Rise & Fall of Pahlavi Dynasty:  The Memoirs of General Hossein Fardoust

A Review by

Ahmad Reza Taheri

      Reza Shah had no problems with his foreign policy. The British, the most powerful force in the region, had brought him to power and supported his regime, and national security did not pose problem for Reza Shah’s government from the point of view of foreign threats.

Reza Khan Pahlavi was the Shah of Iran from 1925 to 1941. His son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the second Shah of Iran under Pahlavi dynasty from 1941 to 1979.

      In 1925, a specially convened assembly deposed Ahmad Shah, the last ruler of Qajar dynasty, and named Reza Khan, who earlier had adopted the surname Pahlavi, as the new Shah of Iran. Between 1925 and 1941, Reza Shah’s numerous development projects transformed Iran. Industrialization, urbanization, and public education progressed rapidly, and new social classes --- a professional middle class and an industrial working class --- emerged. However, by the mid-1930s Reza Shah's dictatorial style of rule, including the harsh and arbitrary treatment of his opponents and restrictions on the press caused increasing dissatisfaction in the country. Reportedly, the British and Soviet authorities allowed Reza Shah's system of political repression to collapse and constitutional government to evolve with minimal interference. They permitted Reza Shah's son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to succeed to the throne after he promised to reign as a constitutional monarch. Well, from 1941 to 1953 Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi had been overshadowed by Mosaddeq and other politicians and seemed destined to remain a passive constitutional monarch. However, following the coup, Shah moved to consolidate power in his own hands. The United States decided to use its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to help overthrow Mosaddeq. By this time, many conservative politicians in Iran, some senior military officers, and the Shah were prepared to work with CIA to bring down the Mosaddeq government. The coup, carried out in August 1953, failed initially, and Shah forced to flee the country. After several days of street fighting in Tehran, however, army officers loyal to Shah gained the upper hand and Shah returned in triumph. With the help of military and later a secret police, the SAVAK, Shah created a centralized authoritarian regime. Mohammad Reza Shah's power continued until the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

      General Houssen Fardoust is regarded as one of the most outstanding and mysterious political as well as intelligence figures of the Pahlavi regime. As a pupil in military school, he attended a class specially organized by Reza Shah for his Crown prince, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Reza Shah wanted to have a serious and hardworking friend and playmate alongside his son. Therefore, he paid special attention to Fardoust and this is how he admitted to the royal court, as narrated by the book. The book says that Fardoust was more than the eyes and ears of Mohammad Reza Shah. A review of SIB’s documents reveals that he was some kind of “brain” for the Shah. However, the process of selecting Fardoust, as a close friend of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, as explained by the book, cannot be convincing. The foreign powers’ influence especially that of the British over the Pahlavi family arises doubts about the issue.

      The memoir of General Fardoust begins with his personal life and childhood with Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. This includes their study period in Switzerland, their time with Ernest Peron (a British spy), and their contacts with the lover of Mohammad Reza.

      The book focuses on Reza Shah’s relationship with the British, Soviets, and the Germans, and then it touches upon the last developments under Reza Shah, such as occupation of Iran by allied forces, removal of Reza Shah as the Shah of Iran, and the vital role of figures like Mohammad Ali Foroghi, etc.

      The book tells us about the deeply rooted foreign influence in Iran. In this respect, the first and foremost point of Fardoust’s memoir is that the Pahlavi dynasty was master minded and established by the British intelligence. For example, the book says that during the time when Fardoust was attending the intelligence courses in Britain, as said by Fardoust himself, in the MI-6 Documents Center one could see different files of different countries. Besides, films and documents about Reza Shah since his childhood right up to his getting to power were available. Furthermore, the book discloses that Shapoor J.’s father, Ardeshir, had introduced Reza Shah to the British, and that subsequently the British role in the foundation of Pahlavi dynasty would be officially acknowledged. Secondly, over the administration of Iran, British and Americans directly had been involved. In this regard, Fardoust comments that dominant foreign powers imposed their plans on the regime to preserve their own interests and Reza Shah and his son Mohammad Reza simply carried out these plans. The plans especially the 'white revolution' and the 'land reforms' totally changed and deteriorated the cultural, social, and economic structure of the Iranian society. Reza Shah had no problems with his foreign policy. The British, the most powerful force in the region, had brought him to power and supported his regime, and national security did not pose problem for Reza Shah’s government from the point of view of foreign threats because the agents of the British Embassy could also provide information and that was enough to handle the affairs. The intelligence networks of Britain, Israel, and US had formulated the entire intelligence set up of Iran during the Pahlavi era.  

      Fardoust Memoirs gives a report of corruption and embezzlement of the Iranian top officials in Pahlavi regime. This reminds us that how unlimited power produces unlimited corruption. The author of the book, in this regard, takes down a number of financial and non-financial examples.

      Fardoust has divided Mohammad Reza’s reign of power into two periods, before and after the 19 August coup of 1953. Before the coup, Mohammad Reza was unable to dominate the whole country and thus he had a ceremonial and formal role. However, after the coup, the CIA and MI-6 returned him home with full authority and power. Reportedly, Mohammad Reza Shah’s absolute power had reached that extent where no one had dared to criticize or correct his administration. This had caused many of Shah’s advisors to express the otherwise by not getting themselves into the trouble. They used to praise him in an exaggerated way. For Fardoust, this problem was one of the major threats, which finally led to the downfall of the monarchy. 

      He talks about a number of influential people around Mohammad Reza Shah. Assadullah Aalam is among them, one of the most important figures in Pahlavi regime and perhaps the most important adviser of Shah in foreign affairs. The book tells us about Aalam's role. After the 19 August coup, he was a go-between for the Shah and the British and US embassies. He also played the role of a mediator between different Iranian tribal chiefs and central government.

      Fardoust also reminds us of rivalry between ideologies. He talks of SAVAK as an intelligence organization, which established in Iran by the Americans. One of its main objectives was to fight communism in Iran.

      The book tells us about the details of different intelligence organizations of Pahlavi regime and their methods of operation. The regime had a weak eye on suspicious activities. Fardoust points out that apart from other internal threats, two major groups “Shia clerics and tribes” were serious threats to the Pahlavi regime.

      He also discusses over the issue of superpowers and the Middle East. The Americans were inexperienced in the Middle East politics and therefore the British provided them with intelligence and information and in fact guided and directed them. The controversy over Mohammad Reza’s rule after the 1953 August coup is an exemplary of this. The British favored and defended Mohammad Reza’s return to power and convinced the Americans about the issue.

      Finally, the book explains about the last days of Mohammad Reza’s power in Iran, fall of the monarchy, and the 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, the book has failed to shed some lights on the political developments in the immediate aftermath of the revolution. Surprisingly, author holds that foreign powers like US and Britain (with an influence over the politics of Iranian society) had failed to predict the 1979 revolution...!  Fardoust has also ignored to go into the details of his life under the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is notable.

 Notes

The book, The Rise & Fall of Pahlavi Dynasty: the Memoirs of General Hossein Fardoust, is a product of the Institute for Political Studies & Research 1995, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, by the Hadis Publishing House.

For more information about the history of Iran, see, the following references: Frye, Richard N., The Golden Age of Persia, (Barnes & Noble, 1996). It explores the history of Persia for the 400 years following the spread of Islam there in the 7th century. Wiesehofer, Josef., Ancient Persia: From 550 BC to 650 AD, (IB Taurus, 1998). It is a comprehensive history of Persia from its origins to the Arab conquest in the 7th century AD. Zeinert, Karen., The Persian Empire, (Benchmark, 1996). Hooglund Eric, "Iran", Microsoft ® Encarta ® Reference Library 2005. © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation.

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