The British Government And The Exploitation Of Iranian Oil (From 1901 To The End Of World War Ⅰ)

This thesis narrates that British government supported the exploitation and development of Iranian oil from 1901 to the end of World War I , which displayed Britain's politics, strategy and diplomacy. It is divided into three chapters:The first chapter discusses concretely the process that the British government took over Iranian oil. From 1901 to the beginning of the first world war, firstly British government assisted British subject to win an agreement of the rights to exploit oil in Iran; and moreover it guaranteed the implementation of the agreement, prevented the agreement from falling into foreign hands. Lastly it took over the rights by itself, changing the personal character of the agreement. The British government dominated the Iranian oil.The second chapter is discussed in two different periods. Form the breakout of the war to 1917~the first half stage of the war, the British government continued to safeguard the exploitation of the Iranian oil and supported the development of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. Militarily, the British- Indian army defended entirely the oil fields. Financially, the Britain government never stopped its financial appropriate money and offering funds to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company because of the war. Diplomatically, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company received the support from the government to merge the British Petroleum Company, which attached a very important significance to the following development of the company. From 1917 to the end of the war-the other half stage of the war, Britain placed the focus of its oil policies on the negotiation with the Royal Dutch-Shell Group. Britain tried to control the Dutch-Shell at the cost of merging the Anglo-Persian Oil Company into the Dutch-Shell. The Britain's intention could not be realized, still the Anglo-Persian Oil Company had been the center of its oil strategy.The third chapter mainly analyzes the influence resulted from Britain's control on the Iranian oil. It had active meaning and influence for Britain not only politically but also economically. But while the Anglo-Persian Oil Company brought rich profits, it hadn't driven the rapid growth of the Iranian economy, which led to a 40-year oil dispute between the United Kingdom and Iran. In addition, the British government's occupying the Iranian oil also had certain global meaning, that was, it started an era of fighting for oil in the Middle East. From then on, the Middle East became the focus of the world because of the oil issue. The resource exploitation should have been an internal affair of a country. But due to in the special times and the special geography situation, originally the exploitation of the Iranian oil was related closely with the politics and strategy of the large powers, which had great significance and influence to Iran, the Middle East and even the whole world.