External Causes and Factors of the Rise, Decline, and Transformation of Leftist Discourse in Iran, 1941–1953
Keywords:
Leftist discourse, Tudeh Party, external factors, discourse analysis, cultural transformationsAbstract
This study analyzes the external factors and mechanisms influencing the formation, rise, decline, and transformation of leftist discourse in Iran during the period from 1941 to 1953, a time in which the Tudeh Party emerged and became established as the most significant manifestation of this political current. The present research is qualitative in nature and is conducted using a historical–analytical approach. In order to explain causal relationships among variables, the process-tracing technique is employed. The research population consists of primary and secondary sources related to leftist discourse in Iran during the period under study, which were selected purposively based on specific criteria. Data were collected through press archives, library resources, governmental documents, and memoirs of political leaders and activists, and were subsequently analyzed using the method of historical discourse analysis. Data were gathered from press archives, libraries, government documents, and leaders’ memoirs and were processed using historical discourse analysis. The findings indicate that leftist discourse in Iran between 1941 and 1953 was profoundly shaped and transformed by external factors. The occupation of Iran during World War II and the support of the Soviet Union provided the conditions for the expansion of this discourse and the organizational strengthening of the Tudeh Party. However, dependence on the Soviet Union gradually led to a decline in the social legitimacy of the leftist movement. With the onset of the Cold War, political and security pressures exerted by the United States and the United Kingdom played a significant role in the suppression and decline of this discourse. Moreover, international developments related to the oil issue influenced shifts in the orientation of leftist discourse.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mohammad Javad Maleki (Author); Ali Akbar Amini; Yaser Kahrizadeh (Author)
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