Imperial Guard (Iran)
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The Immortal Guard of Imperial Iran (
Origins
In 1921 a Persian Royal Guard was in existence comprising 20,000 men. A Guard Division was raised in 1925 by Reza Shah, incorporating both cavalry and infantry units. The Imperial Guard was subsequently formed in 1942 from 700 volunteers. It was originally designed and organized by General Jafar Shafaghat. The division was modeled after the French Republican Guard and the British Household Cavalry and foot guards. In 1953 the unit was expanded in size to a division under General Teymur Bakhtiar. In 1972 the Lashkari Guard Division was incorporated in the Imperial Guard together with a Conscript Brigade, expanding the Guard to a full corps of two divisions.
Structure
Javidan Guard
The core of the Imperial Guard was the all volunteer Javidan Guard (Gârd e Jâvidân,
Prior to the 1967 Imperial Coronation a Pahlavi Cavalry Guard was formed, giving the Javidan Guard a Household Cavalry type mounted escort unit for ceremonial occasions. According to differing accounts this detachment was 30 to 50-strong.
The last Commanding Officer of the Javidan Guard was Lieutenant-Colonel Yusuf-i-nijad.
Main Imperial Guard
By the late 1970s the entire Imperial Guard (including conscripts outside the Javidan units) was 18,000 strong, with artillery, armored and helicopter units. The entire Guard comprised some 6% of the army, and were the only troops stationed permanently in the capital Tehran.
Recruitment
A recruit to the Imperial Guard had to pass a series of proficiency tests, varying in subjects and difficulty. Reportedly[by whom?] one of the prerequisites for initiation was to be able to recite one's family history back for 23 generations from memory alone[citation needed].
Uniforms and insignia
Imperial Guard units were distinguished by salmon (light red) coloured insignia. The Pahlavi Cavalry Guard had special blue and red ceremonial uniforms, including silver
Iranian Revolution
The Imperial Guard remained loyal to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi until his departure for exile in January 1979. After two days of fighting from the 9th through 11 February, against armed civilians and dissident Air Force and Army personnel, the Imperial Guard was withdrawn to its bases. The Guard was disbanded on 17 February 1979.[2] The Javidan Guard was formally dissolved by the new Iranian regime, although some portions of the wider Imperial Guard remained in existence. These remaining units were stripped of their historical privileges and duties and integrated into the 21st Division of the regular Army Ground Forces. They saw action in the Iran–Iraq War.
Commanders of the Imperial Guard
The last commander of the Imperial Guard at the time of the 1979 Iranian Revolution was Lieutenant General
Commanders of the unit were:
- Capt. Jafar Shafaghat and Capt. Bayandor (commanders of two rival companies with rotating responsibility)[4]
- 2nd Col. Iraj Mahvi (two companies unified and expanded to a brigade)[4]
- Abbas Gharabaghi (a new "special guard" was created under his command)[4]
- Amirgholi Zargham
- Col. Nematollah Nassiri (1951–65)
- Maj. Gen Abdolali Badrei(1974–79)
- Maj. Gen. Ali Neshat (1979)
See also
References
- ^ Liz Thurgood, Bakhtiar quits after losing army backing, The Guardian, 12 February 1979
- ^ Roberts, Mark (January 1996). "Purge of the Monarchists". McNair Papers (47–48). Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ Sahimi, Mohammad (3 February 2010). "The Ten Days that Changed Iran". Frontline. PBS. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ^ ISBN 8120816420.