Democracy and the Nature of American Influence in Iran, 1941-1979

Download or read book Democracy and the Nature of American Influence in Iran, 1941-1979 written by David R. Collier and published by Syracuse University Press. This book was released on 2017-05-08 with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collier presents a timely and fresh reexamination of one of the most important bilateral relationships of the last century. He delves deeply into the American desire to promote democracy in Iran from the 1940s through the early 1960s and examines the myriad factors that contributed to their success in exerting a powerful influence on Iranian politics. By creating a framework to understand the efficacy of external pressure, Collier explains how the United States later relinquished this control during the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, the shah emerged as a dominant and effective political operator who took advantage of waning American influence to assert his authority. Collier reveals how this shifting power dynamic transformed the former client-patron relationship into one approaching equality.