In 1941 the British and the Russians occupied Iran. The autocratic Reza Shah was forced to abdicate under British pressure and there followed one of the most turbulent periods in modern Iranian political history. Iran became the scene of political turmoil involving numerous factions and organizations whose ideological convictions ranged from the communist left to the religious right.
This book, the first detailed study to appear in English, provides dramatic new detail on the in-fighting and intrigue which characterized the period. It also seeks to explain why Iran's only protracted experiment with parliamentary democracy was doomed to failure. The authoritarianism and absence of a real civil society which flowed from the failures of this period help to explain the continuing problems which Iran today faces. This study is unrivalled in its scope and depth of treatment of the subject, as well as its extensive use of the source material in Persian and other languages.
"This is the outstanding work on the subject, clearly and gracefully written, as well as informative and authoritative." -- Professor Wm. Roger Louis, University of Texas at Austin
"Dr. Azimi shows with great skill the inherent structural weaknesses in the Iranian constitution - especially the inter-relationship between the Majlis, Court and Cabinet - which contributed to a stalemate in effective government. The thoroughness and detail of the research make this an indispensable introduction for every student of the period." -- John Gurney, Wadham College, Oxford
About the Author
Fakhreddin Azimi is Professor of History at the University of Connecticut and an internationally recognized scholar of modern Iranian history. His most recent book is The Quest for Democracy in Iran: a Century of Struggle against Authoritarian Rule (2008).
