Hedayatollah Gilanshah (1907–1986) was the commander of the Imperial Iranian Air Force for three terms. He was among the individuals who contributed to the development of the Iranian air force.[1] In addition, he was one of the army officers who played an active in the coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953.
Hedayatollah Gilanshah | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1907 Tehran, Sublime State of Persia |
| Died | 1986 (aged 78–79) |
| Service | Imperial Iranian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1930s–1957 |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
Early life and education
editGilanshah was born in Tehran in 1907.[1] He hailed from an aristocratic family.[2] He graduated from the Officers’ Academy in Tehran.[1] He was trained as a pilot in England and France.[1] He joined further training programmes in England and the US.[1]
Career and activities
editBetween 1950 and 1952 Gilanshah served as the head of the Iranian Soccer Association.[3] In 1952 he was appointed as the chief of staff of the Iranian Air Force.[4] He blamed Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh for his early retirement and joined the anti-Mosaddeq officers.[5] He was part of the pro-British army officers who were planning a coup against the government of Mosaddegh.[2] The major members of this group included General Hassan Arfa, Brigadier General Teymur Bakhtiar and Colonel Hassan Akhavi.[2] Gilanshah was promoted in rank after the coup which had removed Mosaddegh from office and was named as the chief of the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's military office.[1] From 1954 to 1957 he was the chief of staff of the Iranian Air Force.[1]
Later years and death
editAfter leaving office he retired and died in 1986.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Ali Rahnema (2014). Behind the 1953 Coup in Iran. Thugs, Turncoats, Soldiers, and Spooks. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 303. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139875974. ISBN 9781139875974.
- ^ a b c Ervand Abrahamian (Summer 2001). "The 1953 Coup in Iran". Science & Society. 65 (2): 198. JSTOR 40403895.
- ^ James M. Dorsey (2017). "Rooted in History: The Politics of Middle Eastern and North African Soccer". In Cenap Çakmak (ed.). The Arab Spring, Civil Society, and Innovative Activism. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 195. doi:10.1057/978-1-137-57177-9_9. ISBN 978-1-137-57176-2.
- ^ "Persons". Office of the Historian. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ Ervand Abrahamian (2021). Oil Crisis in Iran: From Nationalism to Coup d'Etat. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-108-83749-1.
External links
edit
Media related to Hedayat Gilanshah at Wikimedia Commons
