1941 Invasion of Iran - Regime Change WWII-Style

In 1941, Iran was jointly invaded by the British Empire and the Soviet Union. Why did this happen to a neutral country? Find out how what happened in 1941 changed Iranian history and its difficult relationship with the West.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
Visit my audio book channel 'War Stories with Mark Felton': • One Thousand Miles to ...
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; Omniatlas; GTVM92; Parsecboy; Drybrush

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

NOTE: When I list the recent examples of regime-change in the Middle East, my use of the word 'SUCCESSFUL' is entirely ironic. Perhaps my British humour is not travelling well with some viewers. Thanks.

[@TankerBricks]

It was good British humour for certain!

[@treyperry6616]

I got it 😂

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

Maybe the use of 'sarcastic' quote marks would have been useful.

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

Even us Aussies understand your British humor Mark.

[@shanemcdowall]

Franco-Thai War 1940/41 would be a good topic.

[@spikeyflo]

My father was a German citizen of Czech origin who had lived in Iran for about 10 years before 1941. He, along with many others, was arrested then and spent 4 years in a POW camp in Australia. Thank you Mark for your succinct video.

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

Amazing stuff, I’m Australian I hope your dad had a good life

[@gergemall]

God bless

[@ausnorman8050]

@@ColinFreeman-kh9us Was about to write something similar, hope he did.

[@manfredconnor3194]

Ouch! That's a tough life.

[@dd61125]

what an amazing story! thank you for sharing, Iran's past is long and tragic. Did he have lots of boyfriends in the camp?

[@ryanmclellan8740]

Anyone else here learning more history than we did in school?

[@rogerforsberg3910]

Amen, brother! I've earned 4 degrees from 3 universities (2 American & one German), and this narrative (except for the part when the last Shah abdicated & fled to Egypt) was all completely new to me. I now feel just slightly less ignorant.

[@rjb10101]

Certainly learning more here than from the msn....

[@jonahtwhale1779]

Not an accident! They have deliberately set out to separate Western history from the rump of western societies!

[@gabrieldoherty4756]

Every day.

[@dosrios9517]

Yes!!

[@jonathanlong6987]

Thank you for greatly reducing my ignorance of Iranian history 1930s-1953.

[@bernieschiff5919]

For a good overview of the 1953 CIA led revolution in Iran (with some British help) and the circumstances and events that transpired, read "All the Shah's Men" by Stephen Kinzer. A cautionary tale that the CIA and President Eisenhower thought at the time was a good idea, a history changing event that from today's point of view, not so much.

[@shauny2285]

​@@bernieschiff5919Yes, the law of unintended consequences.

[@jimtalbott9535]

Ah yes, I second that!

[@HistoryHaty]

Have the show my mom this. She is so bad a Middle Eastern history🤣🤣

[@rstidman]

Dr Mark doesn't just disseminate information about WW2 - he makes love to it violently, makes it love him, and then gets it to do whatever he wants.

[@SeanBZA]

My mother was a refugee in Tehran during the war, a Polish refugee from a Siberian camp. Her parents are likely buried there in the Polish cemetery.

[@friendlyboylulea]

There were over 3000 Polish refugees that arrived in Iran. They were given a neighborhood outside of Tehran, which was named "Warsaw street" (it still has the same name accirding to google maps). It's now a part of the main city as Tehran exponentially grew later in the 1960s. Local Iranian generally had a very good relationship with them. Especially with the Jewish ones since Iran at that time had the largest Jewish minority in the whole Middle East. Very different times.

[@digitaleye1135]

There is lots of Polish people living in Iran still that are descendants of people like you mother

[@SeanBZA]

@@friendlyboylulea She landed up in Nyasaland instead, never wanted to be cold ever again, so went to where it was never cold.

[@kupus6622]

​@@digitaleye1135Would they still have polish names or have they adopted local names? I think pockets of nationals in unusual places is fascinating. Good to mix the DNA but sad if in exile or danger .

[@doodlebug1820]

There is an amazing book about Jewish refugees in Iran by Mikhal Dekel

[@damien8223]

Never knew WW2 had an Iranian chapter. Thanks dr Felton!!

[@MaryamofShomal]

In World Wars I and II: the British and the Russians invaded and occupied then-neutral Iran, plundered all of our resources, stole all our oil for the Allied war effort (which is how we beat the Nazis; you’re welcome, world), and *starved 5 to 6 million Iranians to death* - but you won’t hear that anywhere in the West. Mark Felton’s work comes close tho 🫶🏽

[@kasrahatami3566]

Yeah Iranian death was even more than those killed in camps

[@MagicButterz]

@@MaryamofShomal There were multiple offers to Iran to help the war effort and they denied them all. Not saying it was right but the people in power could have saved a lot of lives if they held their egos at the door

[@MartieD]

If they're gonna call it a World War, it ought to live up to its name.

[@Wolfen443]

Yeah, the Middle East was in Flux at that time, some Arab leaders and groups saw the Axis Powers and convenient allies against the specially not nice British and French Colonial empires.

[@babakht]

Mark's channel is basically my main reference for WWII. Now as an Iranian who is naturally familiar with my country's history, when I see how accurate his videos are it makes me sure that he's info is reliable. Not a word or a photo was inaccurate in this whole video.

[@e-curb]

15:20 "... and couldn't even speak Persian." The language is called Farsi, not Persian.

[@samuelj2408]

except one thing the language is Farsi, the term Persian encompasses many different ethnicities ,languages and dialects and regions and peoples, falsely going back to mid 1800s when British first came to Iran, for archeological missions ,.it has been passed down to uk and us universities as the language being called "Persian" and that has stayed as the accepted term in linguistic circles that claim to be ultimate decider in names for languages it is also supported by many Iranians as is the current sentiment(due to internal civil unrest in Iran) to dissociate anything "arabic" or "islamic" as the word Farsi is arabic in origin.

[@cx2900]

@@e-curb fair enough, but that's just a minor oversight really, it's not historical misinformation or political revisionism or something you actually have to worry about when you're reading (or listening) about history. no disrespect to the persians of course

[@e-curb]

@@samuelj2408 All of the people from Iran that I know call it Farsi. I notice the good doctor gave my comment his thumbs up. Perhaps his original use of the term "Persian" was to avoid confusion among those who don't know that Iran has its own language that's not Arabic.

[@amirsadeghi9888]

he is very accurate, but Shah didnt declare himself the king, the title was given to him by the Majles... Reza Khan wanted a democracy and presidency

[@shahrammolaei275]

As an Iranian, I would like to thank you for this video. I have been following your channel since 2017 and I enjoy all your productions but whenever the topic is related to Iran, I feel even more excited.

[@ronananderson]

viva Iran

[@naivett]

My grandfather was a young boy during the Anglo Soviet invasion. He told me once how he was sent with all the children in his family/neighborhood out of his city (Qazvin) and into the mountains and remembered Soviet troops marching down the city streets after he returned.

[@neilhunter6026]

Your unbiased presentation of history should be an example in these times. No spin, no editoriaizing. You present unvarnished history and respect the intelligence of your audience. These are rare qualities today. Thank you.

[@cx2900]

I like how he occasionally does videos like this one that have a relevant tie-in with current events but he doesn't have a political approach or agenda to it

[@johntillman6068]

It's not unbiased. It's anti-Amkerican. Mossadegh was not democratically elected. His "election" was rigged by Communists.

[@Ryan_Winter]

UNBIASED?! Well there certainly is nothing fishy about British actions, at least not when Mr. Felton reports about it. "Unbiased", you've got to be kidding.

[@game_boyd1644]

There was nothing "unbiased" about these video. Your takeaway from this video for instance would be that British bombs magically didn't kill any civilians, but you know exactly how many the Soviets killed.

[@fernando-sl7qm]

At some point dr felton is gonna get in trouble for these history videos. People in power would rather rewrite history rather than learn from it.

[@vmax4steve524]

George Galloway MP mentioned the 1953 coup in the UK parliament to PM Rishi Sunak and the conservative and labour MP's laughed at him, ignorant of their history unlike Mr. Galloway who knows from where the current disputes arise from.

[@amg863]

The video about Jews in the German military and the extremists in Ukraine really take a lot of courage to post.

[@nledaig]

@@amg863 Dr Felton is a detailed and persistent historian. All his mini-documentaries are worth watching.

[@HTub-bo2yl]

@@amg863hiding in plain site

[@uncleeric3317]

This is a very little known and interesting WW2 topic. Cheers from New Jersey.

[@LydiotGamingTV]

And yet it is probably one of the more crucial factors to get into the Iranian mindset of the years after the war and even of the current day.

[@alhandeen474]

Agreed! This is a critical insight into the Persian (Iranian) geopolitical mindset of the Russians (formerly Soviets).

[@angryjock3938]

Not the 1st neutral country the UK invaded during WW2

[@faithlesshound5621]

@@angryjock3938 Iceland was another. The US also took part later, as they did in Persia.

[@aleksazunjic9672]

It is little known in the West, but it is well known in Iran. And explains a lot considering current affairs.

[@nigelwylie01]

Researching my wife’s family tree, I discovered an officer in the Indian army, who commanded a section of the army under General Quinan. I had no idea why we were invading Iran. I wondered where to go to research the subject. Then this video arrived in my feed. Problem solved! Thank you Dr Felton. A thorough answer which gives the big picture I was missing. I am very grateful.

[@aranglahooti6302]

As am Iranian I want to tell everyone that reza shah was the pioneer of the new iran . Thanks for your time you spent for Iranian history on WW2 era 🌹

[@HTub-bo2yl]

It would be wonderful to work out our differences despite the past. That takes courage.

[@LaluBhaiya1233]

​@HTub-bo2yl that would imply that the West has changed in their approach to the world.. you could argue it had, but I doubt that.. oh, and they had another regime change 2 decades later instigated by America

[@Houthiandtheblowfish]

He was a nobody he wouldnt have left like the way he did just a traitor dictator puppet

[@patrickfreeman8257]

@@HTub-bo2yl All it would take is for eveyone to stop listening to our "leaders" The common man is never the one who starts wars. Take the government and the media out of the mix and most of us would get along just fine

[@UnknowableThen]

Mr. Felton, do you ever realistically think that you will run out of WWII stuff to cover? I feel like each video I think, "Ok, Mark Felton HAS to have covered everything there is to cover" but then you come out with something I've never heard of, it's awe-inspiring.

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

Well said, I often think the same thing. I suppose there are plenty of wars to cover !

[@brucenorman8904]

Doubtful whilst he still has his faculties.

[@melloangelwolf8611]

New things are being discovered even today

[@PinkSlime0990]

Wow this is the earliest I’ve been to a Mark Felton Production!

[@eugene7145]

Congrats

[@user-vh5uv1xy1l]

me too!

[@Kingborax501-ce3ju]

I as well 🎩🤓

[@mitchmatthews6713]

Bravo! I enjoy how you link modern news to WW2 incidents. Cheers, Mark!

[@cx2900]

people overlook history too much. the news will have you thinking some crazy thing happening in the middle east, for example, is just happening in a vacuum. as if it's the first thing to happen, as opposed to being the latest in a series of events that lead one to another over the course of years, decades, or even generations

[@pittbullking87]

When I was in Baghdad in 2003 with the US Army I met an Iraqi guy and his grandfather who had been in the British Arab Legion in WW2.

[@TheColombiano89]

Cool 😎

[@magmaman6384]

As an Iranian myself thank you so much for covering this obscure part of WWII, there were some parts of the video that even I didn’t know.

[@ashkaan9839]

Yes, exactly because all the communist party ( Todeh ) and Mosadegh party is lying to people and saying that Iranian army did not move a finger.

[@drawn2myattention641]

12:04 “The Iranian forces fell into bits.” None of my fellow Americans would use such a phrase. I love it! And I need to hear the word, “whilst.”

[@petemc5070]

That line was a very non-standard way of putting it even for us British.

[@FunnyBunny-pd5xx]

​@@petemc5070 Where I grew up, it was a common expression "Look, it's falling in to bits" Fylde Coast Area. England.

[@flybobbie1449]

My Iranian friend did his national service in northern Iran, on the border, in the 70's. Showed me pictures of the stone hut in lived in for a year.

[@williamneumyer7147]

More refreshingly grown-up content from Felton.

[@evelynzlon9492]

Sorry to disappoint you. Hitler and Otto von Bismarck were the same person. That's because he was a vampire. He was a master of disguise but if you inspect their facial features under a microscope, they were identical. It gets weirder. There's a vintage Twilight Zone episode about an American actress who played the Queen of the Nile in films, but really she was a vampire of sorts who actually HAD been the Queen of the Nile. The actress closely resembled Egypt's Princess Fawzia, who was arguably the most beautiful woman in the world. However Princess Fawzia looked considerably different in adolescence. She was very ordinary-looking and drastically changed her appearance somehow. Otto von Bismarck once presided over the entire international African colonial system. He was something akin to the King of the Nile. He has a direct descendant who used to look exactly like a male, light-haired version of the adolescent Princess Fawzia. His appearance also radically changed as he approached adulthood. Now he looks like a male, light-haired version of the ADULT Princess Fawzia.

[@SJPW01]

​@@evelynzlon9492Did you forget to take your meds today

[@furrycow9263]

@@evelynzlon9492Ah yes, psychosis

[@evelynzlon9492]

@@furrycow9263 Well Bismarck and Hitler were major statesmen and one of them was from a very old aristocratic family. Right away that tells you they were extraordinary men. You shouldn't limit your concept of just HOW extraordinary they were. Hitler openly professed to possess a chemical preparation which could extend a person's lifespan to several millennia. That's actually true. His only omission was that he had been using this serum long, long before he became Chancellor Hitler.

[@nortoncomando3728]

This was a very informative video. In HS history class and various WW 2 books. This invasion was portrayed as a bloodless occupation. They always used the same photo of a Soviet heavy armored car. The focus was on British- Soviet cooperation. American involvement was Completely left out. No mention of Iranian resistance the food shortages and staying in Iran until March and May of 1945. This really explains all great deal

[@samsungtap4183]

1954 imagine the nerve of the democraticly elected government saying that Iranian oil belonged to the Iranian people and not BP...clearly had to go. I mean really the Iranian eliets were getting 5% for doing nothing !

[@precisiond2236]

Money back from the IRS and a Mark Felton production video, my day is complete, Thank you Mark!

[@fishandchippedd]

Dr. Felton, you have no idea how much help and ambience I receive when I put your videos in the background while I study! Coincidentally, I have an exam for my WW2 class and every bit helps!

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Good luck with your exam!

[@tadficuscactus]

Watch "Europa: the final battle".

[@fishandchippedd]

@@MarkFeltonProductions Thank you very much Dr. Felton! I just completed the exam and wrote an essay that consisted two whole booklets about the Turning point of the war. Your videos have really made the details more enhanced.

[@garylawson5381]

I have an original issue of Life magazine 1943 with the leader of Iran on the cover. Like Mark Felton Productions, to look through it and reading the articles is like a trip back in time. Thank you Dr Felton for another documentary video!

[@kenw9681]

The old back issues of these kinds of magazines and journals (Life, Time, Look, National Geographic, etc.), and quite often most of them, or even complete collections of them, can also sometimes be found in big city American libraries. They'll be the original issues, too. They're sometimes in small city and small town libraries, too.

[@marybeasley8219]

fantastic - this is the first time i've seen this mentioned on a 'western' venue - HUGE thanks for this! "The children of Empire are blissfully ignorant of their history, the victims never forget"

[@Pyjamarama11]

The children of Empire are blissfully ignorant of their history, the victims never forget Bravo

[@blehblahov7398]

As an Iranian, and as others have pointed out in the comment section, I would like to thank you, Mark, for this entertaining and more importantly truthful exposition of Iran's recent history. My own grandfather - who was a farmer for all his life in a village outside Kerman and died recently at 100 years old - told me stories of the coming and going of German engineers, replaced by British soldiers and businessmen, replaced by Russian engineers in and our of the nearby towns. He sold pistachios to some of them :) But all this history is, if I may be a bit sentimental, still very present in the minds of many Iranians. We see the current dictatorship and we look back at history and we see so many other tragedies such as the exile of Reza Shah, the coup of 53 and the revolution of 79, and there are very few of us who don't get saddened by them. But maybe true freedom for a nation takes time and courage. And as the current generation in Iran seems to show, they do have the courage and it seems to be the right time.

[@technouber]

I've visited Iran 2 months ago and I've never met so kind people as in Iran, it was a wonderful experience for a simple western guy like me. As a polish person I also know what it's like to have a tragic history and I hope your country will recover from years of islamic dictatorship. P.S. Iranian baklava was the best I've ever eaten!

[@drlca6601]

careful, your communications may be monitored by the IRG. Please be safe and God bless.

[@ashkaan9839]

@@technouber 🙏🙏🙏🙏👍👍

[@user-gc9ld1gn4l]

Interesting history lesson, the impacts are visible today

[@tnguy9696]

i was in the US army in 79 stationed in panama. i was sent to contadora island off the coast of panama and helped set up a secure phone line for the shah and his family . got to meet him and his family right before we left. very nice polite people. the shah was a very proud man always kept his chin up

[@petemc5070]

I've read exactly the same sentiments expressed about Stalin and Hitler. Both were regarded as very personable.

[@freespeech8293]

@@petemc5070 M.R. Shah, was not a murderous tyrant, like Stalin and Hitler. If he was, he would have never left the country and let the religious regime come to power. Which it did by the help of US, UK, France, and Germany.

[@ashkaan9839]

Thanks

[@ashkaan9839]

@@petemc5070 Shame on you by comparing the greatest king with Hitler and Stalin, if you have any honor, look at Iranian news and see that 87% of people are asking for the king Pahlavi to come back

[@LaluBhaiya1233]

​​@@ashkaan9839 the Shah's decadence led to own his downfall.. spent hundreds of billions on lavish parties, then again I can't disagree that the current people are any better. A shame really, perhaps if earlier intervention had not happened and Mossadegh had remained and democracy was allowed to stay, things would be different. To say the Ayotollah don't enjoy support is also wrong, you know just how Conservative some parts of Iran are, same as Turkey.

[@J-Hump94]

I'm glad someone finally covered this. I've only read a little bit about Iran and the middle east during the war.

[@RedXlV]

The Anglo-Iranian Oil Company that was central to both the 1941 invasion and the 1953 coup in Iran still exists. Its name now is BP.

[@royboy9361]

The novelty of these videos will never wear off. Love your work Dr. Felton. Many thanks.

[@mrbensdonair]

Greetings from Tehran. Thank you 👌

[@BrianMurfitt]

Thanks Mark, Iranian history is complex, but you've easily explained and put in to context the WW2 years and how modern Iran has evolved. 👏🏻

[@ww2vanguardmuseum36]

Amazing video big thanks from the only WW2 Museum in Iran The WW2 Vanguard Museum of Lahijan 👍🏻

[@HK-uq9by]

وبسایت جالبی دارید. تبریک

[@rvk8991]

mark always has the maps, shows the flags and insignias. Always great attention to detail. thank you for your work.

[@marycampbell3431]

Maps are the weak part of Dr Felton's otherwise excellent videos. Many of the places mentioned don't appear on the maps used which look very dated. Needs to get a mapmaker on his team.

[@parhamghm]

Very few people talked about this topic for some reason

[@ethanc1121]

The post-2001 mythology of MENA is as this perpetual battleground of Islamic warbands that never quite joined the modern age. As you can see, the history is much different, and puts into context the destabilization and social fracture that continues today

[@josephshields2922]

@@ethanc1121 What is "MENA"?

[@ethanc1121]

@@josephshields2922 Middle East North Africa

[@josephshields2922]

it's not something that you can be proud of. Invading someone's country because they are a Neutral" and won't take orders from you. They justify this and yet condemn Russia for not wanting NATO on its border in a former province?

[@rositatehrani8425]

I have wondered about this too, It's possibly because it would have been too painful to our parents and grandparents to mention this humiliating period in Iranian history. But reading the history of other places which have been invaded by Britain, identical events including the take over of food reserves and starvation of the natives has taken place.

[@HK-uq9by]

This episode will bring you the highest number of viewers ever.

[@aka99]

I doubt it, sadly

[@HK-uq9by]

@@aka99 The reason I said, Iranians are very concentrated on this issue, they will visit over and over

[@3v068]

I am a simple man. If I see mark Felton has posted, I watch it. You and plainly difficult give such good mini documentaries of specific events in history and I love it. Plainly difficult for natural and nuclear disasters, and you for war. Incredible work that you guys put into your videos.

[@maxshep2829]

Another Plainly Difficult fan! Nice!

[@gnasher688]

Excellent as always Mr Felton .. thank you 🙏

[@apurvakmr]

Am just in awe of the vast volumes of information you have amassed on the subject of war. Inspirational stuff. You tube is lucky to have your channel.

[@artinrahideh1229]

An important note: The people living in Iran( and the greater Iran) called it Iran in one way or another since antiquity. "Irān" is the new persian form of tge middle Persian word"Ērān šahr" meaning "the realm of the Aryans"( "ēr" meaning Aryan and "ān" being the suffix of possession). And the word "Ērān šahr" itself derives from the Avestan"airyanəm vaejo" meaning"the expanse of the Aryans". Back then all the Aryans called their lands "the aryan land" as they called their languages and religions the Aryan language or religion( even though they were different). The name Persia is given to the country by foreigners because of the ruling ethnicity. This happens to many places

[@inkognitou6982]

Thank you.

[@TankerBricks]

Mark. Thanks for Providing my Tuesday Night Entertainment!

[@outofturn331]

Are you stuck in Tuesday?

[@TankerBricks]

@@outofturn331 No. I enjoy watching them as Entertainment while I'm doing something else.

[@markborn5293]

I’d never heard of this 1941 attack on a neutral nation. Rather upsetting, really. Especially considering the ongoing aftermath. I always thought it started in 1953. And people wonder why Iran doesn’t like us…

[@kwd3109]

The 1953 overthrow was mostly a British operation with CIA help. Yet the mullahs blamed the US and attacked our embassy in 1979. The resuling hostage situation was bad enough but when American embassy personnel sought refuge at the British embassy, they were cowardly turned away. The New Zealand embassy did the same. Fortunately Canada🍁 took our people in and bravely helped them return home.

[@kwd3109]

@Begeye-bh5ux The 1953 coup had everything to do with the 1979 so callled revolution. In 1953, the British installed the Shah who guaranteed to protect British oil company interests. The Shah then immediately supressed the mullahs and ayatollahs so he could modernize the nation. The Shah's efforts were successful until 1979 when religious fanatics overthrew the government and imposed a brutal, backward thinking theocracy run by the ayatollahs.

[@nledaig]

@@kwd3109 Millions were fed up of the Shah and his Savak

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

Shah was already there. He wasn't put up. Shows what misinformation is fed to western world​@@nledaig

[@dougearnest7590]

@@kwd3109 - There's much more to that story than they showed in the movie - which was not historically accurate at all.

[@hotelie11]

Thank you for covering this rarely discussed topic

[@pauljmeyer1]

Thank you for your research that gives a greater understanding of modern Iran. Great respect for Reza Khan Pahlavi, who like Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was a distinguished nation-builder, and Prime Minister Mohammed Mossedegh too for his patriotism.

[@LaluBhaiya1233]

Yeah just a shame the establishment respected them so much that they removed them.. and now the ayatollahs are here. How long will the Ayatollah stay? Not forever, no political system survives forever, nowhere.

[@pauljmeyer1]

@@LaluBhaiya1233 'The Establishment' was and is none other than the Imperial powers that have partitioned the Middle East. When Iran was in crisis, Ayatolla Khomeini saw his opportunity to return after exile to establish the Sharia.

[@Ari-gm8bf]

My dad used to tell me stories that his grandpa used to tell him of the russians in the north and the occupation since he owned a shop there at the time.

[@nekola203]

I've been enjoying your content for about 4 years, and your focus on WWII is fascinating to me personally because WWII and history in general are my passion. This video, in my opinion, connects your work with an important part of the war that no one pays attention to, along with its consequences. By the way, I'm Iranian and feel the need to mention that my country has been kept hostage/captive by an authoritarian regime for almost a century. Thank you for teaching everyone about our shared past, including people of all origins and nationalities, and those who are passionate about WWII, like me. I somewhat follow this subject but am able to learn more about it through your historic WWII video content.

[@seanfitzgerald9320]

Quite a sad story. The Shah seemed like he was a decent fellow who just wanted the best for Iran. I was very interested to hear about the RAN's involvement. Names like Kanimbla and Yarra are legendary in Australia.

[@tigerland4328]

I'm pretty sure a more recent HMAS kanimbla was actually in the gulf during the 2003 invasion of iraq

[@roberttelarket4934]

Mark you need to make a several volume complete history of World War II. It will not doubt a get you a Pulitzer Prize among other awards.

[@stratzenigma3169]

Thank you Dr Felton. You make me smarter and wiser historically!

[@nodarkthings]

Absolutely fascinating, Dr. Felton. Thank you.

[@tigerman3]

It's always a good day when Mark releases a new presentation!

[@seanohare5488]

Agree

[@pauldavis9272]

Once again Mark another amazing part of History!

[@MVEProducties]

Very timely video! Thank you Mark for relating current news to the past.

[@CamelRage279]

Aside from another fascinating video about an element of history i had been unaware of, I'd like to take a moment to show my appreciation for the proper pronunciation of "Yarra" - nailed it!

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Thanks Cobber!

[@joshpotter4264]

Hi Dr. Falton, With ANZAC Day approaching, I've been reflecting on the many contributions of Australian and New Zealand forces throughout history. I've been a long-time viewer of your channel and really appreciate your efforts to provide a comprehensive view of historical events. I was wondering if you could cover a lesser-known campaign from World War I, World War II, or another conflict that involved ANZAC forces. It would be fascinating to learn more about an underexplored aspect of our military history for ANZAC Day. I understand if this is too short notice, but it would be greatly appreciated if you could find a campaign that isn't widely known and share its full story. Thank you so much for considering this request! Best regards, Josh potter

[@morgan97475]

Another very informative video. Thanks!

[@tjrr1999]

Excellent, I am always impressed at the quality of the old footage you are able to supplement the very interesting narration with.

[@devenbenavides1063]

Another classic Felton production!

[@ghoshneh]

Thank you Professor Felton.

[@callenclarke371]

Excellent content. Thank you for this.

[@dariuslankarian3282]

Fun fact, Reza Shah's mummified body was discovered in 2018 during construction work few metres away from his original mausoleum which was destroyed in 1979 by the new regime.

[@codycoyote6912]

Love the more obscure and lesser known WWII history you cover.

[@4T3hM4kr0n]

The Anglo-Iraq war and the follow up invasion of Iran by both the Commonwealth and Soviet Union aren't talked about as much as they should be. This type of topic is right up your Alley Mark, I'm glad you covered it.

[@Chief-Solarize]

Perfect timing Dr. Mark

[@gymMenMEN]

Thanks for the video Mark.

[@roberste]

Yet another terrific video on an aspect of history few of us know (but should).

[@McFadden1]

your content is spectacular!!!! Thank you!!!!

[@randyjennings3075]

Herr Doktor Felton many thanks for your most educational video. I only knew a ice berg top view of Iran and the Allies of that ear. Work work is much appreciated.

[@1rwjwith]

Astounding…I never knew this , it shows again the incredible scope of WW2 . Great video.

[@davidmoallem8406]

As usual great production by Mark, well searched and documented.

[@shutup2751]

and then the 1953 coup which is probably the main reason in the long run for the current situation

[@rodchallis8031]

Yeah, you make mistakes that big, and you get an airport named after you.

[@kevinbrennan-ji1so]

Dulles, yep. Those two brothers ruined the aftermath of WW2 and screwed up so many things we are still dealing with.

[@cyrusthegreat982]

Mossadeq was destined to fail, as the public was heavily against him due to mishandling the economy, leaving people hungry and out of work. He purged army officers, weakened the monarchy, dissolved the parliament, and relied heavily on the Tudeh Communist Party for support. There are many aspects Westerners don't know; they're often taught only that 'Mossadeq was democratically elected,' yet Hitler and Mussolini were also democratically elected. The coup was already underway by General Zahedi even before MI6 and the CIA sat down to devise a plan.

[@cyrusthegreat982]

Mossadeq was destined to fail, as the public was heavily against him due to mishandling the economy, leaving people hungry and out of work. He purged army officers, weakened the monarchy, dissolved the parliament, and relied heavily on the Tudeh Communist Party for support. There are many aspects Westerners don't know; they're often taught only that 'Mossadeq was democratically elected,' yet Hitler and Mussolini were also democratically elected. The coup was already underway by General Zahedi even before MI6 and the CIA sat down to devise a plan

[@meijiturtle3814]

Certainly was the last in a long line of humiliation. Unfortunately it was the less desirable reactionary religious element which came to power after the Pahlevi regime was overthrown.

[@florianvonlongfield]

I Love all of His productions!

[@DrivermanO]

I knew a bit about this because my father served with the RAF in Persia from 1941 until demobbed in 1945. Interesting experience! Apart from catching sandfly fever, he always said the experience thinnned his blood so always felt the cold! He died in 1991.

[@ESan-yq1tm]

Dr. Felton. Thank you for the video. Excellent.

[@NickWard-bz4jo]

# Interesting. Nice timing Mark with the current climate of geopolitics. Good stuff

[@combain]

A new video from Dr.Felton as a birthday present... Sounds awesome ❤

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Happy birthday!

[@combain]

@@MarkFeltonProductionsthank you, Mr. Felton ♥️

[@stevenhershman2660]

Perfect timing of the release of this Video !

[@pilates68]

An astonishingly unknown chapter of WW2. Absolutely fascinating!!! Mining those tunnels!!! No one better than Mark Felton.

[@JordanYoung.4.21.92]

Perfect, I’m having a late lunch today at work. A little Dr. Felton to the ease into the afternoon! 👌🏻

[@catwill2022]

Iran was occupied by the Allied forces, despite declaring neutrality by the Iranian government.

[@oneshothunter9877]

Neutrality often means that a country is either militarily strong enough to fend off attacks or that, that country simply somehow has to bow down and become a co-operate.

[@dzonikg]

When you have oil or other recourse that big powers want neutrality is not option

[@ToddSauve]

But it sounds like Iran at that time and under the Shah was pro Nazi.

[@mriamilne]

Stunning history lesson. Ty Dr Felton.

[@manfredconnor3194]

Not enough detailed maps on this one Mark! Detailed maps are always good for following along. I am still very greatful for all you do, don't get me wrong! 🐗👍🏼

[@v2791]

The allies behaved very axis like in this ordeal, no wonder this conflict is manly forgotten in the west

[@ToddSauve]

Behind the scenes of every country is very nasty when push comes to shove. I wonder how the ayatollahs will be remembered? Not with pleasure I suspect ...

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Many Alco (American Locomotive Co.) RSD-1 type diesel locomotives were shipped to Iran to provide much needed motive power for the Trans-Iranian Railway during WWII.

[@ricmeister73]

Thank you for the history lesson Mr. Felton.

[@raymondtonns2521]

thank you for these little known details Dr. Mark

[@robinbrowne5419]

Oh, the seeds we sow.

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

Never tried to sew seeds on my clothes. Usually just sow them in a garden bed. 🤔🙄

[@robinbrowne5419]

@@theoztreecrasher2647 True. The best place for seeds is in the garden. But I am referring to the seeds of history.

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

@@robinbrowne5419 "Oh, the seeds we sew." + "True. The best place for seeds is in the garden. But I am referring to the seeds of history." The second of your posts gives me some hope for your educational/intellectual abilities. That hope would rise even further if you'd just edit to correct your basic grade 3 spelling mistake in the first post. Don't you think sew/sow/so? 🤔😉😊

[@robinbrowne5419]

@@theoztreecrasher2647 Now I get it. Lol. You will find my comment dully corrected. (Just kidding. I mean duly.) Cheers :-)

[@michaelbruns449]

Inherited troubles.

[@MM_2535]

Is it too much to ask to win the lottery so I can spend my days watching Dr.Felton’s videos?

[@amirmn7]

Thank you Dr Felton for yet another informative video and specially about my homeland Iran.

[@amirrezajamadi4179]

Many thanks to you Mr Felton for this video, from Iran.

[@RaiderLeo69]

Another excellent piece by Dr. Mark Felton productions! Cheers!

[@DirtyHairy1]

we could live in a quiet, peaceful world. but someone wanted an external enemy to muffle the internal enemies.

[@user-wv8fw7ib4n]

Best show yet!!!!!!!

[@murraymclean9072]

As always, brilliantly presented.

[@billyhighfill]

Dang bro. When did you hit the 2 million mark!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

[@gargoyle7863]

As always: You have oil? Then you need "democracy"!

[@danielhammond3012]

Also, don't touch our boats! This is important.

[@dougearnest7590]

British and Soviets invade Iran. "Britian is an evil empire!"