| ID | 168980 |
| Title Proper | Operation Countenance: The 1941 Invasion of Iran and the Clash of Propaganda Narratives |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Roberts, Mervyn |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | The June 1941 German invasion of the Soviet Union unleashed a series of events that culminated in the Allied invasion of Iran two months later. In their propaganda, Britain and the Soviet Union publicly justified that invasion as a means of preventing Iran from falling into the German orbit. However, a review of radio broadcasts of the time shows the theme of a German menace was not widely believed in the region. Using BBC Summary of World Broadcasts transcripts from the period, this paper argues that the decision to base their propaganda on a lie also negatively affected relations in the postwar world. In that sense the decision to justify the invasion on the basis of German presence was a propaganda failure for the allies. |
| `In' analytical Note | Iranian Studies Vol. 52, No.3-4; May-Jun 2019: p.589-610 |
| Journal Source | Iranian Studies Vol: 52 No 3-4 |
| Key Words | Great Britain ; BBC ; Iran ; Propaganda ; 1941 ; Soviet Union ; Summary of World Broadcasts ; Operation Countenance |