The role of the Germans in establishing the Iranian railway

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Student of PhD student in Iranology, Iranology Foundation and Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran I. R. Iran

2 Associate Professor of History, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran I. R. Iran

Abstract

Purpose: To review the efforts of the German government in the construction of the Iranian railway in the Qajarid era. Also, the role of German companies in the construction of Iran cross country railway and supplying the equipment during the time of Reza Shah is investigated.
Method and Research Design: Data was gathered from records held at in the Iranian archival centers, as well as Persian, English, German, and Danish library materials.
Findings and Conclusions: Despite the increasing presence of the Germans in the political sphere of Iran in the second half of the Qajarid period, Russian and the British opposed the involvement of the Germans in construction of railway in Iran during WWI. In the first stage of the construction of the nation’s cross country railway during Reza Shah time, Germans left a successful record behind. However, as their American partners in the syndicate did not perform well in the southern part of the project, German companies stopped their operations. In the second and final stage, however, because of political turmoil in Germany and competition with the Compax consortium, only a small role was given to Germans. Germany had an outstanding role in the supply of equipment of the project. Eventually, the occupation of Iran by the Allied Forces in mid 1941put an end to their role.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  • · English Translation of References
  • · Documents
  • · Sāzmān-e Asnād va Ketābxāne-ye Melli-ye Irān (Sākmā) (National Library and Archives Organization of Iran):
  • · 240-6006; 240-6007; 240-6009; 240-6458; 240-9150; 240-9676; 240-13383; 240-14959; 240-15580; 240-16993; 240-23059; 290-5875; 293-4638; 310-72062. [Persian]
  • · Markaz-e Asnād-e Enqelāb-e Eslāmi (Marāsān) (Islamic Revolution Documents Center):
  • · 00328008; 00328009; 00328010; 00328011; 00328012; 00328014; 00328031. [Persian]
  • · Markaz-e Asnād va Ketābxāne-ye Majles-e Šorā-ye Melli (Matmā) (Document Center and Library of Iran National Parliament): 8/33/32/80. [Persian]
  • · Book
  • · Adamiat, Fereidoun. (2536/1957). “Andiše-ye taraqqi va hokumat-e qānun-e asr-e sepah-sālār” (The idea of progress and the rule of law: The Era of Sepahsalar). Tehran: Čāpxāne-ye Sepehr. [Persian]
  • · Curzon, George Nathaniel. (1380/2001). “Irān va qazie-ye Irān” (Persia and the Persian question) (vol. 1). Translated by Gholam Ali Vahid Mazandarani. Tehran: Šerkat-e Entešārāt-e ‘Elmi Farhangi. [Persian]
  • · Hedayat, Mehdi Gholi Khan. (1344/1965). “Xāterāt o xatarāt” (Memries and dangers). Tehran: Zovvār. [Persian]
  • · Hedayat, Mehdi Gholi Khan. (1363/1984). “Gozāreš-e Irān” (The report of Iran). Tehran: Noqreh. [Persian]
  • · Issavi, Charles Phillip. (1362/1983). “Tārix-e eqtesādi-ye Irān” (‏‫The economic history of Iran). Translated by Yaghoub Azhand. Tehran: Gostareh. [Persian]
  • · Jamalzadeh, Mohammad Ali. (1384/2005). “Ganj-e Šāygān” (The worthy treasure). Berlin: Kāveh. [Persian]
  • · Kashef Al-Saltaneh, Prince de Chai. (1301/1922). “[Majalle-ye] Mamāt o Hayāt” (Death and life [Magazine]). Translated by Yaghoub Azhand. Tehran: Gostareh. [Persian]
  • · Lenczowski, George. (2536/1977). “Reqābat-e Rusieh va qarb dar Irān” (Russia and the west in Iran, 1918-1948: A study in big-power rivalry). Translated by Esmaeel Raeen. Tehran: Dānešgāh-e Tehrān (University of Tehran). [Persian]
  • · Mahboubi Ardakani, Hossein. (1376/1997). “Tārix-e mo’assesāt-e tamaddoni-ye jadid dar Irān” (History of the new civilization organizations in Iran) (vol. 2). Tehran: Dānešgāh-e Tehrān (University of Tehran). [Persian]
  • · Malakouti, Mojtaba. (1327/1948). “Rāh-āhan-e Irān” (Iran Railway). Tehran: Xāndani-hā. [Persian]
  • · Mirjafari, Hossein; & Nouraei, Morteza. (1388/2009). “Raveš-e pažuheš dar tārix” (Research methods in history). Tehran: Sāzmān-e Entešārāt-e Pažuhešgāh-e Farhang va Andiše-ye Eslāmi (Organization of Publications of the Research Center for Islamic Culture and Thought). [Persian]
  • · Mokammeli, Mohammad Kazem. (1379/2000). “Tārix-e Jāme’-e rāh-āhan” (A comprehensive history of railways). Tehran: Ravābet ‘Omumi-ye Rāh-Āhan-e Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi (The Public Relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways). [Persian]
  • · Oveisi, A. M. (1302/1923). “Rāh-e amali barā-ye sāxtan-e rāh-āhan dar Irān” (A practical way to build railways in Iran). Tehran: Matba’e-ye Fārus. [Persian]
  • · Pohl, Manfred. (1999). Philipp Holzmann: Geschichte eines Bauunternehmens 1849-1999. München: Beck.
  • · Shojaei Divkalaei, Seyyed Hasan. (1398/2019). “Towse’e-nayāftegi va san’ati-sāzi-ye Irān-e asr-e Qājār va Pahlavi-ye avval” (Underdevelopment and industrialization of Iran in the Qajar and Pahlavi eras). Tehran: Tisā. [Persian]
  • · Shuster, William Morgan. (1915). “Extenāq-e Irān” (The strangling of Persia). Kolkata: Matba’e-ye Habl ol-Matin. [Persian]
  • · Stewart, Richard Anthony. (1370/1991). “Dar āxarin ruz-hā-ye Rezā Šāh: Tahājom-e Rus va Engelis be Irān dar Šahrivar 1320” (Sunrise at Abadan: The British and Soviet invasion of Iran, 1941). Translated by Abd Al-Reza Mahdavi & Kaveh Bayat. Tehran: Mo’een. [Persian]
  • · Taylor, Alan John Percivale. (1374/1995). “Jang-e jahāni-ye dovvom” (‎The second world war). Translated by Bahram Fardad Amini. Tehran: Entešārāt-e ‘Elmi Farhangi. [Persian]
  • · Treskiniski, Anatol. (1326/1947). “Tārixče-ye moxtasar-e rāh-āhan dar Irān” (A short history of trans-Iranian railway). Tehran: Čāpxāne-ye Bongāh-e Rāh-Āhan. [Persian]
  • · Zargar, Ali Asghar. (1372/1993). “Tārix-e ravābet-e siāsi-ye Irān va Engelis dar dowre-ye Rezā Šāh” (Anglo - Iranian relations: 1941 -1925). Translated by Kaveh Bayat. Tehran: Parvin; Mo’een. [Persian]
  • · Articles
  • · Abadian, Hossein. (1392/2013). “Māhiat-e Ravābet-e eqtesādi-ye Ālmān va Irān az 1277 tā 1318 / 1898 tā 1940” (Nature of Iran-Germany economic relations in 1898–1940). Pažuheš-nāme-ye Tārix-e Ejtemā’ee va Eqtesādi (Socio Economic History Studies), 2nd year (1), Spring & Summer 1392/2013, pp. 1-17. [Persian]
  • · Donn, A. G. (1938). “The trans-Iranian railway”. Journal of The Royal Central Asian Society, 25 (2), p 219-227.
  • · Rafi’, Hossein; & Abbaszadeh Marzbali, Majid. (1397/2019). “Barresi-ye Ravābet-e Irān va Ālmān dar asr-e Pahlavi” (Iran-Germany relations in the Pahlavi era). Fasl-nāme-ye Motāle’āt-e Siāsi (Quarterly Journal of Political Science), 11th year (42), Winter 1397 / 2019, pp. 113-148. [Persian]
  • · Rion, Nicholas. L. (2011). “Forty years of microhistoriography”. A research paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.A in History, Department of History, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
  • · Press
  • · Ettelā’āt (Ettelaat Newspaper): 1305/6/21 / 1926, September 13, p. 1; 1306/3/29 / 1927, June 20, p. 2; 1306/5/7 / 1927, July 30, p. 2; 1306/5/18 / 1927, August 10, p. 2; 1307/2/13 / 1928, May 3, p. 3; 1307/8/12 / 1928, November 3, p. 2; 1307/9/22 / 1928, December 13, p. 2; 1307/11/18 / 1929, February 7, p. 3; 1308, Mehr 23 / 1929, October 15, p. 2; 1308/8/13 / 1929, November 4, p. 3; 1309/9/25 / 1930, December 17, p. 2; 1310/3/12 / 1931, June 3, p. 1. [Persian]
  • · Irān-e Now (Iran-e No Newspaper): 1328, Safar 24 / 1910, March 7, p. 2; 1328, Rabi’ ol-Awwal 23 / 1910, April 4, p. 3. [Persian]
  • · Čehreh-namā: 1328, Rabi’ al-Thāni 15 / 1910, April 26, p. 12.
  • · Habl ol-Matin (Habl al-Matin): 1328, Dhu al-Qadah 18 / 1910, November 21, pp. 3-6; 1343, Muharram 23 / 1924, August 24, p. 5. [Persian]
  • · Rāh-Āhan-e Sarāsar-e Irān (Našrie-ye Vezārat-e Toroq) (Ministry of Roads and Urban Development Press): 1317/6/5 / 1938, August 27. [Persian]
  • · Kušeš: 1305/9/4 / 1926, November 26, p. 3; 1305/9/23 / 1926, December 15, p. 3; 1307/4/14 / 1928, July 5, p. 1; 1307/6/8 / 1928, August 30, pp. 1-2; 1307/9/11 / 1928, December 2, p. 1; 1308/4/3 / 1929, June 24, p. 1; 1308/5/7 / 1929, July 9, p. 1; 1308/5/10 / 1929, July 12, p. 1; 1309/3/7 / 1930, May 29, p. 1; 1309/3/30 / 1930, June 21, p. 1; 1309/12/7 / 1931, February 27, p. 3. [Persian]
  • · Name-ye Rāh: issue number 4, Šahrivar 1319 / 1940, September, p. 32; issue number 5-6, Mehr & Ābān 1319 / 1940, October & November, pp. 13-16. [Persian]
  • · Digital sources
  • · Saxild, Jørgen. (1971). En dansk Ingeniørs Erindringer. København: Lindhardt og Ringhof (pp. 49-50). (electronic version).

 

 

English Translation of References

Documents

Sāzmān-e Asnād va Ketābxāne-ye Melli-ye Irān (Sākmā) (National Library and Archives Organization of Iran):

240-6006; 240-6007; 240-6009; 240-6458; 240-9150; 240-9676; 240-13383; 240-14959; 240-15580; 240-16993; 240-23059; 290-5875; 293-4638; 310-72062. [Persian]

Markaz-e Asnād-e Enqelāb-e Eslāmi (Marāsān) (Islamic Revolution Documents Center):

00328008; 00328009; 00328010; 00328011; 00328012; 00328014; 00328031. [Persian]

Markaz-e Asnād va Ketābxāne-ye Majles-e Šorā-ye Melli (Matmā) (Document Center and Library of Iran National Parliament): 8/33/32/80. [Persian]

Book

Adamiat, Fereidoun. (2536/1957). “Andiše-ye taraqqi va hokumat-e qānun-e asr-e sepah-sālār” (The idea of progress and the rule of law: The Era of Sepahsalar). Tehran: Čāpxāne-ye Sepehr. [Persian]

Curzon, George Nathaniel. (1380/2001). “Irān va qazie-ye Irān” (Persia and the Persian question) (vol. 1). Translated by Gholam Ali Vahid Mazandarani. Tehran: Šerkat-e Entešārāt-e ‘Elmi Farhangi. [Persian]

Hedayat, Mehdi Gholi Khan. (1344/1965). “Xāterāt o xatarāt” (Memries and dangers). Tehran: Zovvār. [Persian]

Hedayat, Mehdi Gholi Khan. (1363/1984). “Gozāreš-e Irān” (The report of Iran). Tehran: Noqreh. [Persian]

Issavi, Charles Phillip. (1362/1983). “Tārix-e eqtesādi-ye Irān” (‏‫The economic history of Iran). Translated by Yaghoub Azhand. Tehran: Gostareh. [Persian]

Jamalzadeh, Mohammad Ali. (1384/2005). “Ganj-e Šāygān” (The worthy treasure). Berlin: Kāveh. [Persian]

Kashef Al-Saltaneh, Prince de Chai. (1301/1922). “[Majalle-ye] Mamāt o Hayāt” (Death and life [Magazine]). Translated by Yaghoub Azhand. Tehran: Gostareh. [Persian]

Lenczowski, George. (2536/1977). “Reqābat-e Rusieh va qarb dar Irān” (Russia and the west in Iran, 1918-1948: A study in big-power rivalry). Translated by Esmaeel Raeen. Tehran: Dānešgāh-e Tehrān (University of Tehran). [Persian]

Mahboubi Ardakani, Hossein. (1376/1997). “Tārix-e mo’assesāt-e tamaddoni-ye jadid dar Irān” (History of the new civilization organizations in Iran) (vol. 2). Tehran: Dānešgāh-e Tehrān (University of Tehran). [Persian]

Malakouti, Mojtaba. (1327/1948). “Rāh-āhan-e Irān” (Iran Railway). Tehran: Xāndani-hā. [Persian]

Mirjafari, Hossein; & Nouraei, Morteza. (1388/2009). “Raveš-e pažuheš dar tārix” (Research methods in history). Tehran: Sāzmān-e Entešārāt-e Pažuhešgāh-e Farhang va Andiše-ye Eslāmi (Organization of Publications of the Research Center for Islamic Culture and Thought). [Persian]

Mokammeli, Mohammad Kazem. (1379/2000). “Tārix-e Jāme’-e rāh-āhan” (A comprehensive history of railways). Tehran: Ravābet ‘Omumi-ye Rāh-Āhan-e Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi (The Public Relations of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways). [Persian]

Oveisi, A. M. (1302/1923). “Rāh-e amali barā-ye sāxtan-e rāh-āhan dar Irān” (A practical way to build railways in Iran). Tehran: Matba’e-ye Fārus. [Persian]

Pohl, Manfred. (1999). Philipp Holzmann: Geschichte eines Bauunternehmens 1849-1999. München: Beck.

Shojaei Divkalaei, Seyyed Hasan. (1398/2019). “Towse’e-nayāftegi va san’ati-sāzi-ye Irān-e asr-e Qājār va Pahlavi-ye avval” (Underdevelopment and industrialization of Iran in the Qajar and Pahlavi eras). Tehran: Tisā. [Persian]

Shuster, William Morgan. (1915). “Extenāq-e Irān” (The strangling of Persia). Kolkata: Matba’e-ye Habl ol-Matin. [Persian]

Stewart, Richard Anthony. (1370/1991). “Dar āxarin ruz-hā-ye Rezā Šāh: Tahājom-e Rus va Engelis be Irān dar Šahrivar 1320” (Sunrise at Abadan: The British and Soviet invasion of Iran, 1941). Translated by Abd Al-Reza Mahdavi & Kaveh Bayat. Tehran: Mo’een. [Persian]

Taylor, Alan John Percivale. (1374/1995). “Jang-e jahāni-ye dovvom” (‎The second world war). Translated by Bahram Fardad Amini. Tehran: Entešārāt-e ‘Elmi Farhangi. [Persian]

Treskiniski, Anatol. (1326/1947). “Tārixče-ye moxtasar-e rāh-āhan dar Irān” (A short history of trans-Iranian railway). Tehran: Čāpxāne-ye Bongāh-e Rāh-Āhan. [Persian]

Zargar, Ali Asghar. (1372/1993). “Tārix-e ravābet-e siāsi-ye Irān va Engelis dar dowre-ye Rezā Šāh” (Anglo - Iranian relations: 1941 -1925). Translated by Kaveh Bayat. Tehran: Parvin; Mo’een. [Persian]

Articles

Abadian, Hossein. (1392/2013). “Māhiat-e Ravābet-e eqtesādi-ye Ālmān va Irān az 1277 tā 1318 / 1898 tā 1940” (Nature of Iran-Germany economic relations in 1898–1940). Pažuheš-nāme-ye Tārix-e Ejtemā’ee va Eqtesādi (Socio Economic History Studies), 2nd year (1), Spring & Summer 1392/2013, pp. 1-17. [Persian]

Donn, A. G. (1938). “The trans-Iranian railway”. Journal of The Royal Central Asian Society, 25 (2), p 219-227.

Rafi’, Hossein; & Abbaszadeh Marzbali, Majid. (1397/2019). “Barresi-ye Ravābet-e Irān va Ālmān dar asr-e Pahlavi” (Iran-Germany relations in the Pahlavi era). Fasl-nāme-ye Motāle’āt-e Siāsi (Quarterly Journal of Political Science), 11th year (42), Winter 1397 / 2019, pp. 113-148. [Persian]

Rion, Nicholas. L. (2011). “Forty years of microhistoriography”. A research paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.A in History, Department of History, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Press

Ettelā’āt (Ettelaat Newspaper): 1305/6/21 / 1926, September 13, p. 1; 1306/3/29 / 1927, June 20, p. 2; 1306/5/7 / 1927, July 30, p. 2; 1306/5/18 / 1927, August 10, p. 2; 1307/2/13 / 1928, May 3, p. 3; 1307/8/12 / 1928, November 3, p. 2; 1307/9/22 / 1928, December 13, p. 2; 1307/11/18 / 1929, February 7, p. 3; 1308, Mehr 23 / 1929, October 15, p. 2; 1308/8/13 / 1929, November 4, p. 3; 1309/9/25 / 1930, December 17, p. 2; 1310/3/12 / 1931, June 3, p. 1. [Persian]

Irān-e Now (Iran-e No Newspaper): 1328, Safar 24 / 1910, March 7, p. 2; 1328, Rabi’ ol-Awwal 23 / 1910, April 4, p. 3. [Persian]

Čehreh-namā: 1328, Rabi’ al-Thāni 15 / 1910, April 26, p. 12.

Habl ol-Matin (Habl al-Matin): 1328, Dhu al-Qadah 18 / 1910, November 21, pp. 3-6; 1343, Muharram 23 / 1924, August 24, p. 5. [Persian]

Rāh-Āhan-e Sarāsar-e Irān (Našrie-ye Vezārat-e Toroq) (Ministry of Roads and Urban Development Press): 1317/6/5 / 1938, August 27. [Persian]

Kušeš: 1305/9/4 / 1926, November 26, p. 3; 1305/9/23 / 1926, December 15, p. 3; 1307/4/14 / 1928, July 5, p. 1; 1307/6/8 / 1928, August 30, pp. 1-2; 1307/9/11 / 1928, December 2, p. 1; 1308/4/3 / 1929, June 24, p. 1; 1308/5/7 / 1929, July 9, p. 1; 1308/5/10 / 1929, July 12, p. 1; 1309/3/7 / 1930, May 29, p. 1; 1309/3/30 / 1930, June 21, p. 1; 1309/12/7 / 1931, February 27, p. 3. [Persian]

Name-ye Rāh: issue number 4, Šahrivar 1319 / 1940, September, p. 32; issue number 5-6, Mehr & Ābān 1319 / 1940, October & November, pp. 13-16. [Persian]

Digital sources

Saxild, Jørgen. (1971). En dansk Ingeniørs Erindringer. København: Lindhardt og Ringhof (pp. 49-50). (electronic version).

 

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 March 2020
  • Revise Date: 02 April 2020
  • Accept Date: 04 June 2020

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