Comrades Party
Encyclopedia
The Comrades Party was a left-wing Iran
ian political party active during the 1940s. The party was part of a wave of political groupings established in the early 1940s following the removal of Rezā Shāh
.
The party was formed in November 1942 by Mustafa Fateh, a British
-educated economist who was close to the Tudeh Party of Iran
but who disliked the close relationship which that party had with the Soviet Union
. Fateh, who had been an important figure in the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company edited the Tudeh paper Mardom for a time before establishing his won journal, Emruz va Farda. Abbas Narraqi, another founding member had been one of 53 men imprisoned in 1937 on charges of conspiring to lead a communist revolution.
The Comrades Party called for two main aims i.e. political equality to all Iranians and nationalisation of the means of production. It put forward ten candidates in the 1944 election, all of whom came from professional backgrounds. Two members of the Comrades Party were elected to the Majlis of Iran
where they sat with the Individuals' Caucus, a group they made up along with the Iran Party and various independents
, all of whom largely followed the lead of Mohammad Mosaddegh.
The party split in 1944 following a dispute in Isfahan where clashes between striking workers and local tribes loyal to the Shah had broken out amid accusations that the workers were attempting to lead a communist revolution. The Majlis-based wing of the Comrades Party condemned the workers and affirmed their loyalty to the Shah but another external group joined Tudeh in supporting the strikers and this group, which maintained control of Emruz va Farda, broke away to form the Socialist Party
.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian political party active during the 1940s. The party was part of a wave of political groupings established in the early 1940s following the removal of Rezā Shāh
Reza Shah
Rezā Shāh, also known as Rezā Shāh Pahlavi and Rezā Shāh Kabir , , was the Shah of the Imperial State of Iran from December 15, 1925, until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran on September 16, 1941.In 1925, Reza Shah overthrew Ahmad Shah Qajar, the last Shah of the Qajar...
.
The party was formed in November 1942 by Mustafa Fateh, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-educated economist who was close to the Tudeh Party of Iran
Tudeh Party of Iran
The Tudeh Party of Iran is an Iranian communist party. Formed in 1941, with Soleiman Mohsen Eskandari as its head, it had considerable influence in its early years and played an important role during Mohammad Mosaddeq's campaign to nationalize the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and his term as prime...
but who disliked the close relationship which that party had with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Fateh, who had been an important figure in the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company edited the Tudeh paper Mardom for a time before establishing his won journal, Emruz va Farda. Abbas Narraqi, another founding member had been one of 53 men imprisoned in 1937 on charges of conspiring to lead a communist revolution.
The Comrades Party called for two main aims i.e. political equality to all Iranians and nationalisation of the means of production. It put forward ten candidates in the 1944 election, all of whom came from professional backgrounds. Two members of the Comrades Party were elected to the Majlis of Iran
Majlis of Iran
The National Consultative Assembly of Iran , also called The Iranian Parliament or People's House, is the national legislative body of Iran...
where they sat with the Individuals' Caucus, a group they made up along with the Iran Party and various independents
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
, all of whom largely followed the lead of Mohammad Mosaddegh.
The party split in 1944 following a dispute in Isfahan where clashes between striking workers and local tribes loyal to the Shah had broken out amid accusations that the workers were attempting to lead a communist revolution. The Majlis-based wing of the Comrades Party condemned the workers and affirmed their loyalty to the Shah but another external group joined Tudeh in supporting the strikers and this group, which maintained control of Emruz va Farda, broke away to form the Socialist Party
Socialist Party (Iran)
The Socialist Party The Socialist Party The Socialist Party (Persian language: حزب سوسیالیست or Hizb-I Socialyist was a leading left-wing political party active in Iran during the 1920s. A minor group of the same name appeared for a while in the 1940s.-Development:...
.