The Role Of Modernization In Iran And Iran

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By the end of the nineteenth century, the seemingly unstoppable rise of colonial power called for the modernization of Middle Eastern countries, particularly in Iran and Egypt. In their respective pursuits of building a modern nation-state, Reza Shah of Iran and Ataturk of Egypt, similarly implemented policies of political centralization, economic development, and secularization. Ultimately, modernization proved more viable in Turkey than in Reza Shah’s Iran due to the precedents characteristic of the Ottoman Empire inherited by Ataturk. Specifically, the endurance of successful westernization policies in Turkey, contrasted by their disintegration in Iran, can be equated to the different preexisting economic, social, and political conditions …show more content…

Modernization is loosely defined as the transition from a traditional society to a contemporary nation-state, often coupled with the adoption of Western values and systems (Gelvin 69). Drawing from the success of Mussolini and Hitler’s corporatist models, Mustafa Kemal, commonly known as Ataturk, chose to modernize Turkey in order to establish itself as a nation-state alongside the ever-growing European colonial powers. Consequently, Reza Shah of Iran emulated Ataturk’s paradigm for state building, and thus, when comparing the two rulers and their respective nation-states, many similarities are found. However, the implementation of modernization had vastly different consequences between Iran and Turkey, the reason for which stems from the conditions of both countries during the time of their …show more content…

In particular, Ataturk pursued a policy of nationalizing foreign-owned enterprises and revoking concessions the Ottoman Empire had previously offered to foreign governments (Gelvin 201). Due to the fact that the Ottoman Empire was never subject to widespread European colonization, Ataturk was gradually able to implement a policy of domestic development without foreign encroachment. Post-World War I Iran, on the other hand, was scarred by Russian and British intervention. Thus, the Iranian state under Reza Shah was determined to end the stranglehold of foreign control over the Iranian economy. Under the shah, the state canceled foreign concessions, established a national bank to replace the British-run “Imperial Bank,” and took control of posts, telegraph, and customs from foreigners (Gelvin 205). Total economic sovereignty, however, was ultimately not achieved. British influence was still felt in its resilient control over the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, which drove the Iranian economy. As a result, Britain continued to manipulate control over the future of the modern Iranian

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