Behind the Bastards

Part Two: The First Shah of Iran

March 26, 2026·1h 5m·2-min readsolohistory
Podzilla Summary (2 min)
TLDR
Reza Shah Pahlavi, a former illiterate Cossack soldier, rose to power in 1921 with British backing to secure oil interests, established a brutal dictatorship, modernized Iran through repression, aligned with Nazi Germany, and was deposed by the Allies in WWII, setting the stage for future

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Guest

C

Cave Joda

solo on Behind the Bastards

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Reza Shah PahlaviMohammad MosaddeghVita Sackville-West

Books

The Shahby Abrahamian

Companies

Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC)

Research & Papers

Sharen Brysac's World Policy Journal articleby Sharen Brysac

Topics

AuthoritarianismGeopoliticsHistory Of ScienceMilitary History

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