The Fall of Reza Shah : The Abdication, Exile, and Death of Modern Iran’s Founder

Reza Shah’s transformative reign in Iran has been well documented in books and scholarly articles, but the circumstances of his forced abdication and years of unhappy exile in British hands have to date been neglected. This book covers these final years, based on archival sources and memoirs. It is of course well known that the Anglo-Soviet invasion in 1941 resulted in Reza Shah’s abdication, but the details of his forced abdication are not; nor is it is well known, even among scholars, that the British briefly, but seriously, toyed with the idea of doing away altogether with the ruling Pahlavi dynasty. Drawing on previously unutilized material from the British archives the author reveals for the first time that the British considered reinstalling on the throne a little-regretted previous dynasty. The book charts Reza Shah’s final journey through Iran and into his unhappy exile; his life in exile, his reminiscences; his testy relationship with the British in Mauritius and Johannesburg; and the circumstances of his death. Additionally, it covers the immense fortune Reza Shah amassed during his years in power, his finances in exile, and the drawn-out dispute over the settlement of his estate after his death. A significant contribution to the literature on Reza Shah and British imperialism as it played out in the case of one critical country during World War II, the book reveals the fraught relationship between a once powerful ruler in his final days and the British government at a critical moment in recent history. "Reza Shah's authoritarian and modernising reign transformed Iran, but his rule and Iran's independence ended in ignominy in 1941. In this book, Shaul Bakhash tells the full story of the Anglo-Soviet invasion which led to his forced abdication, drawing upon previously unused sources to reveal for the first time that the British briefly, but seriously, toyed with the idea of doing away altogether with the ruling Pahlavis and considered reinstalling on the throne a little-regretted previous dynasty. Bakhash charts Reza Shah's final journey through Iran and into his unhappy exile; his life in exile, his reminiscences; his testy relationship with the British in Mauritius and Johannesburg; and the circumstances of his death. Additionally, it reveals the immense fortune Reza Shah amassed during his years in power, his finances in exile, and the drawn-out dispute over the settlement of his estate after his death. A significant contribution to the literature on Reza Shah and British imperialism as it played out in the case of one critical country during World War II, the book reveals the fraught relationship between a once powerful ruler in his final days and the British government at a critical moment in recent history."-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Half Title 2 Epigraph 3 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 7 1 Soldier and King, Reformer and Autocrat 8 2 Britain and the Abdication of Reza Shah 32 3 “Dear Anthony,” “Dear Leo”: Britain’s Quixotic Flirtation with Dynastic Change 52 4 The Journey into Exile 66 5 Mauritius: “This Is a Prison ... a Death in Life” 78 6 Johannesburg and the Death of Reza Shah 98 7 Wrapping Up 114 8 “Where Do I Go without Money?” Reza Shah’s Finances in Exile 122 9 “A Matter of Political Expediency”: The Settlement of Reza Shah’s Estate 134 A Brief Epilogue 146 Notes 150 1 Soldier and King, Reformer and Autocrat 150 2 Britain and the Abdication of Reza Shah 151 3 “Dear Anthony,” “Dear Leo”: Britain’s Quixotic Flirtation with Dynastic Change 156 4 The Journey into Exile 159 5 Mauritius: “This Is a Prison ... a Death in Life” 162 6 Johannesburg and the Death of Reza Shah 167 7 Wrapping Up 172 8 “Where Do I Go without Money?” Reza Shah’s Finances in Exile 173 9 “A Matter of Political Expediency”: The Settlement of Reza Shah’s Estate 176 Bibliography 180 Index 182 Chapter I: Solder And King, Reformer And Autocrat -- Chapter 2: Britain And The Abdication Of Reza Shah -- Chapter 3: 'dear Anthony', 'dear Leo': Britain's Quixotic Flirtation With Dynastic Change -- Chapter 4: The Journey Into Exile -- Chapter 5: Mauritius: 'a Prison'...a Death In Life' -- Chapter 6: Johannesburg And Death -- Chapter 7: Wrapping Up -- Chapter 8: Reza Shah's Finances In Exile -- Chapter 9: The Settlement Of Reza Shah's Estate -- Chapter 10: A Brief Epilogue -- Notes -- Bibliography.