Memorandum Regarding His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi

His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi was born on the 26th of October, 1919 and was brought up under the direct supervision of his father the late Reza Shah Pahlavi. Reza Shah, the founder of the present Dynasty, as is well known, was a great reformer and modernized Iran in both the social and economic sense, in an amazingly short space of time. He also organized a well-equipped army. Mohammad Reza Shah, having finished his elementary studies in Iran was sent to a well known private school, Le Rosay near Geneva, in Switzerland. The years spent in that country developed Mohammad Reza both mentally and physically and the education he received there exercised a profound influence upon his mind. He came back home with democratic ideas and a strong impulse to help his people achieve social justice and a higher standard of living. In Teheran he completed his studies at the Military Academy, and gained ex- perience and an insight into the needs of his people by accompanying his father **NATIONAL on Reza Shah's periodic tours of inspection in all parts of the country. ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE" On the abdication of his father, in the best interests of the country and in favour of his son, Mohammad Reza Shah acceded to the throne on September 16th, 1941. The beginning of his reign coincided with one of the most critical periods of Iranian history. For, in addition to the inconveniences and hardships caused by the temporary occupation of the country by allied troops, IRAN suffered inflation, famine and epidemics, mainly due to the drain upon her by foreign requisitions and the influx of a large number of refugees, as well as the lack of essential commodities. Tribal and political agitation as well as the encouragement of subversive elements, - mostly fomented by foreign instigation, made the situation worse. A separatist movement was started in Azerbaidjan, the important and rich north western province of Iran, by