Iranian Imperial Guard
Encyclopedia
The Iranian Imperial Guard was both the personal guard force of the Shahs of Iran
and an elite combat branch of the Imperial Iranian Army. It was created in 1942 and disbanded in 1979.
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 Republican Guard (France) of France and the British Royal Horse Guards
.
In 1953 the unit was expanded in size to a division
under General Teymur Bakhtar. In 1972 the Lashkari Guard Division was incorporated in the Imperial Guard together with a Conscript Brigade.
: Immortal Guard), also known as the "Immortals" after the ancient Persian royal guard or Persian Immortals
. The "Immortals" were based in the Lavizan Barracks in northern Tehran. By 1978 this elite force comprised a brigade
of 4,000-5,000 men, including a battalion
of Chieftain tank
s. It was responsible for the internal and external security of the royal palaces. A special plain-clothes unit was called Ma'mourin Makhsous. From 1968 the Javidan Guard included a 30-strong Pahlavi Cavalry Guard - a Household Cavalry
unit. The last Commanding Officer of the Javidan Guard was Lieutenant-Colonel Yusuf-i-nijad.
.
Following the revolution the remaining units of the Imperial Guard were stripped of their historic privileges and duties and integrated into the 21st Division of the regular army (Artesh). As such they saw action in the Iran-Iraq war
.
Ali Neshat was executed as were a number of other officers and guardsmen. The former included several former Guard Commanders, such as General Abdul Ali Badrehi (1965-1978), who had risen to be Commander of Ground Forces. General Gholam Ali Oveisi
, (Imperial Guard Commander 1960-1965), subsequently became Chief of the Army Staff before being made Military Governor of Tehran in 1978. He was appointed Minister of labor and Social Affairs from 1978-1979 and was assassinated in 1984 in Paris. One of the original commanders, General Jafar Shafaghat, during the last months prior to the fall of the Monarchy in 1979 was appointed by the Shah as the Minister of Defense (literary translation of this post from Persian
is Minister of War) under Shapour Bakhtiar
Cabinet until the fall of the regime.
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty consisted of two Iranian/Persian monarchs, father and son Reza Shah Pahlavi (reg. 1925–1941) and Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi The Pahlavi dynasty ...
and an elite combat branch of the Imperial Iranian Army. It was created in 1942 and disbanded in 1979.
Origins
In 1921 a Persian Royal Guard was in existence comprising 20,000 men. A Guard Division was raised in 1925, 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 Republican Guard (France) of France and the British Royal Horse Guards
Royal Horse Guards
The Royal Horse Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry.Founded August 1650 in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Sir Arthur Haselrig on the orders of Oliver Cromwell as the Regiment of Cuirassiers, the regiment became the Earl of Oxford's Regiment during the reign of...
.
In 1953 the unit was expanded in size to a division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
under General Teymur Bakhtar. In 1972 the Lashkari Guard Division was incorporated in the Imperial Guard together with a Conscript Brigade.
Javidan Guard
The core of the Imperial Guard was the all volunteer Javidan Guard (Gârd e Jâvidân, PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
: Immortal Guard), also known as the "Immortals" after the ancient Persian royal guard or Persian Immortals
Persian Immortals
The "Immortals" was the name given by Herodotus to an elite force of soldiers who fought for the Achaemenid Empire. This force performed the dual roles of both Imperial Guard and standing army during the Persian Empire's expansion and during the Greco-Persian Wars...
. The "Immortals" were based in the Lavizan Barracks in northern Tehran. By 1978 this elite force comprised a brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of 4,000-5,000 men, including a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of Chieftain tank
Chieftain tank
The FV 4201 Chieftain was the main battle tank of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s. It was one of the most advanced tanks of its era, and at the time of its introduction in 1966 had the most powerful main gun and heaviest armour of any tank in the world...
s. It was responsible for the internal and external security of the royal palaces. A special plain-clothes unit was called Ma'mourin Makhsous. From 1968 the Javidan Guard included a 30-strong Pahlavi Cavalry Guard - a Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
unit. 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 TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
.
Recruitment
A recruit to the Imperial Guard had to pass a series of proficiency tests, varying in subjects and difficulty. Reportedly one of the prerequisites for initiation was to be able to recite one's family history back for 23 generations from memory alone.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 cuirasses and crested helmets.Overthrow of the Shah
The Imperial Guard remained loyal to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi until his departure for exile in January 1979. After two days of fighting (February 9-11th) with armed civilians and dissident air force and army personnel the Imperial Guard was withdrawn to its bases and thereafter largely disintegrated. The Javidan Guard was formally dissolved by the new Iranian regime, though some units of the wider Imperial Guard remained in existence.Following the revolution the remaining units of the Imperial Guard were stripped of their historic privileges and duties and integrated into the 21st Division of the regular army (Artesh). As such they saw action in the Iran-Iraq war
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
.
Commanders of the Imperial Guard
The last Commander of the Imperial Guard, GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Ali Neshat was executed as were a number of other officers and guardsmen. The former included several former Guard Commanders, such as General Abdul Ali Badrehi (1965-1978), who had risen to be Commander of Ground Forces. General Gholam Ali Oveisi
Gholam Ali Oveisi
Gholam Ali Oveisi was an Iranian general during the Pahlavi dynasty, prior to the 1979 Iranian Revolution. On September 7, the Shah appointed Oveisi, then-chief of army staff, as the military governor of the capital city, Tehran....
, (Imperial Guard Commander 1960-1965), subsequently became Chief of the Army Staff before being made Military Governor of Tehran in 1978. He was appointed Minister of labor and Social Affairs from 1978-1979 and was assassinated in 1984 in Paris. One of the original commanders, General Jafar Shafaghat, during the last months prior to the fall of the Monarchy in 1979 was appointed by the Shah as the Minister of Defense (literary translation of this post from Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
is Minister of War) under Shapour Bakhtiar
Shapour Bakhtiar
Shapour Bakhtiar was an Iranian political scientist, writer and the last Prime Minister of Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi...
Cabinet until the fall of the regime.
External links
- http://youtube.com/watch?v=ecYzlSijECQ During a military parade.
- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4738984432619802624&q=iran Video footage of the Immortals.