Reza Pahlavi

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Reza Shah Pahlavi

Reza Shah Pahlavi (Persian: رضا پهلوی), (March 16, 1877–July 26, 1944), was Shah of Persia (Iran) from 1925 until 1941. (The country had been known internationally as Persia until 1935, but Reza Shah then changed the name to Iran, the country's name in Persian/Farsi; see Iran/Persia naming controversy.)

On February 21, 1921, Reza Khan Mirpanj (رضا خان میرپنج), as was then his name and rank (General), staged a coup d'état together with Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee. He was a military commander who had risen from the ranks to command the Russian trained Cossack Brigade. Marching his troops from Qazvin, 150 kilometres to the west of Tehran, General Reza seized key parts of the capital city almost without opposition and forced the government to resign.

With the success of the coup, Seyyed became the prime minister. Reza's first role in the new government was as commander of the army, which, in April 1921, he combined with the post of Minister of War. At the same time he took the title Reza Khan Sardar Sepah (رضا خان سردار سپه).

Ahmad Shah Qajar finally named him Prime Minister on October 26, 1923, and left for Europe. The National Assembly (Majlis) deposed the Qajar dynasty in 1925. On December 12, 1925, the Majlis, convening as a constituent assembly, voted to crown Reza Khan as the new Shah of Persia. He took his imperial oath on December 15, 1925 and so became the first Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty. On April 25, 1926, a new era began when Reza Shah placed the Imperial Crown on his own head. At the same time, his son Mohammad Reza was proclaimed Crown Prince of Persia.

Out of his marriage with Taj al-Molouk (1896–1982) his son and successor Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was born.

In 1922 Reza Khan married a third time, Turan (Qamar al Molk) Amir Soleimani (1904–1995). From this marriage a son was born (Gholam Reza), and Reza Khan divorced her soon after, in 1923.

During Reza Shah's sixteen years of rule, major roads and the Trans-Iranian Railway were built, modern education was introduced and the University of Tehran was established. The government sponsored European educations for many Iranian students. Reza Shah backed a strong policy of industrialization, to ensure that the country was not dependent solely on oil and agricultural revenues. On March 21, 1935, he formally requested that the international community stop using the name Persia, which had been in use in the West since ancient times, and to henceforth use Iran as the official name. His achievements were great, but by the mid-1930s Reza Shah's dictatorial style of rule had caused intense dissatisfaction throughout Iran.

During World War I, Britain had ignored protests from the Qajar rulers and stationed troops in the province of Khuzestan. During World War II, Britain again wished to station troops in Khuzestan. Reza Shah protested against this challenge to central government authority. Britain interpreted this refusal as favoring Nazi Germany. Fearing that Reza Shah was about to align his petroleum-rich country with Nazi Germany during World War II, the United Kingdom and the USSR occupied Iran and forced Reza Shah to abdicate in favour of his son (see also Persian Corridor). Mohammad Reza Pahlavi replaced his father on the throne on September 16, 1941.