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The Soviet-British-Iranian pact of alliance against Germany signed
On January 29, 1942 in Teheran the minister for the foreign affairs of Iran Ali Soheili, the Soviet ambassador to Iran A.A. Smirnov and the English ambassador R. Bullard signed the pact of alliance between the USSR, Great Britain and Iran against the Nazi Germany.
The pact signing was preceded by the entrance of the Soviet and English armies in the Iranian territory in August-September of 1941 in order to prevent the Nazi Germany from using the territory and the resources of the country for struggling against the USSR and Britain. In so doing the Soviet government was relying on the article 6 of the Soviet-Iranian treaty of 1921 which allowed the Soviet state to take all necessary measures with a view to self-defense and enter temporarily its armies in the territory of Iran.
Under the pact of 1942 the USSR and Great Britain undertook to respect Iran’s territorial …. sovereignty and independence, defend it from any aggression from Germany’s side or any other state. They were obliged to assist and support Iran in overcoming the difficulties coming up during the war, not to conclude any agreements contradicting to this one and consult the Iranian government on all the issues relating to the direct interests of Iran.
The allied states were authorized to keep in the territory of Iran land forces, navy and air forces in the required quantities. It was accentuated that the entrance of the forces ‘is not a military occupation and will do its best not to interfere in normal functioning of administration and defense agencies of Iran…’. No later than 6 months after the end of war the Soviet and Britain forces were obliged to leave the territory of the country.
The Iranian government allowed a through transit of military equipment and materials supplied to the USSR by the Great Britain (and later by the USA) by sea via the ports on the Persian Gulf coast.
The entrance of the Soviet and English forces to Iran and the British-Soviet-Iranian pact of 1942 led to the Nazi agents liquidation in Iran, wrecking of the plans of Germany to draw Iran into the Nazi block and create a new war theater in the Middle and Far East. The direct result of reinforcement of relations between the Iran and the Allies was the official declaration of war to Germany made by Iran on September 9, 1943.
November 28 – December 1, 1943 in Teheran took place a conference of the leaders of the USSR, USA and the Great Britain. During the conference there was adopted ‘The three states declaration on Iran’ which guaranteed the retention of sovereignty and independence of the country and economic assistance to it.
Bringing of Soviet and English troops into Iran and conclusion of Anglo-Soviet-Iranian treaty of 1942 led to the liquidation of Hitler’s agents in Iran, wrecking of the German plan on drawing of Iran into the Nazi coalition and on creation of a new theater of war in the Middle East and Near East. The direct consequence of strengthening of relations between Iran and the allies of the World War II was the official declaration of war to Germany by Iran on September 9, 1943.
28 November – 1st December, 1943 in Tehran was held a conference which brought together the leaders of the USSR, the USA and the Great Britain. At the conference was approved “The Declaration of three states on Iran” that guaranteed the maintenance of independence and sovereignty of Iran and provision of economical support to it.
Lit.: Голуб Ю. Г. Малоизвестная страница великой войны: советская оккупация Северного Ирана в августе-сентябре 1941 года // Военно-исторические исследования в Поволжье. Вып. 5. Саратов, 2003; Коргун В. Г. Международные отношения в Средней Азии и на Среднем Востоке // Кризис и война: Международные отношения в центре и на периферии мировой системы в 30–40-х годах. М., 1998. Гл. 10; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/research/bogaturov/10.html; Костюнин Н. И. Англо-советско-иранский договор 1942 // Большая советская энциклопедия. Т. 1. М., 1969; Плешаков К. В. Вступление во Вторую Мировую войну СССР и США и начальный этап антифашистского сотрудничества (июнь 1941 – 1942) // Кризис и война: Международные отношения в центре и на периферии мировой системы в 30-40-х годах. М., 1998. Гл. 6; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://militera.lib.ru/research/bogaturov/06.html; «Победит тот, кто будет владеть Востоком»: Из дневника немецкого разведчика Ф. Майера. Иран. 1941–1942 гг. // Отечественные архивы. 2003. № 3.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: