3 The Kurdish Republic of

Mahabad: 1946
The ramifications of the Second World War , which began in
September 1939, gradually reached out and drew in Iran (the
new name for Persia since 1935) and Iraq. Turkey remained
neutral until the last days of 由is conflict and generally suc-
ceeded in keeping a tight rein on its restless Kurds , as did
Syria, which w皿 successively under French , Vichy French and
then Free French m诅itary occupation , and which stifled Kurdish
thoughts of dissidence. Wh en the Iraqi government hesitated
to join the Allies and seemed to be favouring the Axis powers ,
a British militaηforce landed in Iraq. By May 1941 it was in
Baghdad, establishing itself as 由e protecting power for the
remainder of the war.
The Shah of Iran also tried to remain neutral , but when the
USSR joined the Al lies in June 1941 his teπitorγwas required
础 a supply corridor into southern USSR. Hence in August an
Al lied joint occupation of Iran was imposed , with the Soviets
in the north (which embraced most of the Kurdish territOlγ)
and the British in the south. This situation lasted until after
由e war ended. The British packed off the reluctant Reza Shah
Pahlavi into enforced retirement, installing his young son ,
Mohammed , in his stead. In both Iran and Iraq these military
occupations often left Kurdish regions wi由 little or no central
government control.
In May 1942 the lawlessness of the Kurds in the Lake Urmiya
region of Iran was wo口γing the Soviets, who were anxious
about the security of their vital supply corridor. They there-
fore authorised the small Iranian army , which had all but dis-
integrated, to take punitive action against the Kurds but insisted
that the Iranian troops remain south of the ‘ Sard凶ht-Zanjan
Line'. The troops made little impact on the restless Kurds , but
did to some degree prevent them from moving any fur由er
southwards.

21

E. O’Ballance, The Kurdish Struggle 1920–94

© Edgar O’Ballance 1996
22 The Kurdish Struggle
THE KOMOLA

The Soviets had the ulterior motive of extending their influ-

ence into Iranian and Iraqi border provinces , with the aim of
drawing them into their political orbit, perhaps eventually to
become Soviet socialist republics within the USSR. The Soviets
were as greedy to acquire additional territory and people as
any of the other m ;ÿor predators in the region. They set to
work on politicising the Iranian Kurds , meeting little success
until 16 September 1942 , when 由 ey sponsored 由e fo口nation
of a Kurdish organisation , on the usual communist pattern ,
known as the ‘ Komola' (‘ Komola Jiwanewey Kurd' , which can
be translated as the 'Committee for the Life of Kurdistan or
the Kurd Resurrection Group') , some 50 miles south of Lake
Urmiya in the Kurdish town of Mahabad , which then had a
population of about 16000. There was no Soviet milita町 pres­
ence in the Mahabad area, and Iranian au由ority was less than
nominal.
In April 1943 由e Komola formed a central committee and
secret cells were organised under Soviet guidance. Its under-
ground activities began to spread into other parts of Kurdish
Iranian territl。可 under Soviet militarγoccupation ， seeping
southwards until checked by 由e presence of Iranian military
units. In May a group of Kurds attacked the Mahabad police
station , after which all Iranian security forces were withdrawn
from the region , leaving the Komola with a free hand.
Meanwhile , in the Kurdish region of Iran many selιappointed
sheikhs rose to dominate tribes , valleys , towns and small areas ,
and often the weak central government in Tehran had no
option but to confirm them in the appointments 由ey had
assumed. Many spent much of their energy enlarging their
fiefdoms , and fighting off rivals. Disliking 由is ou町ight law-
lessness and instability, the Soviets allowed some reorganisa-
tion of the small Iranian army , and for it to return to selected
towns and areas it had previously vacated , thus regaining
some measure of central control. The notable exception was
Mahabad , for which the Soviets had a special mission in mind.
One old Kurdish adventurer , Sheikh Hama Rashid , for ex-
ample , had taken over the town and district of Saqqiz. There he
remained ‘ independent' until Iranian army units moved against
him in 1942 , driving him into Iraq , where he was detained.