The Role of the Persian Gulf in the Existing Conditions in Iran at the End of World War I

At the end of World War I, some major changes occurred in the political, economic, and social perspectives of the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf in Iran. The present paper examines such changes and portrays a new image of these coasts. Russia’s withdrawalfrom the First World War due to the 1917 Revolution, Germany’s defeat, and annihilation of the Ottoman Empire resulted in England’s rising as the supreme power in the region. Immediately after witnessing the scene free of its rivals, the British government decided to sign a treaty, known as the 1919 agreement, in order to gain control of the administrative, financial, and military affairs of Iran. However, this agreement failed due to massiveopposition from both the Iranian Parliament and foreign countries. Shortly before the end of the War, in order not to lag behind the victorious countries, Iran decided to participate in peace negotiations by dispatching a group of delegates to The Paris Peace Conference, 1919. Nevertheless, the efforts of the delegation were not successful and, despite their presence in the Conference, they could not participate in the negotiations. On the other hand, in the Persian Gulf region and its coasts, the repercussions of war showed themselves in the form of economic recession, the emigration of a great number of the tradesmen and businessmen of the northern coasts to the southern coasts of the Persian Gulf, and the shortage of food. Such devastating conditions, alongside oil extraction, led to a number of fundamental changes in the social and economic centers of Persian Gulf coasts.