I'm currently reading "All The Shah's Men." It is a grewat book, but it isn't really clear about how Iran was run before the US-backed Monarchist coup. Before the coup, the Shah was running around Iran. Was he a powerless figurehead, like Queen Elizebeth II, or was it actually a real Constitutional Monarchy like Luxembourg's where the monarch has some power? And what was the government like during the Shah? And what is it like after he got overthrown(today)? I know that they now have a parlament but there is also a religous council that has more power.

He was the government. It was like the UK, but with the powers reversed. The Shah was all-powerful, with a figurehead Parliament to lend some slight legitimacy.

It's the same now, but with the clerics instead of the Shah.

You can have an look at Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pahlavi_dynasty for example

Before the US/UK-backed coup, the Shah himself was more or less a puppet of his allies. When Mossadegh came to power, the Shah actually fled, because he was powerless compared to this prime minister. It was after 1953 that the Shah began his reign of terror. Before, the Iranians had a fair amount of liberty.

Yes, but did the Shah actually have any power, or was the monarchy abolished, or was he like Elizebeth II after Mossadegh came to power?

I'm not sure how it was officially before 1951, but de facto, the Shah didn't have any power. Mossadegh, who came to power in 1951, wanted to have it like in the UK, I think, with the parliament having the power, and the Shah being a representative. The Shah fled, though, and called his US and UK allies to help. The were more than willing to help, because Mossadegh challenged them with his nationalizion of oil companies. They accused him of being communist, only because he tolerated the Tudeh party.

Oh, thanks. The US actually didn't support Britian at first since Britian only wanted to go to war/have a coup because the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company(owned by Britian) was (rightfully) nationalized by the Iranians. But then Britian told us that Mossadegh was a Commie, so we backed them.

But then Britian told us that Mossadegh was a Commie, so we backed them.

Exactly. But Mossadegh was no Communist. The only thing that's true is that Mossadegh tolerated the communist Tudeh party, though methinks he would have forbidden them sooner or later, like Khomeini did (I think in its 70 years of existance, the Tudeh party was legal for 3 or 4 years). I think he was also not on too good terms with the Soviets (of course, they wanted Iranian oil too).
BTW, you may want to have a look at the homepage of the Time magazine, and check the man of the year of 1951- Mossadegh.

Also, what exactly is thebook you're reading about?

Originally posted by Stefan Haertel
Exactly. But Mossadegh was no Communist. The only thing that's true is that Mossadegh tolerated the communist Tudeh party, though methinks he would have forbidden them sooner or later, like Khomeini did (I think in its 70 years of existance, the Tudeh party was legal for 3 or 4 years). I think he was also not on too good terms with the Soviets (of course, they wanted Iranian oil too).
BTW, you may want to have a look at the homepage of the Time magazine, and check the man of the year of 1951- Mossadegh.

Also, what exactly is thebook you're reading about?

The soviets had plenty of oil of their own. What they wanted was a warm water port in the Indian ocean. And of course the genereral spread of the soviet communist ideology and power.

The CIA really shot themselves in the foot. The USA had the opportunity to help develope a representative pluralistic democracy (with a symbolic monarchy) and what did they do; they supported a dictatorship monarchy (so much for Tom Paine!.)

Originally posted by Stefan Haertel
Exactly. But Mossadegh was no Communist. The only thing that's true is that Mossadegh tolerated the communist Tudeh party, though methinks he would have forbidden them sooner or later, like Khomeini did (I think in its 70 years of existance, the Tudeh party was legal for 3 or 4 years). I think he was also not on too good terms with the Soviets (of course, they wanted Iranian oil too).
BTW, you may want to have a look at the homepage of the Time magazine, and check the man of the year of 1951- Mossadegh.

lso, what exactly is thebook you're reading about?

It is called "All The Shaw's Men" and it has a shiny silver cover(so you can find it easier). I don't know the author, as the book isn't with me.