Proper Political Structures in the Emergence of Oil Nationalization Movement Based Upon Neil Smelser Movement Theory

Document Type : Research Paper

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Abstract

The main aim of the present paper is to assess proper political structures affecting oil nationalization movement based upon Smelser Movement Theory. The main question of the study is that: How did the nature of political structures in Qajar and First Pahlavi periods helped to provide the proper conditions for the emergence of Oil Nationalization Movement? The data shows that the political structure in Qajar period can be explained through two major factors that are despotism and patrimonial. Moreover, collected data indicates that the years between 1920 and 1926 is the era of dual sovereignty and the nature of political structure in the period of First Pahlavi can be divided into two sectors: Pseudo-modern dictatorship (1926-1933) and Pseudo-modern authoritarian (1933-1941) periods. The paper concludes that the lack of rule of law in the long term political structure of Iran has provided proper conditions for oil nationalization movement in 1940’s. Research methodology in this study is historical and the data is gathered through library studies.
 

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