伊朗加入巴黎和會與英伊關係

British Policy Regarding Iran’s Entrance into the Paris Peace Conference

第一次世界大戰結束後，戰勝國於1919年年初召開巴黎和會，以安排往後的國際秩序。伊朗在大戰之前，受到英國自南方、俄國自北方的壓迫，本就致力於擺脫兩強權的束縛，在戰爭時期也宣示中立；但其西部領土卻受到英國、俄國與鄂圖曼帝國交戰的波及。此時俄國因蘇維埃革命，新成立的蘇維埃政府退出伊朗，戰勝的英國得以在伊朗成為單一霸權。此外，美國總統威爾遜（Woodrow Wilson, 1856-1924）提倡的「民族自決」原則，讓伊朗藉機爭取自我權益。是故，伊朗籌組代表團前往巴黎，欲參與和平會議，希望能獲得賠償以及國際承認伊朗的獨立地位。不過，英國稱伊朗為中立國，不得進入巴黎和會，而且唯有英國能夠協助處理伊朗問題。伊朗首相維蘇克道拉（Vosuq al-Dowleh, 1868-1951）評估時局後，認為與英國達成共識，或許是改善現狀的唯一方案。1919年8月，維蘇克道拉與英國駐伊公使考克斯（Percy Cox, 1864-1937）簽署《1919年英伊條約》，英國承認伊朗為主權獨立與領土完整的國家，也協助伊朗改革軍事與財政。儘管伊朗代表團最終未能進入巴黎和會，原先的要求卻透過該條約而達成，而英國藉由主導伊朗的軍事與財政改革，得以維持在伊朗的絕對優勢。該條約雖然招致伊朗國內外輿論的批判，卻是兩國各自尋求最大利益之下的產物。

After the First World War, the Paris Peace Conference, convened in early 1919, has the mission of establishing a new world order. Iran, which had been pressured by Britain and Russia since the nineteenth century, declared its neutrality. Nevertheless, the wars between the Russians, the Ottomans, and the British, which took place in West Iran, had caused famine in Iran in 1917. After the Soviet Revolution in 1917, the newly formed Soviet government withdrew from the Iranian territory, which left Britain as the hegemon in Iran. In the meantime, “self-determination,” an ideal stressed by the US President, Woodrow Wilson, inspired Iran to press for its independence and integrity. Consequently, Iran decided to send a delegation to Paris to participate in the Peace Conference, in order to submit their claims for the losses caused from the war. However, it was difficult for the delegation from Iran to gain admission to the peace conference because it had been a neutral state during the war. Additionally, Britain did not want Iran to participate in the peace conference because they wanted to have full control over Iran. The Americans did not supply any useful and practical help, either. America had no special interests in Iran and its neighbourhoods owing to their isolation policy. The Iranian Prime Minister, Vosuq al-Dowleh, was aware that the country was in a difficult time. In other words, Iran needed immediate helps. Britain was the only foreign power that could provide assistance to Iran, even though it was well known that Britain’s purpose was to be the overwhelming power in Iran, in particular, and West Asia, in general. Eventually, Vosuq and the British Minister at Tehran, Percy Sykes, signed Anglo-Iranian Treaty of 1919, which stipulated that Britain recognized Iran’s independence and integrity, and Britain provided advisors and experts to help carry out economic and military reforms in Iran. The leader of the Iranian delegation, Moshaver al-Mamalek, disagreed with Vosuq’s decision. The treaty also strongly criticized. Nevertheless, Iran at least had reached its goal, which could not be claimed in Paris, while Britain maintained its supremacy in Iran.