From conciliation to intervention: the American posture towards Mossadegh's Iran
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5380/cg.v12i1.84337Abstract
The present analysis aims to understand the US foreign policy in face of the process of nationalization of the oil industry in Iran, under the government of Mohammed Mossadegh between 1951 and 1953. It's divided in two stages: First, it analyzes the period referring to the Mossadegh government in the years 1951 and 1952; The second stage focuses on the remainder of the Mossadegh government, between 1952 and 1953. The hypothesis presented is that this second period led to a change in the stance of US foreign policy towards the Iranian question. Mossadegh's efforts to marginalize the figure of the Shah caused concern in Washington, which gradually began to adopt a more interventionist stance of action - distancing itself from joint action with London - culminating in Operation Ajax and the overthrow of the nationalist government in August 1953. In this way, the research intends to contribute to the debate about this historical event by presenting a different perspective to explain this striking change in the North American line of action - in contrast to the most used justifications for such a transformation in the line of action that, for the most part, are based on the perception of the risk of the rise of communism in the Persian country and the influence of London in the process. The methodology has a qualitative character, based on the historical-analytical and descriptive method.
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