Background
Mohammad Mosaddegh was born in or near Tehran, Iran on June 16, 1882.
Mohammad Mosaddegh was born in or near Tehran, Iran on June 16, 1882.
He held various political posts until about 1906, when he went to France and Switzerland to study. In 1915 he was elected a deputy to the Majlis, the Iranian national assembly. From 1920 through 1923 he held posts in the ministries of finance, justice, and foreign affairs. In 1925 Mossadegh opposed the selection of Riza Shah Pahlavi as the ruler of Iran, and in 1929 was exiled from Tehran. Following the accession of Muhammad Riza Shah Pahlavi in 1941, he returned.
In 1943 Mossadegh was back in the Majlis. In 1950 a National Front was formed around Mossadegh, who strongly opposed the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and other foreign exploitation of Iran's resources. On Mar. 15, 1951, the Majlis voted unanimously to nationalize the oil industry and demanded the immediate seizure of foreign installations. Mossadegh was named premier on April 29, 1951.
Mossadegh was extremely popular with the bulk of the Iranian population despite quarrels with military and religious leaders, conservatives, and Communists. He received extraordinary powers in July 1952 and instituted some land, tax, and rent reforms. However, in February 1953 Mossadegh's attempts to reduce the power of the shah resulted in a popular protest. The following August 13, the shah issued a decree dismissing him as premier, but Mossadegh refused to resign. Mob violence broke out, and the shah fled to Rome. Three days later the shah's supporters overthrew Mossadegh's regime, and the premier was arrested. He was tried for treason and on Dec. 21, 1953, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment. Released in 1956, he retired to live in one of his villages.
