Soviets Name Greater Khorasan as Turkestan

After the coup of Reza Khan, the Bolsheviks abruptly drew a virtual border around the territory previously seized from Iran and called it Turkestan. This decision was made due to fear from growing nationalist sentiments towards Iran. Years later, the territory was divided again and Persian cities of Bukhara and Samarkand became part of Uzbekistan instead of Tajikistan. The city of Marv became part of Turkmenistan. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, those republics announced their independence with same border lines that are still cause of some disputes. In 19th century, the Russian empire had gained great influence in the Qajar court and in a secret agreement with Britain, Iran was divided. The Jeyhoon river thus became the borderline among two major powers of the time. (Updated: Apr, 15, 2008)

USSR Signs Friendship Treaty With Iran

Soon after the Bolshevik revolution, changes began in Soviet Union's foreign policy and USSR under Lenin signed a friendship treaty with Iran wavering some of the imperial Russia's claims and erasing Iran's debt. A similar treaty was made with Afghanistan to counter the British influence in the region. Iran, in turn had accepted not to enter any treaty with Soviet enemies. However, Iran's signing of the CENTO treaty in 1955 angered the USSR. Iran withdrew from CENTO in 1979 and unilaterally cancelled the 1921 treaty. (Updated: Feb, 28, 2008)

British General Ironside Leaves Iran

Two months after the coup d'état that toppled the Iranian regime, the British general Ironside leaves Iran. Ironside had been chief of the British military in Iran since September, 1920. One of his tasks in Iran was to push back the Russian Kazak units that had stayed in Iran even after the Bolshevik revolution and retreating of the Russian army. Ironside had a meeting with Reza Khan on Jan, 30, three weeks before his army staged a coup. Four years later the Qajar dynasty was overthrown and Reza khan was put on the throne by the British; yet deposed and replaced by his son in 1941. (Updated: Jan, 30, 2008)

The Coup d'état Of Reza Khan

The Qajar dynasty was probably one of the weakest in Iran's history. After the World War I, Russia and Britain entered a fierce power struggle in Iran. The Qajar court was corrupt and deeply under influence of foreign missionaries. The last Qajar king was only a teenager when Reza Khan who was the commander of a Kazak brigade trained by Russians marched with his troops from Qazvin to Tehran on Feb, 18, 1921. Four days later he seized key locations of the capital almost with no resistance and forced the government to resign. He then appointed Mr. Tabatabaee as the prime minister and started to silence opposition groups as the minister of war in Gilan and Khorasan. Four years later the Qajar dynasty was overthrown and Reza khan was put on the throne by the British; yet deposed and replaced by his son in 1941. (Updated: Feb, 18, 2008)

Standard Oil's Deal Approved

The Iranian parliament approves the bill that gives the American Standard Oil company the right to exploration of oil in north Iran. This bill's first consequence was a protest note from Britain who owned the same rights in south and did not want to share vast resources with any other country. American companies could not actually enter the Iranian petroleum sector until the coup against Mosaddegh. (Updated: Nov, 21, 2007)

• Bolshevik: بلشويک
• Bukhara: بخارا(Bokhara)
• CENTO: سنتو
• Gilan: گيلان
• Jeyhoon: جيهون(آمودريا, Oxus, Amudar'ya)
• Kazak: قزاق(Cossack)
• Khorasan: خراسان(Khorassan)
• Lenin: لنين
• Marv: مرو
• Mosaddegh: مصدق(Mossaddegh)
• Persia: ايران
• Qajar: قاجار(Ghajar)
• Qazvin: قزوين(Ghazvin)
• Samarkand: سمرقند(Samarghand)
• Tabatabaee: طباطبايي
• Tajikistan: تاجيکستان
• Turkestan: ترکستان
• Turkmenistan: ترکمنستان
• USSR: اتحاد جماهير شوروي
• Uzbekistan: ازبکستان