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SECRET
SECTION I
POLITICAL SITUATION
1. Genesis of the Present Political System
a. Establishment of the Constitutional Monarchy
Little within the past history and experience of Iran has prepared
the people for the development of a democratic state. The country was
ruled by absolute monarchs for more than 2000 years and over this period
displayed a remarkable continuity of culture in spite of recurrent in-
vasions, transient foreign dynasties, and territorial changes.
The political revolution which resulted in the granting of the
Constitution of 1906 was the outgrowth of public disgust with the decadent
rulers of the Qajar line, who were disposing of national resources and
independence to Great Britain and Russia, and of the fervent interest of
small but highly vocal groups of Iranians in the popular governments of
the West. The revolutionary movement, actively opposed by Czarist Russia
and tacitly supported by Great Britain, included such diverse elements as
younger liberals, the merchant class, enlightened members of the clergy,
and tribal groups. The latter bore the brunt of the limited fighting.
The Iranian people, inexperienced in democratic processes and long
habituated to despotism, made little headway with constitutional govern-
ment. Feudal lords and landowners exercised a large measure of control
over the population and the administration; during World War I the con-
stitution was virtually suspended, the legislative body did not convene,
and the cabinet proved incapable of taking any decisive action. The con-
tinuation of the government's instability well beyond the end of the war
enabled Riza Khan, an army colonel encouraged by British officials, to
march on Tehran with his Persian Cossack Brigade and turn out the
vacillating administration.
b. The Reign of Riza Shah
Riza Khan, though of humble origin and without formal education or
knowledge of the world beyond Iran, was a man of forceful character who
was determined to rouse his country from its lethargy. First, he had him-
self made minister of war, and then prime minister. Early in 1925, he
secured dictatorial powers from the parliament, and later that year a
Constituent Assembly chose him as the first Shah of the "Pahlevi" dynasty.
Riza Shah's aims were to promote national pride and unity among
the Iranians, to establish an independent Iran worthy of the respect of
other nations, and to reshape the country as quickly as possible according
to Western models. Without actually abrogating the constitution, the Shah
I-1
SECRE
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"ocrText": "SECRET\nSECTION I\nPOLITICAL SITUATION\n1. Genesis of the Present Political System\na. Establishment of the Constitutional Monarchy\nLittle within the past history and experience of Iran has prepared\nthe people for the development of a democratic state. The country was\nruled by absolute monarchs for more than 2000 years and over this period\ndisplayed a remarkable continuity of culture in spite of recurrent in-\nvasions, transient foreign dynasties, and territorial changes.\nThe political revolution which resulted in the granting of the\nConstitution of 1906 was the outgrowth of public disgust with the decadent\nrulers of the Qajar line, who were disposing of national resources and\nindependence to Great Britain and Russia, and of the fervent interest of\nsmall but highly vocal groups of Iranians in the popular governments of\nthe West. The revolutionary movement, actively opposed by Czarist Russia\nand tacitly supported by Great Britain, included such diverse elements as\nyounger liberals, the merchant class, enlightened members of the clergy,\nand tribal groups. The latter bore the brunt of the limited fighting.\nThe Iranian people, inexperienced in democratic processes and long\nhabituated to despotism, made little headway with constitutional govern-\nment. Feudal lords and landowners exercised a large measure of control\nover the population and the administration; during World War I the con-\nstitution was virtually suspended, the legislative body did not convene,\nand the cabinet proved incapable of taking any decisive action. The con-\ntinuation of the government's instability well beyond the end of the war\nenabled Riza Khan, an army colonel encouraged by British officials, to\nmarch on Tehran with his Persian Cossack Brigade and turn out the\nvacillating administration.\nb. The Reign of Riza Shah\nRiza Khan, though of humble origin and without formal education or\nknowledge of the world beyond Iran, was a man of forceful character who\nwas determined to rouse his country from its lethargy. First, he had him-\nself made minister of war, and then prime minister. Early in 1925, he\nsecured dictatorial powers from the parliament, and later that year a\nConstituent Assembly chose him as the first Shah of the \"Pahlevi\" dynasty.\nRiza Shah's aims were to promote national pride and unity among\nthe Iranians, to establish an independent Iran worthy of the respect of\nother nations, and to reshape the country as quickly as possible according\nto Western models. Without actually abrogating the constitution, the Shah\nI-1\nSECRE"
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