DBWI: The monarchist coup in Iran in 1953 succeeded

Yeah, we can do the standard dystopian ATL: a secret police, economic reforms which benefit a big enough of a middle class while keeping the poor still poor, accumulating corruption over the years, opposition which is more religious than it otherwise would have been, etc, etc.

But we've done this kind of timeline so many times, let's do something new for crying out loud! Pleeaase!!!! :)
 

samcster94

Banned
Yeah, we can do the standard dystopian ATL: a secret police, economic reforms which benefit a big enough of a middle class while keeping the poor still poor, accumulating corruption over the years, opposition which is more religious than it otherwise would have been, etc, etc.

But we've done this kind of timeline so many times, let's do something new for crying out loud! Pleeaase!!!! :)
I read one novel where an anti-Semitic cleric seized control of Iran, but it was also kind of poorly written as it had an obscure actor as a popular President and a right wing union buster as PM of Britain(where some Indian guy is threatened with death by the Iranian dictator).
 
And an Iran-Iraq War. And a Balochi War. And an Afghan War, for that matter. I don't see the Soviets getting in that quagmire without the Iranians pushing to 'liberate' their brethren in Herat. Not to mention that the Afghan king, unlike the Iranian Shah, was actually popular in his own country and came from a long legitimate dynasty.
 
yes, although he has critiqued Islam, few people have cared
He is a Nobel Prize for Literature winner, so some people do bring up his criticisms of Islam (and Hindutva) sometimes, but I doubt there would be a "fatwa" against him, like in that novel you described.
 
Iran under Mossadegh was not exactly always pro-Soviet. Especially when Tudeh, the Iranian Communists, wanted to substantially lessen influence of the Shi'a mullahs in Qom and Mashad, which was a very unpopular move given the historical religious influence of both cities. Mossadegh ended up not so much siding with Tudeh, which made Iran a lot less Leftist than it seemed on the surface. That's why today the Republic of Iran is technically a secular government, though the influence Shi'a Islam is strong, and Zoroastrianism is making a comeback.

Indeed, Mossadegh's reforms of the late 1950's set the stage for Iran to become an economic superpower of the region. In 2017, Iran now exports more crude oil than Saudi Arabia (mostly because tanker operators LOVE not having to traverse the Persian Gulf just to reach oil terminals), massively exports natural gas through pipelines to Pakistan and India (that's why India will soon shut down its last coal-fired power plant just outside Kolkata, now that a new natural gas-fired power plant just started operations there).
 
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I read one novel where an anti-Semitic cleric seized control of Iran, but it was also kind of poorly written as it had an obscure actor as a popular President and a right wing union buster as PM of Britain(where some Indian guy is threatened with death by the Iranian dictator).
It's like a movie screenplay. The audience is on your side. They want the movie to work. They will accept one, maybe two coincidences, as long as it's towards the beginning and the story builds from there.

Maybe, maybe if there was a stagnant world economy and different polities thrashed about like wounded animals ? ? ? Then you'd have one event giving rise to three different manifestations. I personally don't find it that convincing, but you know, feel free to take it for a test drive if you like! :p
 
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samcster94

Banned
Iran under Mossadegh was not exactly always pro-Soviet. Especially when Tudeh, the Iranian Communists, wanted to substantially lessen influence of the Shi'a mullahs in Qom and Mashad, which was a very unpopular move given the historical religious influence of both cities. Mossadegh ended up not so much siding with Tudeh, which made Iran a lot less Leftist than it seemed on the surface. That's why today the Republic of Iran is technically a secular government, though the influence Shi'a Islam is strong, and Zoroastrianism is making a comeback.

Indeed, Mossadegh's reforms of the late 1950's set the stage for Iran to become an economic superpower of the region. In 2017, Iran now exports more crude oil than Saudi Arabia (mostly because tanker operators LOVE not having to traverse the Persian Gulf just to reach oil terminals), massively exports natural gas through pipelines to Pakistan and India (that's why India will soon shut down its last coal-fired power plant just outside Kolkata, now that a new natural gas-fired power plant just started operations there).
Iranian oil freighters go to Indian ports all the time.
 
I read one novel where an anti-Semitic cleric seized control of Iran, but it was also kind of poorly written as it had an obscure actor as a popular President and a right wing union buster as PM of Britain(where some Indian guy is threatened with death by the Iranian dictator).

I've read that book. It's probably one of the grimmest dystopias I have read so far.
 

Loghain

Banned
Imho you Might Have Soviet Commonwealth Falling very hard instead of just in time reforms and Massive Autonomy to regions.
Ironic that it was Iran Assisting Soviet union at critical moment that Allowed Gorbachev to succeed with his reforms.
Hell if Iranian Inteligence doesnt warn him about Coup, i dont want to think about it.
 
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