Reza Shah vs Sahle Selassie

Reza Khan, commander of the Persian Cossack Brigade, led a coup that seized Tehran. This action overthrew the Qajar government and established Reza Khan as Minister of War, setting the stage for his eventual rise to the throne.

The Constituent Assembly voted to depose the Qajar dynasty and crown Reza Khan as Reza Shah Pahlavi. This founded the Pahlavi dynasty, which ruled Iran until 1979.

Reza Shah issued a decree banning the wearing of the hijab (headscarf) in public. Police forcibly removed veils from women, and the policy aimed to modernize Iranian society by adopting Western dress, causing widespread resentment among religious conservatives.

Reza Shah oversaw the completion of the Trans-Iranian Railway, connecting the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf. The railway was a major infrastructure project funded by a national tax on tea and sugar, facilitating trade and military transport.

British and Soviet forces invaded Iran to secure oil fields and supply routes to the USSR. Reza Shah's refusal to expel German nationals triggered the invasion, leading to his forced abdication and exile.

Following the Anglo-Soviet invasion, Reza Shah abdicated in favor of his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He was forced into exile by the British, first to Mauritius and then to South Africa, where he died in 1944.

Sahle Selassie became King of Shewa, a semi-independent kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire. He expanded Shewa's territory through conquest and diplomacy, laying the foundation for its later dominance under his grandson, Menelik II.

Sahle Selassie led military campaigns to incorporate neighboring Oromo regions into Shewa. These conquests significantly increased Shewa's size and resources, but also involved forced assimilation and tribute collection.

Sahle Selassie initiated contact with British and French envoys, seeking European recognition and military technology. This opened Shewa to European influence and set a precedent for later Ethiopian engagement with colonial powers.