WI: Britain compromises with Mossadegh

WI No AIOC Nationalization

PuffyClouds said:
After WW2 Britain and Iran negotiated a deal that was much more profitable to Iran. Prime Minister Haj Ali Razmara took it back to Iran's parliament where it was approved. Razmara had sought to provide benefits to the Iranian people, and to do this he took steps to eliminate the central bureaucracy, and restore power to the public at lower levels of decision making. With the benefit of the new AIOC agreement, Razmara encouraged the Shah to go ahead with reforms which turned into the 1953 White Revolution. This series of reforms synergized well with the Point IV assistance agreement Razmara had made with President Truman.

Razmara's efforts towards decentralization created a small basic income which helped to offset the problems associated with the Shah's upending of long standing agricultural labor practices. All things considered, the Tudeh Party and the National Front Party lost a lot of their momentum though this period of the 1950s. In March of 1951, while visiting the Shah Mosque, Razmara was also able to avoid the assassin's bullets. Working together closely with the Shah, Razmara cracked down on those Fedayeen-e-Islam who had been advocating for assassinations.

Though ineffectual, Iran expressed its commitment against the Soviet Union by joining the Baghdad Pact in 1955. Razmara resigned in 1956 to leave public life; he left the country with financial strength, and internal peace. Culturally, the Ayatollahs were becoming marginalized while an appreciation for western civilization was growing. Iraq would soon pose a problem with the fall of the Hashemite monarchy, otherwise there is no real foreign danger at that moment. The Shah had not had the strong impetus thus far to assume greater autocratic control of the country either.
 

kernals12

Banned
After doing some reading, I've learned Mossadegh was not a strong supporter of democracy. He had parliament dissolved and had himself made dictator. Maybe Iranians weren't much worse off because of the coup.
 
After doing some reading, I've learned Mossadegh was not a strong supporter of democracy. He had parliament dissolved and had himself made dictator. Maybe Iranians weren't much worse off because of the coup.

Really?;)
He also stopped vote counting as soon as he had a majority at the Majlis.

Still, being removed that way didn't address the underlying problems.
 

kernals12

Banned
Really?;)
He also stopped vote counting as soon as he had a majority at the Majlis.

Still, being removed that way didn't address the underlying problems.
But it's quite a bit different from the narrative that the evil CIA kicked out a democratically minded Prime Minister to make way for a dictator all so that the Americans and the British could keep control of the oil.
 
But it's quite a bit different from the narrative that the evil CIA kicked out a democratically minded Prime Minister to make way for a dictator all so that the Americans and the British could keep control of the oil.

Many would rather believe in the 'Evil Americans oppressing brown people' than realize all the shades of grey that exist in the real World.

The PM was getting far too friendly with the Communist Tudeh Party. This ended the support that the Clerics had been giving him since he was PM the 1st time.

More should look into why it only cost Kermit Roosevelt $60 Grand to get an entire Coup going.
That's amazingly small amount of cash to spread around
 
After doing some reading, I've learned Mossadegh was not a strong supporter of democracy. He had parliament dissolved and had himself made dictator. Maybe Iranians weren't much worse off because of the coup.

He had the parliament give him emergency powers and he was pretty well-liked until the oil embargo began hurting them. And the Shah was an autocrat and there was a reason he wasn't well-liked.
 

kernals12

Banned
Many would rather believe in the 'Evil Americans oppressing brown people' than realize all the shades of grey that exist in the real World.

The PM was getting far too friendly with the Communist Tudeh Party. This ended the support that the Clerics had been giving him since he was PM the 1st time.

More should look into why it only cost Kermit Roosevelt $60 Grand to get an entire Coup going.
That's amazingly small amount of cash to spread around
$60,000 in 1953 is equal to $450,000 today tho.
 

kernals12

Banned
Many would rather believe in the 'Evil Americans oppressing brown people' than realize all the shades of grey that exist in the real World.
Not just Iran, Salvador Allende was getting assistance from Cuba and the Soviet Union and both congress and the court had declared him in contempt of the constitution. Without the coup, it seems like Chile would've gone the way of Venezuela IOTL.
 
$60,000 in 1953 is equal to $450,000 today tho.

But a top of the line Cadillac was only $7750 then The top line Buick was $5000

So Roosevelt did if for just under 8 luxury Eldorados , or 12 sporty Buick Skylarks.

He was only 'in Country' for a Month before the Coup, and it seems he really didn't have to work hard at it.
 
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Not just Iran, Salvador Allende was getting assistance from Cuba and the Soviet Union and both congress and the court had declared him in contempt of the constitution. Without the coup, it seems like Chile would've gone the way of Venezuela IOTL.

Which Congress and court thoUgh?
 

longsword14

Banned
But it's quite a bit different from the narrative that the evil CIA kicked out a democratically minded Prime Minister to make way for a dictator all so that the Americans and the British could keep control of the oil.
Even funnier is that people bring out 1953 to explain 1979 away, as if the Mullahs cared for Mossadegh.
 
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