Declaration
Azerbaijan People's Government, 1945-1946
A Soviet-backed autonomous government controlled Iranian Azerbaijan for just over a year before Iranian forces reasserted central control.
What happened
The Azerbaijani Democratic Party, formed in September 1945 and led by Ja'far Pishevari, seized control of Iranian Azerbaijan's provincial administration by 21 November 1945; the Azerbaijan People's Government was proclaimed on 20 November 1945 as an autonomous entity within Iran, with Soviet backing.[1]
On 13 June 1946, an agreement was reached between the Iranian central government and Azerbaijani delegates under which Pishevari agreed to abandon the autonomy arrangement; on 11-12 December 1946, Iranian military forces, with US and British backing, entered Tabriz, and the Azerbaijan People's Government collapsed.[2]
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: The Azerbaijani Democratic Party, formed in September 1945 and led by Ja'far Pishevari, seized control of Iranian Azerbaijan's provincial administration in a largely bloodless takeover completed by 21 November 1945; the Azerbaijan People's Government was proclaimed on 20 November 1945 as an autonomous entity within Iran, enacting land redistribution and making Azerbaijani the official regional language, with Soviet backing.
- Azerbaijan People's Government (Wikipedia) link, Formation and proclamation sections. Source record
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2.
Claim: On 13 June 1946, an agreement was reached between the Iranian central government and Azerbaijani delegates under which Pishevari agreed to abandon the autonomy arrangement; on 11-12 December 1946, Iranian military forces, with US and British backing, entered Tabriz, and the Azerbaijan People's Government collapsed, with its leaders fleeing to the Soviet Union.
- Azerbaijan People's Government (Wikipedia) link, June 1946 agreement and December 1946 collapse sections. Source record