Operation "Consent". Soviet troops entering Iran in 1941
The operation, which will be discussed in this article, is poorly studied in Russian historiography. There are clear objective reasons for this - the beginning of the Great Patriotic War was full of dramatic, bright pages. Therefore, the Iranian operation - a joint British-Soviet operation of the Second World War to occupy the territory of the Iranian state under the code name “Operation Consent” ”(eng. Operation Countenance), which ran from August 25 to September 17 1941, remained among the“ white spots ” of this war. But we must also know this page of national military art. This is especially important to know in the light of the fact that some publicists, like Yulia Latynina, are trying to create a myth about Moscow’s attempt to annex the Azerbaijani part of Iran to the Azerbaijan SSR, waging a “war of conquest” by the Soviet Union to occupy Iran. And it was during the difficult times that the Red Army retreated under the attacks of the Wehrmacht, when the armies involved by the Transcaucasian Front were badly needed in the European part of Russia.
prehistory
The main prerequisites for the operation were global geopolitics and security issues:
- protection of oil fields of the Union (Baku) and England (Southern Iran and the border with Iraq areas of Iran);
- protection of the transport corridor of the allies, since a significant share of supplies under the lend-lease subsequently followed the Tabriz-Astara (Iran) -Astara (Azerbaijan) -Bak route and beyond;
- the danger of the establishment of the forces of the Third Reich in Iran against the background of the emergence and rise of "Iranian (Persian)" National Socialism.
It should be noted that in addition to the factors of "black gold" and communications of strategic importance, although they were central to the reaction of Moscow and London to the refusal of Shah Reza Pahlavi to place Soviet and British troops in Iran, there were other nodes of controversy, such as the Kurdish and Azerbaijani issues . So, right up to the beginning of the 20 century, Persia was ruled not by Iranian (Persian) dynasties, but Azerbaijani Safavids (from 1502 to 1722), Turkic Qajars (from 1795 to 1925 a year). For many centuries the Turks constituted the elite of Persia, so, starting from the 13th century, the Azerbaijani cities of Tabriz, Ardabil, Hamadan, Qazvin were the forge of the ruling dynasties, rulers, military, nobility and scientific elite.
At the beginning of the 20 century, along with other areas of life, the Turkic element played a major role in the political life of the country - almost all political parties in Iran were represented or led by people from the provinces of southern Azerbaijan. Political activity, economic activity of Azerbaijanis, Armenians and Kurds (Azeris and Armenians were often the majority or half of the population of large cities) largely determined the life of Persia-Iran. As a result, it can be said that the “titular nation” felt itself slighted.
In 1925, as a result of a palace coup, Reza Pahlavi came to power in Persia and founded a new, “root”, Pahlavi dynasty. It was then that Persia was declared Iran (“the land of the Aryans”), and at an accelerated pace began to move along the path of Europeanization, “Parthianism” (the Parthians were Persian-speaking people who created the Parthian state — from about 250 to BC. AD.) and the Aryan imperial. Before the National Socialists came to power in Germany, the Italian leader Benito Mussolini was an example for the Iranian elite. But the example of Germany has become closer to Iran - the idea of "purity of the Aryans" came to the taste of youth organizations and officers.
Thus, despite the strong position of British capital, which played a key role in the Iranian economy, the geopolitical bias towards the Third Reich became ever stronger. In addition, Berlin has been moving relations with Iran to a new level of quality since 1933. Reich begins to take an active part in the development of the economy, the infrastructure of Iran, and the reform of the armed forces of the monarchy. In the Third Reich, Iranian youth are being trained, the military, whom Goebbels' propaganda called "sons of Zarathushtra." German ideologues declared the Persians "purebred Aryans", and they were freed by special decree from the Nuremberg racial laws. In December 1937, the leader of the Hitler Youth Baldur von Schirach was pompously received in Iran. For the guest of honor in the presence of the Iranian Minister of Education at the stadiums of Amjadi and Jalalio solemn events were held with the participation of Iranian scouts, students and schoolchildren. Iranian youth even marched with a Nazi salute. Then von Schirach visited the area of Manzaria, where the Germans showed the charges of Iranian boy scouts. And on the eve of the end of the visit, the head of the “Hitler Youth” was received by Shahinshakh of Iran, Reza Pahlavi.
Iranian youth organizations were created in the country on the German model. In 1939, the boy scout units became compulsory organizations in Iran’s schools, and the crown prince Mohammed Reza Pahlavi became their supreme leader. By the beginning of World War II, scout organizations had been turned into paramilitary groups of Iranian youth, exemplified by Nazi Germany. The Germans understood perfectly the importance of the education system for the future of the country, so the Reich took an active part in the opening of new Iranian educational institutions. Before the First World War, the Second Reich opened a German college in Tehran and established missionary schools in Urmia and Hoije. In the middle of 1930, the Iranian education system came under the full control of German teachers and instructors who arrived in the country at the invitation of the government. The Germans began to manage the departments in most educational institutions of Iran, managed the educational process in the agricultural and veterinary institutes. In Iranian schools, the programs were based on German samples. Much attention was paid to learning German - 5-6 hours per week were devoted to him. The children were inspired by the ideas of the "superiority of the Aryan race" and the "eternal friendship" of Iran and Germany.
At the initiative of the Iranian government in the second half of 1930's, an Organization for Orientation of Public Opinion was established. It includes representatives of the Iranian Ministry of Education and Tehran University, public and cultural figures of the country, leaders of boy scout organizations. This organization has established close ties with German propagandists. For pupils, students, employees held mandatory lectures, where they promoted a positive image of the Third Reich. The Iranian media also participated in this activity.
In Germany, students were taken from Iran, so almost all Iranian doctors received a German education. Many German-educated students became German agents of influence after returning home. Germany was also the main supplier of medical equipment to the country.
As a result, by the beginning of the Second World War, the Third Reich had gained a strong position in Iran, and in fact the country was turning into a German base in the region of the Near and Middle East.
By 1941, the situation with Iran and its “Aryan bias” for Moscow and London was as follows: there was a real threat that Iran’s oil and transport infrastructure built on British capital would be used by the Third Reich against the USSR and Britain. So, only one oil refinery in Abadan in 1940 processed 8 million tons of oil. AND aviation Gasoline throughout the region was produced only in Baku and Abadan. In addition, if the German armed forces broke through from North Africa to Palestine, Syria or in 1942 reached the Baku-Derbent-Astrakhan border, the entry of Turkey and Iran into the war on the side of Germany would be a resolved issue. Interestingly, the Germans even developed an alternative plan, in case Reza Pahlavi became stubborn, Berlin was ready to create "Great Azerbaijan", uniting North and South Azerbaijan.
Preparation of the operation
After 22 June 1941, the Third Reich attacked the Soviet Union, Moscow and London became allies. Negotiations are beginning on joint actions in Iran to prevent the Germans from invading this country. They were led by the British ambassador Cripps in meetings with Molotov and Stalin. 8 July 1941 was issued by the Directive of the NKVD of the USSR and the NKGB of the USSR No. 250 / 14190 “On measures to prevent the transfer of German intelligence agents from Iranian territory”, it was de facto a signal to prepare for the Iranian operation. The planning of the operation to seize the Iranian territory was entrusted to Fyodor Tolbukhin, who at that time was the chief of staff of the Transcaucasian Military District (ZakVO).
Three armies were allocated for the operation. 44th under the command of A. Hadeev (two mountain rifle divisions, two mountain cavalry divisions, tank regiment) and 47th under the command of V. Novikov (two mountain rifle divisions, one rifle division, two cavalry divisions, two tank divisions and a number of other formations) from the ZakVO. They were strengthened by the 53rd Combined Arms Army under the command of S. Trofimenko; it was formed in the Central Asian Military District (SAVO) in July 1941. The 53rd Army included a rifle corps, a cavalry corps and two mountain rifle divisions. In addition, the Caspian Military took part in the operation. flotilla (commander - Rear Admiral F. S. Sedelnikov). At the same time, the 45th and 46th armies covered the border with Turkey. ZakVO at the beginning of the war was transformed into the Transcaucasian Front under the command of Lieutenant General Dmitry Kozlov.
The British formed an army group in Iraq under the command of Lieutenant General Sir Edward Quinan. In the area of Basra two infantry divisions were concentrated, and three brigades (infantry, tank and cavalry), part of the troops preparing to strike in the north - in the area of Kirkuk, Khanagin. In addition, the British Navy took part in the operation and occupied the Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf.
Iran could oppose this power of all 9 divisions. In addition, the Iranian troops were much weaker than the Soviet and British units in terms of technical equipment, combat training.
Simultaneously with the military training was diplomatic. 16 August 1941, Moscow handed over the note and demanded that the Iranian government immediately expel all German nationals from Iran. A demand was made to deploy British-Soviet forces in Iran. Tehran refused.
On August 19, the Iranian government canceled military leave, an additional mobilization of 30 thousand reservists was announced, the army number was increased to 200 thousand people.
21 August 1941 of the Year The Supreme Command of the USSR informs the British side of its readiness to begin the Iranian operation 25 of August. 23 August 1941, Iran announced the start of the expulsion of Reich nationals from its territory. 25 August 1941 of the year Moscow sent Tehran the last note, which states that given the 5 and 6 clauses of the Treaty in effect between Soviet Russia and Iran of 1921 of the year (they provided for the entry of Soviet troops in case of a threat to the southern borders of Soviet Russia) The USSR has the right to send troops to Iran for the purpose of self-defense. On the same day began the introduction of troops. The Iranian Shah asked for help from the United States, but Roosevelt refused, assuring the Shah that the USSR and Britain had no territorial claims against Iran.
Operation
On the morning of August 25, 1941, the gunboat of the British Naval Forces, the Shoreham, attacked the port of Abadan. The Iranian coast guard ship "Peleng" ("Tiger") was almost immediately drowned, and the rest of the small patrol vessels retreated with damage deep into the harbor or capitulated.
Two British battalions from the 8 Indian Infantry Division under the cover of aviation forced the Shatt al-Arab (a river in Iraq and Iran, formed during the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates). Not encountering resistance, they occupied the refinery and key communications nodes. In the southern Iranian port of Bander Shapur, the transport of the British naval ship Kanimbla landed troops to control the oil terminal and the infrastructure of the port city. At the same time begins the movement of British Indian parts in Balochistan.
British forces launched an offensive north-west of Basra. By the end of August 25, they had taken Hasri Sheikh and Hurramshahr. At this time, the Iranian troops rolled back to the north and east, almost no resistance. The British and Soviet Air Forces completely dominated the air, the Shah Aviation - the 4 Aviation Regiment, were destroyed in the first days of the operation. The Soviet Air Forces were mainly engaged in intelligence and propaganda (leaflets were scattered).
The British also attacked from the Kirkuk area in the north. The British battalions 8, led by Major General William Slim, quickly walked along the Khanagin-Kermanshah road, by the end of the day on August 27 the British had broken the enemy’s resistance at the Paytak Pass and occupied the Nafti-Shah oil fields. The remnants of the Iranian troops defending this line fled to Kermanshah.
On the border with the Soviet Union, the 47 Army, under the command of General V. Novikov, dealt the main blow. Soviet troops were advancing in the direction of Julfa — Khoi, Julfa — Tabriz, bypassing the Daridiz gorge and Astara — Ardabil, intending to take control of the Tabriz branch of the Trans-Iranian railway, as well as the area between Nakhichevan and Khoy. It was a well-trained army, the personnel were adapted to local conditions and engaged in combat training in similar terrain. The army was supported by the Caspian flotilla, since part of the troops moved along the sea.
After 5 hours, units of the 76 Mountain Division entered Tabriz. They were followed by units of the 6 Panzer Division, advancing on the front in 10 km across the Araks River, in the Karachug-Kyzyl-Vank region. The soldiers of the 6 pontoon bridge battalion helped force the river to tank units. The division’s tanks, having crossed the border, moved in two directions - towards the border with Turkey and towards Tabriz. The cavalry forces forced the river along pre-explored fords. In addition, they dropped airborne troops to the rear to capture bridges, passes and other important objects.
At the same time, the units of the 44 Army of A. Khadeev were marching in the direction of Herov — Kabah — Ahmed-Abad – Dort-Evalar – Tarkh – Mian. The main obstacles in their path was the Aja-Mirsky Pass on the Talysh Range.
By the end of 27 August, 1941, the formation of the Transcaucasian Front, fully completed all the tasks. Soviet troops took to the line Khoi - Tabriz - Ardabil. The Iranians began to surrender to the polls.
On August 27, the Major General S. G. Trofimenko's 53 Army joined the operation. She started the movement from the Central Asian direction. 53-I army attacked in three groups. The 58 th infantry corps of General MF Grigorovich advanced in the western direction, parts of the 8 th mountain rifle division of Colonel A. A. Luchinsky moved in the center, and the 4 th cavalry corps of General T. Shapkin was in charge of the east. The two Iranian divisions opposing the 53 Army retreated almost without a fight, taking up a defensive line in the highland areas northeast of the Iranian capital.
28 August 1941, units of the British 10 Indian division occupied Ahwaz. From this point on, the problems of the British can be considered solved. In the northern direction, Major General Slim was going to 29 in August to take Kermanshah by assault, but the garrison commander surrendered it without resistance. The remaining Iranian troops were tied to the capital, which they planned to defend to the end. At this time, British troops in two columns from Ahwaz and Kermanshah marched on Tehran, and the advanced units of the Red Army reached the Mekhabad-Qazvin and Sari-Damgan-Sabzevar lines and took Mashhad. After this, there was no point in resisting.
Results
- Under pressure from the British envoys, as well as from the Iranian opposition, Shah Reza Pahlavi announced on the resignation of the government of Ali Mansur on 29 August. A new Iranian government was created, headed by Ali Furuki, on the same day an armistice was concluded with Britain, and on August 30 with the Soviet Union. September 8 signed an agreement that defines the zones of occupation between the two great powers. The Iranian government pledged to expel all the citizens of Germany and other allies of Berlin from the country, to adhere to strict neutrality and not to interfere with the military transit of the countries of the Anti-Hitler coalition.
12 September 1941, the British Ambassador to Union Cripps, initiates a discussion between London and Moscow on the candidacy of the new head of Iran. The choice fell on the son of Shah Reza Pahlavi - Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. This figure suited everyone. On September 15, the Allies sent troops to Tehran, and on September 16, Shah Reza was forced to sign a renunciation in favor of his son.
- The military operation mainly consisted in the rapid occupation of strategic points and objects. This confirms the level of casualties: 64 killed and wounded British, about 50 dead and 1 thousand wounded, sick Soviet soldiers, about 1 thousand Iranian killed.
- The USSR was thinking about developing its success in the Iranian direction - in the Soviet zone of occupation two state entities were created - the Makhabad Republic (Kurdish) and South Azerbaijan. Soviet troops stood in Iran until May 1946, to counteract a possible strike from Turkey.
T-26 tanks and BA-10 armored vehicles in Iran. September 1941 of the year.
On the issue of the "occupation" of the Soviet Union of Iran
First, Moscow had the legal right to do so - there was an agreement with Persia from 1921. In addition, there was no aggressive war; issues of geopolitics, protection of strategic zones, and communications were resolved. After the war, the troops were withdrawn, Iran became de facto independent, but in reality the Anglo-American puppet until the 1979 year. Moscow did not have a plan to “Sovietize” Iran and attach it to the USSR.
Secondly, the deployment of troops was coordinated with Britain and carried out jointly with its armed forces. On the "aggressive" war from the British do not say, throw mud at only Stalin's USSR.
Thirdly, Stalin was a man who had a rare mind, which is why the USSR was forced to keep several armies in Iran and on the border with Turkey. There was a threat that the Anglo-French group in alliance with Turkey or Turkey in alliance with the Third Reich would strike the Union. This threat has existed since the Soviet-Finnish war, when Paris and London were developing plans to attack the USSR. Including a blow to Baku.
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