Iran at War: 1500-1988

From the Safavid dynasty of the 16th and 17th centuries to the 1979 Revolution and beyond, Kaveh Farrokh traces the martial history of Iran to show how the modern state of Iran developed, and how its relations with the West have been shaped by war.

Beginning with the Safavid dynasty of the 16th century, which saw the revival of ancient Persian traditions, the author goes on to explore the subsequent Afsharid dynasty, the expulsion of Pathan and Russian invaders from Persia, the defeat of the Ottoman Turks, and the conquest of Moghul India, and the gradual erosion of Iran's territories and influence during the 19th and 20th centuries. The military defeats of the Qajar dynasty laid the basis for the Persian democratic constitutional revolt in 1904-05 which was ultimately crushed by Russian armed forces together with diplomatic support from Britain, contributing to the growing anti-western dynamics within Iran.

The author explores the complex early 20th-century military history of Iran, including two world wars, foreign intervention, and the suppression of antigovernment revolts. The Iranian Army was modernized between 1950 and 1979, and following the violent revolution of 1979 it became embroiled in a bloody eight-year war with its neighbor Iraq.

This book not only covers centuries of Iranian warfare, but also looks at the development of technology, weaponry and armor, to provide a complete history of Iran at war.

Kaveh Farrokh was born in Athens, Greece, in 1962 and immigrated to Canada in 1983 although he has traveled widely in the US during the course of his research. He has given lectures and seminars at the University of British Columbia and the Knowledge Network Television Program of British Columbia and has also written articles for various journals. Dr Farrokh obtained his PhD in 2001 from the University of British Columbia where he specialized in the acquisition of Persian languages. He acted as a historical advisor on the film Cyrus the Great, and has appeared on the History Channel documentary as an expert on the Persian Empire. Kaveh's work includes Shadows in the Desert (2007), which was published by Osprey to critical acclaim.