British Diplomatic Oil Crisis: Contemporary Anglo-Saxon Geopolitical Rivalries in the Persian Gulf: Drawing a Lesson? Or Sir Anthony Eden‘s Delusion of Grandeur.
The reason
for the Shah’s abdication was seen earlier in this
chapter. In 1944 Dr. Musaddiq became the leading Deputy from Teheran
in the Fourteenth Majlis, and soon after launched a vocal campaign
for the end of all foreign influence in Iran. This led to 1947’s
request from Iran for a revision of the 1933 Agreement, which has
been pointed out. Musaddiq believed that the nationalisation of the
Anglo- Iranian Oil Company would be the answer to poverty in Iran.
His anti-foreign influence in Iran gave him a strong following.
Musaddiq mobilised his supporters against the Supplemental Agreement
of 1949 which was described, which he saw as perpetuating foreign
control over Iran’s oil resources. In 1950, as has been shown,
Musaddiq chaired the Oil Committee of the Majlis, and the
Supplemental Agreement was rejected. He then called for the outright
nationalisation of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Due to the strong
following that Musaddiq had increasingly gained in Iran, his
influential position in the Majlis, and the rioting that took place
in Abadan by early 1951, compelled the Shah to appoint him as the
Prime Minister.23
The Involvement of the Labour Government,
1948-1951
This was
the first of the recurring post War oil crises. From the
very beginning of this important crisis the British Foreign
Secretary, Bevin, was highly concerned about the role that America
might play in unfolding diplomatic or military situation.
In 1950 the Labour
Government first addressed itself to the
Anglo-Iranian Oil Company’s crisis. The British Foreign Secretary,
Ernest Bevin, was thinking about how best the Americans could be
used in the crisis. It was important for the efforts of the British
to work with the Americans, not to get wires crossed, and not to let
Iran play the one against the other. Bevin feared that the Iranians
might play the Americans off against the British. If this worked, if
Iran played one side
23. Ibid. Chapters 1,2.
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