Wikipedia

Abdollah Hedayat

Abdollah Hedayat (1899–1968) was an army officer who served as the chief of general staff at the Imperial Iran Army.

Abdollah Hedayat
Minister of War
In office
1955–1961
MonarchMohammad Reza Pahlavi
Prime MinisterHossein Ala'
Succeeded byAbdol Hossein Hejazi
In office
26 June 1950 – March 1951
MonarchMohammad Reza Pahlavi
Prime MinisterHaj Ali Razmara
Preceded byMorteza Yazdanpanah
Personal details
Born1899
Died1968 (aged 68–69)
ParentGholam Reza Hedayat (father)
Alma materWar University (France)
Military service
AllegiancePahlavi Iran
Branch/serviceImperial Iranian Army
Years of service1920s–1950s
RankGeneral

Early life and education

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Hedayat was born in 1899 and was the son of Gholam Reza Hedayat, also known as Mokhber Al Dawlah.[1][2] He graduated from the Nizam School of Mushir Al Dawlah.[2] He studied military science in France receiving a degree from the Ecole de Guerre and continued his education in Fontainebleau.[1]

Career

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Following graduation Hedayat joined the Imperial Army and served in various posts, including deputy chief of the General Staff in May 1942 and commandant of the Officers’ School in November 1942.[1] He also taught at Tehran University of War.[2] He was the undersecretary at the Ministry of War in April 1944 and acting minister of war in September 1944. He was named as the director of artillery in November 1945. He was again appointed undersecretary at the Ministry of War in February 1946.[1]

From 26 June 1950 to 11 March 1951 he served as the minister of war in the cabinet of Prime Minister Haj Ali Razmara.[3] Hedayat was one of the close colleagues of Razmara in the army.[1] On 7 September 1953 he was named the minister of national defense to the cabinet led by Prime Minister Fazlollah Zahedi.[4] On 1955 Hedayat was appointed chief of the supreme commander's staff and became the first military officer to hold this title.[5] He served in the post with rank of cabinet minister and was the minister of war from 1 April 1955 in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Hossein Ala'.[6][7] His military rank was general.[8] Hedayat's term ended in 1961, and he was replaced by Abdol Hossein Hejazi in the post.[5]

Arrest

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Hedayat and two other generals were arrested in November 1962 due to corruption allegations in an anti-corruption campaign initiated by Prime Minister Ali Amini.[9][10] It was the Shah who advised Ali Amini to arrest them.[10] Hedayat was taken to the Qasr prison and was tried between March and November 1963.[9] He was sentenced to two-year prison in addition to the payment of a fine of nearly $16,000.[9]

Personal life and death

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Abdollah Hedayat was married to the sister of Sadegh Hedayat.[11] He was fluent in French.[1] He died in 1968.[2]

Honors

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Hedayat was the recipient of the US Legion of Merit for his actions during World War II in the Imperial Iranian army which was awarded to him in September 1955.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia". Qatar Digital Library. 1948. Retrieved 17 August 2023. Citing from the British India Office Records and Private Papers
  2. ^ a b c d "عبدالله هدایت" (in Persian). Rasekhoon. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Developments of the Quarter: Comment and Chronology". Middle East Journal. 4 (4): 471. October 1950. JSTOR 4322222.
  4. ^ "Developments of the Quarter: Comment and Chronology". Middle East Journal. 8 (1): 76. Winter 1954. JSTOR 4322566.
  5. ^ a b Gholam Reza Afkhami (2009). The Life and Times of the Shah. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. pp. 288, 311. ISBN 978-0-520-94216-5.
  6. ^ S. Steinberg (2016). The Statesman's Year-Book: Statistical and Historical Annual of the States of the World for the Year 1955. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 1288. ISBN 978-0-230-27084-8.
  7. ^ "376. Memorandum for the Record by the Chief of the Military Advisory Assistance Group in Iran (Seitz)". Department of State. 3 January 1957. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  8. ^ "چه کسانی"ارتشبد" شده اند؟" (in Persian). Eghtesad online. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
  9. ^ a b c Charles Clinton Rudulph (1971). The Land Reform Program in Iran and its Political Implications (PhD thesis). The American University, Washington DC. pp. 75–76. ProQuest 302488670.
  10. ^ a b Michael J. Willcocks (2015). Agent or Client: Who Instigated the White Revolution of the Shah and the People in Iran, 1963 (PhD thesis). University of Manchester. p. 124.
  11. ^ Homa Katouzian (2007). "Introduction: The Wondrous World of Sadeq Hedayat". In Homa Katouzian (ed.). Sadeq Hedayat: His Work and His Wondrous World. London; New York: Routledge. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-134-07935-3.
  12. ^ "Awards. Abdullah Hedayat". The Hall of Valor. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
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