History paper
Prepare a paper about Kinzer, All the Shah’s Men
Narrate a brief history of the 1953 coup, being sure to include discussion of
a) the motives of those who planned it and carried it out
b) the details of the plan and the reasons for its success
c) the consequences of the coup for the history of Iran and the Middle East generally
(4-5 pages; typed and double-spaced; normal fonts and margins no outside/Internet sources allowed … just use the book)
Guide for final essay (Kinzer, All the Shah’s Men)
Structure of book
-like a movie … opens (chap 1) with action designed to spark your interest, create suspense … than a prolonged historical flashback to provide background, introduce main characters … then, at end of chap. 10, return to where we left off at the end of chap 1
Question
-more narrow focus than #1 – the coup in 1953
-but a complicated story (like a good novel or TV show), so you need to attend to the complexity
-distinguish British and American motives/plans … situate those motives/plans in the context of post-WWII history (what’s going on in the world, and how do GB and US fit into that?)
-explaining the success of the American plan requires knowledge of Iranian politics and Iranian society … balance of power, relationships at the top (Shah, Mossadegh and the reformers, religious leaders) and in the streets (how did various segments of the Iranian population figure in the coup … how were they used, what did they try to do?)
-consequences: Kinzer has his view, but presents opposing views and, at the end, quotes some historians pondering the effects of the coup
Paper format
Introduction and thesis – one page
discussion for problem a -one page
discussion for problem b -one page
discussion for problem c -one page
conclusion -one page
