A critical juncture in modern Iranian history, the Anglo-Soviet occupation of 1941 continues to reveal new clues and information about Iran and the two countries occupying it. For the first time, this paper will uncover the missing linkages between British propaganda, Iran and Iranians, and the Soviet Union. Furthermore, this research will provide a new angle to analyse their complex relationship, with the added complication of the United States’ growing presence.
Moving away from the assumption that their relationship deteriorated gradually over the course of the occupation, this paper re-examines British Foreign Office documents to paint a more complex picture. Although Moscow and London were jointly committed to fighting the presence of Nazi Germany in Iran, both soon became engaged in a rivalry over prominence. From the start of the joint occupation, both London and the British Legation in Tehran were deeply suspicious of their Soviet comrades and insecure of their position in the eyes of the local population. In addition to exercising diplomacy and the military to deal with the everyday matters of the occupation, Britain designed and implemented a propaganda campaign to fight a more delicate but no less important battle.
A detailed analysis will be provided on the British propaganda machine, under the direction of Reader Bullard, the British Minister in Tehran, and Ann Lambton, the Press Attaché. An understanding of how the apparatus operated, from information gathering to propaganda dissemination, will provide a fuller understanding of the nature of British policy, which will be analysed and critiqued alongside the diffusion of pro-British publicity.
Initially, British propaganda focused on improving the Allies’ position in the eyes of Iranians to ensure that they supported the occupation. However, as the dynamics between the Soviet Union and Britain changed and their relations became more strained, Britain concentrated its propaganda machine solely for its own image. When the Soviet Union and Britain became conflicting political patrons, propaganda came to include the promotion of certain political reforms and factions over others. This will be explored and expanded further in this study to analyse the subtler and more sinister hand of Britain in the manipulation of different political players for specific ends: from the maintenance of Britain’s position in Iran to countering Soviet prominence in Iran.
By examining British propaganda during this period, this paper will provide an important dimension of British influence during a crucial turning point in Iran’s political development.
