Behind the 1953 coup in Iran : thugs, turncoats, soldiers, and spooks / Ali Rahnema, The American University of Paris.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rāhnamā, ʻAlī, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Iran--History--Coup d'état, 1953.

Iran.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxv, 320 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2014.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Ali Rahnema's work is a meticulous historical reconstruction of the Iranian coup d'état in 1953 that led to the overthrow of Mohammed Mosaddeq and his government. Mosaddeq's removal from power has probably attracted more attention than any other event occurring during his tenure because of the role of foreign involvement; the political, economic and social impact on Iran and the long-term impact the ousting had on Iran-US relations. Drawing on American, British and Iranian sources, Rahnema closely examines the four-day period between the first failed coup and the second successful attempt, investigating in fine detail how the two coups were conceptualised, rationalised and executed by players on both the Anglo-American and Iranian sides. Through painstaking research into little-studied sources, Rahnema casts new light on how a small group of highly influential pro-Britain politicians and power brokers revisited the realities on the ground with the CIA operatives dispatched to Iran and how they recalibrated a new, and ultimately successful, operational plan.

Contents:

The British reaction to Mosaddeq in power: "Mossie grabs Britain's oil

but Navy to the rescue" (Daily Express)

Mosaddeq's opposition strikes: testing tactics

Who beckoned and who executed on 28 February (9 Esfand)?

TPAJAX: company (CIA) commanders and firm (SIS) functionaries operationalizing the coup idea

The CIA-affiliated organizations: propaganda and combat

The precision coup flops: back to the drawing-board

Second coup capabilities of the military networks

A viable home-spun coup

The crucial last-minute preparations

The second coup begins with the pincer movement of the thugs

Coup agents occupying the city centre

Attacking ministries and pro-Mosaddeq buildings

The enigma of the tanks: betrayal or incompetence?

Mosaddeq overthrown

Religious representatives and the coup

Why did the second coup work?

Mosaddeq's exit: legal transfer of power or coup d'etat?

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

1-316-12060-0

1-316-12169-0

1-316-13368-0

1-316-13259-5

1-316-13041-X

1-107-42975-7

1-139-87597-3

1-316-12823-7

1-316-13150-5

1-316-12932-2