The 1953 Coup D'etat in Iran Author(s): Mark J. Gasiorowski Source: International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Aug., 1987), pp. 261- 286 Published by: Cambridge University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/163655 Accessed: 07-02-2017 20:12 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
[email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms Cambridge University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to International Journal of Middle East Studies This content downloaded from 138.23.234.45 on Tue, 07 Feb 2017 20:12:17 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Int. J. Middle East Stud. 19 (1987), 261-286 Printed in the United States of America Mark J. Gasiorowski THE 1953 COUP D'ETAT IN IRAN INTRODUCTION In retrospect, the United States sponsored coup d'tat in Iran of August 19, 1953, has emerged as a critical event in postwar world history. The government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq which was ousted in the coup was the last popular, democratically oriented government to hold office in Iran. The regime replacing it was a dictatorship that suppressed all forms of popular political activity, producing tensions that contributed greatly to the 1978-1979 Iranian revolution.