Human Rights"

who thinks because of her dubious Nobel Prize she is even more important than a Shahbanou:

ROYAL CURTSY: Shirin Ebadi Greeted by Monaco's Prince Albert II at Geneva UN Panel (2008)

To Mehranghiz Kar who goes as far as distorting her ex husband's beliefs only to promote her own agenda :

DEATH - VERTISING ? Mehrangiz Kar Claims Husband was No More a Monarchist

to the likes of with these insignificant Melli Mazhabya turned "Secular" :

Fariba Davoodi Mohajer: Hejab

Or even our Self Proclaimed Leaders amongst our Minorities :

Ghassemlou Against Monarchy

 


 

In otherwords Mianeh Roh Neesteem. We want ALL OR NOTHING ... the Result is we end up with NOTHING more often than with SOMETHING if Not worse !

The Result is that now we even ended up with an Usurper who not only claims Kingship but God Like attributes and wants to come back to the Parliamentary System which was the basis of the previous regime he contributed to toppling.

So what was the Point of the Revolution in the First Place ?

If Khomeiny had called himself King I wouldn't call him an Usurper cause after all dynasties have toppled eachother throughout history and not just in Iran. But the Islamic Republic was built by denying the entire Royal Heritage and built on Un patriotic and Un Iranian principles from Day One.

And One denounced by one of the most courageous Prime Ministers Iran ever had:

pictory: Bakhtiar Denounces Bazargan's Provisionary Government in exile (1979)

But we refused to Listen !

The Only Prime Minister who truly has my respects is Bakhtiar. He was far from perfect but at least he knew where his Priorities were !

Iran needs more people of that caliber than any of the above cited.

What does that say about us ? About our National Character ?

It's Not our Rulers which are to blame but us. We fail to understand what Politics are all about. We don't know how to define our PRIORITIES and are like Children complaining about not having our share of Cake when the Cake is still not cooked.

To me that says more about our collective psyche than our political maturity. We all want to be King in the Shoes of the King but end up with an Illegitimate Zahak Ali who has propulsed us to 13th Century.

Even a country like Thailand where criticizing the King is a Considered a Crime of Les Majesté ( illigible of 15 years of Imprisonment) :

 

US man faces 15 years in jail for insulting Thai monarchy (guardian.co.uk)

 

they have been able to elect quite democratically a dissident and sister of the former Prime Minister.

Thailand elects first female Prime Minister - ABC 110704

Instead of advocating Revolution the lady is advocating national Reconciliation and thanks to her flexible political behavior she may well change much of the obsolete Laws in the Kingdom as the Very First Female Prime Minister.

Valy Maro Begoo keh Cheh Gohi Reekhteem bah een Mossadeghollahi ha for far less ...

THE PAST IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY: How Would You Evaluate Iran's Democracy Index in 1953 ?

Isn't Calling for the Head of State's Death usually called "Treason"?


That's Not to Praise the British beyond their merits ( as you sometimes seem to do ) for they too have big Shortcomings too:

Britain's current dynasty descends from German Nobility Not British and only recently changed their name to Windsor ( after WWI). They basically imported their King from Holland during the Glorious Revolution of 1688 ( which was actually a foreign Invasion) the point of which Parliamentary democracy took root.

RESTORATION: Britain's 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688 and the 'Bill of Rights'

 

Where as at least our Pahlavi Kings were Iranian and the first truly genuine Iranian dynasty in 600 years. The British even went as far as beheading their King, Establishing a Theocacy like the IRI and then Restoring the former King's Son:

Horrible Histories - Charles II: King of Bling

We merely exiled our kings ...

If we had a minimum of wit we would restore ours too like the Great Bakhtiar suggested:

RESTORATION: Shapour Bakhtiar advocates Restoring the Monarchy

For after all there must be a reason why  a nation on a small and insignificant island ended up imposing it's language worldwide even in a distant Namak Nashnas colony like the YOU ESS OV A ...

SATIRE: The Burqa Republic of Our IRANICAN Dreams ;0)

LOL

 

If we were less Stubborn and brainwashed by Jomhurykhah Dogma We could truly learn one or two things from this great Nation as well as other European Constitutional Monarchies:

ROYAL FORUM: Explaining the Concept of a Constitutional Monarchy to a Staunch Republican

Cause otherwise Honestly Treachery RUNS in our Blood eversince the times of Darius III when he was killed by his very own Men. Prompting his deadliest foe Alexander to impale his assassins by telling them that "Only a King May slain a King":

Scene from Robert Rossen's "Alexander the Great" Starring Richard Burton (Alexander) and Harry andrews ( Darius III Codoman) :

"ONLY A KING MAY SLAIN A KING" - Alexander The Great

//movieclips.com/K6jU-alexander-the-great-movie-darius-final-words/

 

My Humble and Hopefully Provocatively Thoughtful Opinion,

DK


anglophile

Fantastic footage and a few interesting points

by anglophile on

The Shah was at the peak of his populariy with the British and it is worthwhile to remember that in 1948 the menace of Mussadegh was still a few years away. The students he met at the BP research centre in Sunbury were indeed BP sponsored Iranian engineering students who later became the managers and executives of the newly formed NIOC. Other interesting features of that year were: the Iranian ambassador to Britain was Mehdi Soheili and Iran was representd by Major General Amanullah Jahanbani (father of Nader Jahanbani) in Lodnon Olympics of the same year.