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Iranian Contemporary History No. 60

History Hall

Anglo Iran 1919 Agreement

Zahra Abbassi

The 1919 agreement was concluded between the British and Iran through complicity of Vossouqoddowleh, then the prime minister. In 1919, Iran sent a mission to Paris Peace Conference to express Iran’s wishes for cancellation of 1907 agreement, capitulation law and all foreign concessions. However, the British impeded the admittance of Iranian mission to the Peace Conference. According to the 1919 agreement concluded between Iran and the British, all military and financial organizations were put under the British supervision. The secret agreement was concluded between Vossouqoddowleh and Sir Percy Cox, the British minister to Tehran. The British did not wait for the ratification of the agreement by the national assembly, and sent a military mission headed by General Dixon and a financial mission under Hermitage Smith for forming the new military organization and the financial administration. They lent Iran 2 million pound, with 7% interest rate. However, the league of nations did not recognize this treacherous agreement which would turn Iran to a British protectorate. In Iran, the liberals protested against it, and France and the United States objected to the British for imposing such an agreement to Iran.

Vossouqoddowleh ordered for the detainment of the protesters, suspended the press and sent Ahmad Shah Qajar to Europe, and began to carry out the contents of the agreement. However, he was forced to leave his office. Mirza Hassan Khan Moshiroddowleh took the cabinet and stopped the implementation of the agreement, and following 21^st March coup, it was nullified.

1 - Agreement between the British and the Iranian government according to which Iran’s finance and military were put under the British instructors and commanders, the uniform troops, gendarmes and Cossacks would be merged within a single force, besides to the construction of railroads, and payment of 2 million pound loan to Iran by the British [F 114-3-36-30] (page 1)

2 - Agreement between the British and Iranian government according to which Iran’s finance and military were put under the British instructors and commanders, the uniform troops, gendarmes and Cossacks would be merged within a single force, besides to the Construction of railroads, and payment of 2 million pound loan to Iran by the British [F 114-3-36-31] (page 2)

3 - Agreement between the British and Iranian government according to which Iran’s finance and military were put under the British instructors and commanders. The uniform troops, gendarmes and Cossacks would be merged within a single force, besides to the construction of railroads, and payment of 2 million pound loan to Iran by the British [F 114-3-36-32] (page 3)

4 - A copy of the supplement to the 1919 agreement [F 114-3-36-36] (page 1)

5 - A copy of the supplement to the 1919 agreement [F 114-3-36-37] (page 2)

6 - Agreement on 2 million pound British loan to be paid to the Iranian government [F 114-3-36-28] (page 1)

7 - Agreement on 2 million pound British loan to be paid to the Iranian government [F 114-3-36-29] (page 2)

8 - Translation of the British minister, Sir Percy Cox’s letter to the prime minister, Vossoquddowleh on the impossibility of providing the loan to Iran’s Treasury and the Cossack brigade prior to the arrival of financial advisors in Iran [F 114-3-36-35]

9 - A letter by Sir Percy Cox to Vossouqoddowleh on providing the expenses of the maintenance of British forces in Iran in exchange of Iran’s not taking indemnity, non-relatedness of this agreement to the claims of individual and private institutions [F 114-3-36-38] (page 1)

10 - A letter by Sir Percy Cox to Vossouqoddowleh on providing the expenses of the maintenance of British forces in Iran in exchange of Iran’s not taking indemnity, non-relatedness of this agreement to the claims of individual and private institutions [F 114-3-36-39] (page 2)

11 - Vossouqoddowleh’s reply to Sir Percy Cox, giving Iranian government’s consent to the British about the expenses of the afore-said troops [F 114-3-36-40]

12 - Vossouqoddowleh’s letter to the British minister, Sir Percy Cox, claiming that regarding Iran’s financial problems, the payment of fees and one hundred thousand tomans to the British finance ministry has no foundation

13 - Vossouqoddowleh’s letter to the British minister, Sir Percy Cox, claiming that regarding Iran’s financial problems, the payment of fees and one hundred thousand tomans to the British finance ministry has no foundation

14 - Announcement of Islamic nationalists society, declaring their strong objection to the 1919 agreement between Iran and the British and demanding its immediate cancellation, subsequent to martial law in Tehran by the prime minister, Vossouqoddowleh. [N 36558]

15 - Hajj Mirza Hassan Khan’s letter to the prime minister, Vossouqoddowleh, congratulating him on the conclusion of Anglo Iranian agreement [N 54294] (page 1)

16 - Hajj Mirza Hassan Khan’s letter to the prime minister, Vossouqoddowleh, congratulating him on the conclusion of Anglo Iranian agreement [N 54295] (page 2)

17 - George V’s decree: the British order of “Chastity” granting to Iranian prime minister, Hassan Vossouqoddowleh [V 112-322-3]

18 - Norman’s letter to the prime minister on payment of 400 thousands to Vossouqoddowleh, Saremoddowleh, and Nosratoddowleh, indicating the confused situation of the country subsequent to the publication of the news and asking for silence to help the aforesaid authorities [N 41358]

19 - Hajj Hossein Aminozzarb’s letter to the prime minister on the necessity of talks with the British to cancel 1919 contract due to domestic and foreign objections and the public hatred for this agreement [N 4556]

20 - A telegram by the London embassy on the speeches of deputy minister of foreign affairs on the possibility of cancellation of 1919 agreement by Iran due to its non ratification in the national assembly [N4556]

21 - A coded telegram by Akbar Mirza Saremoddowleh to the prime minister to acknowledge the receipt of 400 thousand tomans for conclusion of 1919 agreement, paying half of this amount to Vossouqoddowleh, and dividing the rest between himself and Nosratoddowleh [N 43954] (page 1)

22 - A coded telegram by Akbar Mirza Saremoddowleh to the prime minister to acknowledge the receipt of 400 thousand tomans for conclusion of 1919 agreement, paying half of this amount to Vossouqoddowleh, and dividing the rest between himself and Nosratoddowleh [N 43955] (page 2)

23 - A coded telegram by Akbar Mirza Saremoddowleh to the prime minister to acknowledge the receipt of 400 thousand tomans for conclusion of 1919 agreement, paying half of this amount to Vossouqoddowleh, and dividing the rest between himself and Nosratoddowleh [N 43956] (page 3)

24 - The prime minister, Seyyed Zia’addin’s declaration about the cancellation of Anglo Iran agreement under Vossouqoddowleh, and explaining some domestic and foreign policies of the government [N 36048] (page 1)

25 - The prime minister, Seyyed Zia’addin’s declaration about the cancellation of Anglo Iran agreement under Vossouqoddowleh, and explaining some domestic and foreign policies of the government [N 36048] (page 2)

26 - Seyyed Zia’addin Tabatabai’s telegram to Nasserolmolk, describing the situation of the country, and pointing out to the need for the 1919 agreement to be cancelled, and requesting for negotiation with Lord Curzon, and assuring him of the continued mutual relationship against the nullification of the agreement [GH 1250]

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