Northern Eurasia 1946: Iran Crisis

During the Second World War, Britain and the Soviet Union had occupied Iran. With the war over, the United States demanded that the Russians withdraw. Under pressure from the newly formed United Nations, Stalin finally backed down, but tried to retain influence by forcing Iran to agree to oil concessions and to accept Soviet backed Azerbaijani and Kurdish regimes in the north. However, the Iranian government revoked these deals as soon as the Soviet troops left.

Main Events

12 Dec 1945 Azerbaijan People’s Government

With the support of the Soviet Union, the Azerbaijan National Assembly declared the creation of the Azerbaijan People’s Government in Tabriz, in Soviet-occupied northwest Iran.in wikipedia

22 Jan 1946 Republic of Mahabad

With support from the Soviet Union, the National Government of Kurdistan declares the Kurdish People’s Republic—also called the Republic of Mahabad—in Mahabad, Soviet-occupied northwest Iran.in wikipedia

10 Mar–3 May 1946 Soviet Union withdraws from Manchuria

Soviet Union withdraws from Manchuriain wikipedia

30 Mar 1946–16 Oct 1949 Greek Civil War

After the Axis powers occupied Greece, the Greek contingent of the allied war effort became divided between the government-in-exile of King George II’s and the predominantly Communist partisans which oversaw the German withdrawal in 1944. Following the war’s end, the Communist Party reorganized into the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) and fought a guerilla war against the Kingdom, but collapsed in 1948 due to lack of foreign support.in wikipedia