Investigating the Causes of Social Crises in Iran during World War I through Looking at the Press

The aftermath of World War I for the Iranian people was extensive: several vast regions of the country were destroyed while tens of thousands of people perished due to famine and the outbreak of infectious diseases. As a result, the country became very unsecure, and criminal acts such as murder and looting became widespread during the war around the country. These social crises originated from domestic and international causes. This descriptive-analytical study investigated these social crises by looking into Iran’s written media of this period to find out the real causes of the crises as its main question. One the main findings of this research was that contrary to the some researchers’ views, the domestic factors played a more significant and destructive part in these predicaments than the international ones. For instance, the government policies, hoarders, and bakeries contributed more to the creation and worsening of the crises although the destructive role of the foreign invading countries cannot be underestimated.