The Impact of the Soviet Union on Iran’s Economic Modernization during the Interwar Years

This paper will address the complexities of economic relations between Iran and the Soviet Union during the Interwar period. Firstly, it will analyze images of factories and workers in Iranian print media of the 1920s and 1930s. Such examples of news stories and advertising may be characterized by an apparent Soviet influence, which was not only indicative of economic links, but also attendant ideologies and conceptions of modern technology. On the other hand, the cultural idiom that was operative in these images underscored marked divergences in the conceptualization of economic centralization, social engineering, and representations of the national subject in these countries. In addition, this paper’s conclusions will be reinforced by findings from bilateral economic agreements between Iran and the Soviet Union during this period. Published commentaries on these treaties suggest that certain Iranian economic actors exercised considerable influence at the local level, and sometimes in conjunction with the Iranian government.