About Me
H.I.M. Mohammed Reza Shah, Shahanshah Aryamehr. Born 26 October 1919, the son of Reza Khan, the future Reza Shah.
As heir to the Peacock throne he would marry Princess Fawzia, sister of Egypt's King Farouk, on March 16, 1939 in Cairo.
He succeded his father Reza Shah as Shahanshah e Iran on 16 September 1941, when Reza Shah abdicated after Russia and Britain had occupied Iran.
In 1945 with the Second World War over the British and their allies, including the Americans, left Iran. Russia however tried to annex azerbaijan and used the Tudeh, their communist puppet party in Iran, launched an invasion. American assistance persuaded Russia to abandon it's plans, and Iran's military sucessfully dealt with Tudeh members who had rebelled in Iran. Mohammed Reza Shah took an active role in this campaign, even flying over battlefields and commanding in person.
Domestic and Personal matters were an issue. He divorced Fawzia on November 17, 1948 and remarried Soraya Esfandiari Bakhtiari on February 12, 1951.
Concerns over Iran's Oil mounted, and this prompted new agitation from the Tudeh and from Mohammed Mossadeq, a Qajar with strong nationalist views. Mossadeq became Vizier in 1951, and nationalized Iran's Oil later that year. This was the beginning of a grab for power by Mossadeq and Tudeh who wanted to depose Mohammed Reza Shah. When Mossadeq and the Tudeh attempted a coup in August 1953 they were suppressed by Loyalists led by Fazlollah Zahedi and a few american agents in Iran who loaned some $60,000 to back Iranian Loyalists. Mossadeq was imprisoned and replaced as Vizier by Zahedi. As a postscript Iranian Oil would be develpoed with foreign assistance until the 1960's, when Iran's Oil was Nationalized and foreign companies divested.
Secure, personal problems caused Mohammed Reza Shah to divorce Soraya on April 6, 1958. On December 21, 1959 he married Farah Diba, a daughter of an Iranian Army officer and descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
In 1962 Mohammed Reza Shah implemented a series of reforms known as the "White revolution", which improved the conditions of many Iranians by giving land to farmers, increasing public education, Nationalizing Natural Resources, abolishing discrimination against women, creating more housing, and welfare benefits for Iran's people.
Most visibly Iran became stronger militarily, and Modern Tanks, Warships, and Fighter Planes were acquired. Iran even began developing the industry to manufacture modern weapons to defend itself.
This was necessary for disputes over Bahrain in 1971, problems in Oman in the 1970's, and war with Iraq which began in 1969. Iran was successful on all fronts, negotiating Bahrain's independence, helping Sultan Qabus put down the rebels, and on March 6, 1975 in Algeirs got Iraq to give up it's claims to the Shatt-al-Arab waterway and not to interfere in Iranian affairs, Iraqi Vice President Saddam Hussein signing this treaty with Iran that confirmed this.
Mohammed Reza Shah left Iran on January 16, 1979 on the insistence of members of Iran's government after a year of mass riots, government problems, and foreign manipulations caused chaos in Iran and died in exile in Egypt on July 27, 1980 in Cairo.
Though his death was blamed on cancer the real cause appears to be medical murder. His body has yet to be returned to Iran.
