| چکیده انگلیسی مقاله |
Introduction
Soviet :union: Party diplomacy in Iran during World War II is a chapter in the two states' relations that focuses on the role of the Tudeh Party of Iran as the Soviet agent and its relations with the Communist Party of the Soviet :union:. The Soviets, considering the negative public reactions in Iran regarding Tsarist Russia, decided to proceed with its interests, which were imperialistic interests through local agents. The agents of the Soviet :union: in the Tudeh Party were tasked to incorporate the nationalistic spirit of the people against British forces and mobilized the militias in the government, universities, and schools, and even in the army to confront any American and British influence to have control over the constantly changing political dynamics of Iran. Tudeh party, along with the Soviet agents, benefited from twenty years of Soviet cooperation with Iranian communists with the Firgha Edalat and the Communist Party of Iran. This research shed light on the history of cooperation among Iranian communists and the Workers' Social Democratic Party of Russia, and later on the Bolsheviks. The party diplomacy of the Soviet :union: pursued the Soviet interests in Iran in the absence of effective official diplomacy with the then-government of Iran. The party diplomacy was implemented through intermediaries such as the Communist Party of Iran and the Tudeh Party of Iran. These agents were financed, trained, and organized as an Iranian political faction within the political sphere of Iran. While they pursued their party interest in parallel with other political parties, they were instructed by Soviet Communist Party agents to proceed with political purposes that favored the Soviets in Iran. These party agents were successful in organizing these communist political entities to the extent that they could broadly admit as many young generations from different social classes. This momentum provided Soviet party diplomacy in Iran with an effective tool that distinguished it from the force-based Tsar diplomacy of Russia. Public opposition to the Russians and negative images of the past encouraged the soviets to incorporate the indirect influences of parties, which mostly proclaimed freedom of the masses and opposition to British imperialism.
Materials and Methods
This research incorporates imperialism theories as its theoretical background within a comparative perspective. The Soviet imperialistic interest in Iran is assessed through a careful understanding of the Soviet :union:'s needs and priorities. The definition of democratic centrality and the role of Stalinist Soviet apparatus in solidifying this concept among communist party agents in other states and the development of Communist International based on Leninist ideas allows us a better understanding of Tudeh party agents regarding Soviet :union: influence in its periphery. The three steps of the communist party establishment and organization will depict the formulation of the relations between Communists and the Soviets. The establishment of the Tudeh Party of Iran was a climax in which the Soviets progressed well to teach, organize, and benefit from a non-official diplomacy through party ranks and within the government and the majlis.
The ups and downs of Soviet party diplomacy in Iran are scrutinized in the following episodes: 1. Soviet occupation of Iran, Azerbaijan 2. Tudeh party coalition of progressive elements in the fourteenth convocation of the parliament, and 3. Ghavam's stagnation policy.
Through the Soviet occupation of Iran’s Azerbaijan province, the communist party agents of Azerbaijan encouraged Stalin to initiate supporting local agents in Iran’s Azerbaijan province, who were members of the Tudeh party. Soviet officials, watching the success of party diplomacy in the establishment of a network of political agents, rushed to convince the Tudeh party to share its capabilities in the civil and military aspects, which the Tudeh party achieved during many years by penetrating civil and military apparatuses. Soviet party diplomacy was to some extent successful by supporting party elements during the fourteenth convocation of Majlis Shura which some of whom were elected as MPs. The fraction of the Tudeh party was able to paralyze rotated government's decisions and proposed bills.
Ghavam was the only prime minister who embarked on negotiations with Soviet officials resulting in an effective official diplomacy between Iran and the Soviet :union:. Reviving official channels, the Soviet Party diplomacy was shadowed by prompt exchanges between the two states and the designation of Soviet ambassador to Tehran.
Result and Discussion
The Tudeh Party of Iran acted as an assistant to the Soviet party diplomacy for seven years. The Soviet party diplomacy, considering the occupation of Iran during the war and the public negative perspective on its presence and the Tsarist Russian occupation of the north of Iran, acted vigilantly. The Tudeh agents were partly successful in the Majlis due to the resistance of all progressive forces against the British-backed faction of old conservatism led by Seyed Zia Tabatabaei. Mossadegh and independent members of parliament empowered the anti-British campaign in the Majlis, which resulted in a wave of no-confidence votes and a discredited government that partly benefited the Soviet :union:. The Soviets pressured the Tudeh party to oppose any prime minister and his cabinet, which was, not intend to bow to their interests.
The Tudeh party of Iran was not successful in convincing the Majlis and the government to grant the Soviets oil concessions in the Iranian Northern provinces. This is partly due to Ghavam's stagnation policy, which at the same time negotiated with Stalin and Molotov a plan to end the occupation instead of the promised oil concessions. Ghavam also accepted three Tudeh party members in his cabinet for Soviet appeasement. The stagnation policy of Ghavam fruited as the Soviets stepped to slow down their party diplomacy in an apparent redirection of their policy toward a warmer approach to government and the Shah of Iran. The party diplomacy of the Soviet :union: is considered an instrument of that state to achieve its imperialistic interests through an indirect way by Iranian Communist agents.
This research, through the study of many accessible sources that were already discussed by researchers, opened a new discussion over the rationale of the Soviet :union:'s reliance on communist elements in Iran. Using the concepts of party diplomacy, comprehensively explains twenty years of Soviet- Iranian interactions. On how the Iranian communist elements matured from a workers' organized entity in the Caucasus to communist parties as effective and influential elements during the most turbulent years of Iranian politics between the two world wars. This theme may open new discussions on different forms of diplomatic presence of foreign powers in the Pahlavi era of Iran.
Soviet indirect imperialism necessitated incorporating loyal communist elements, which was achieved through educating Iranian students in Europe, mostly Germany, dissidents to Reza Shah's dictatorial politics. These students were contacted by Soviet elements in France and Germany to work and admit more students to their organizations. Later on, the communists among students joined the Caucasus members of the Edalat organization and established the Communist Party of Iran.
Tudeh's party was enriched by these mature elements, which were supported and financed by the soviet embassy in Tehran. Party politics of the Soviet :union: allowed it to conduct its foreign policy through indirect channels, with the possibility of more success as the Soviet :union: was occupied with official war diplomacy. Even after Tudeh's party was dissolved. Its student and officers’ organization organized street protests and outlet propaganda favored Soviet and party politics.
Conclusions
This research provides a fresh perspective on Soviet- Iran relations based on the party diplomacy of the Soviet :union: in Iran. The Soviet :union: incorporated the Third International Communist in Europe to attract Iranian students who opposed Reza Shah's dictatorship and organized them with the workers' apparatus of the Caucasus within a communist organization. The European political arm of the Soviets enabled the organization of Iranian communists and consequently led formation of a party, which was an instrumental tool for Soviet policy in Iran. The Tudeh Party of Iran and its affiliated organizations balanced the Iranian government's broadening relations with the United States and challenged state approaches toward the latter.
This research concludes that the Tudeh party achieved some of its goals to prevent governments from taking hostile approaches toward Soviet masters. It was unable to change the course of action in favor of the Soviet :union:. Partly due to mistakes of the Tudeh party, especially regarding the Firgha Democrat, and for its role played in negotiation on north of Iran oil concessions.
In Conclusion, when the Soviets achieved higher confidence in dealing with the royal court and the government in Iran, party diplomacy was shadowed by official diplomacy in Iran.
Acknowledgement
This paper is based on a Ph.D. thesis and has been conducted under thesis supervisor and advisor. The Researcher appreciates the technical assistance offered for the conduct of this research. This research has received no financial aid or grant and it has been organized independently by the writers.
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