Abdollah Hedayat

Hedayat was born in 1899 and was the son of Gholam Reza Hedayat, also known as Mokhber Al Dawlah.{{cite web|title=File 11/44 Leading Personalities in Iraq, Iran & Saudi Arabia|url=https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100061134244.0x000011|publisher=Qatar Digital Library |access-date=17 August 2023|year=1948|quote=Citing from the British India Office Records and Private Papers}}{{cite web

|title=عبدالله هدایت|publisher=Rasekhoon|access-date=1 January 2022|language=fa

|url=https://rasekhoon.net/mashahir/show/597218/%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA}} He graduated from the Nizam School of Mushir Al Dawlah. He studied military science in France receiving a degree from the Ecole de Guerre and continued his education in Fontainebleau.

Following graduation Hedayat joined the Imperial Army and served in various posts, including deputy chief of the General Staff in May 1942 and commandant of the Officers’ School in November 1942. He also taught at Tehran University of War. He was the undersecretary at the Ministry of War in April 1944 and acting minister of war in September 1944. He was named as the director of artillery in

November 1945. He was again appointed undersecretary at the Ministry of War in February 1946.

From 26 June 1950 to 11 March 1951 he served as the minister of war in the cabinet of Prime Minister Haj Ali Razmara.{{cite journal|title=Developments of the Quarter: Comment and Chronology|issue=4|journal=Middle East Journal|date=October 1950|volume=4|jstor=4322222|page=471}} Hedayat was one of the close colleagues of Razmara in the army. On 7 September 1953 he was named the minister of national defense to the cabinet led by Prime Minister Fazlollah Zahedi.{{cite journal|title=Developments of the Quarter: Comment and Chronology|journal=Middle East Journal

|date=Winter 1954|jstor=4322566|issue=1|page=76|volume=8}} On 1955 Hedayat was appointed chief of the supreme commander's staff and became the first military officer to hold this title.{{cite book|author=Gholam Reza Afkhami|title=The Life and Times of the Shah

|publisher=University of California Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0-520-94216-5|pages=288,311|location=Berkeley, CA|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pTVSPmyvtkAC&pg=PA288}} He served in the post with rank of cabinet minister and was the minister of war from 1 April 1955 in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Hossein Ala'.{{cite book|author=S. Steinberg|year=2016|title=The Statesman's Year-Book: Statistical and Historical Annual of the States of the World for the Year 1955|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0-230-27084-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X0zODQAAQBAJ&pg=PA1288|location=London|page=1288}}{{cite web|title=376. Memorandum for the Record by the Chief of the Military Advisory Assistance Group in Iran (Seitz)|url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1955-57v12/d376|publisher=Department of State

|date=3 January 1957|access-date=1 January 2022}} His military rank was general.{{cite web|title=چه کسانی"ارتشبد" شده اند؟|language=fa

|url=https://www.eghtesadonline.com/بخش-خبر-2/105607-چه-کسانی-ارتشبد-شده-اند |publisher=Eghtesad online|date=30 November 2015|access-date=1 May 2022}} Hedayat's term ended in 1961, and he was replaced by Abdol Hossein Hejazi in the post.

Hedayat and two other generals were arrested in November 1962 due to corruption allegations in an anti-corruption campaign initiated by Prime Minister Ali Amini.{{cite thesis|author=Charles Clinton Rudulph|title=The Land Reform Program in Iran and its Political Implications|id={{ProQuest|302488670}}|degree=PhD|date=1971|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/302488670|location=The American University, Washington DC|pages=75–76}}{{cite thesis|author=Michael J. Willcocks|page=124|date=2015|title=Agent or Client: Who Instigated the White Revolution of the Shah and the People in Iran, 1963|location=University of Manchester|degree=PhD

|url=https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/agent-or-client-who-instigated-the-white-revolution-of-the-shah-and-the-people-in-iran-1963(f1bdd6c7-ed4c-42cc-bcaf-2a2f0cde5e60).html}} It was the Shah who advised Ali Amini to arrest them. Hedayat was taken to the Qasr prison and was tried between March and November 1963. He was sentenced to two-year prison in addition to the payment of a fine of nearly $16,000.

Abdollah Hedayat was married to the sister of Sadegh Hedayat.{{cite book|author=Homa Katouzian|title=Sadeq Hedayat: His Work and His Wondrous World|publisher=Routledge|year=2007|isbn=978-1-134-07935-3|author-link=Homa Katouzian|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yT98AgAAQBAJ&pg=PP19|location=London; New York|page=19|editor=Homa Katouzian|chapter=Introduction: The Wondrous World of Sadeq Hedayat}} He was fluent in French. He died in 1968.

Hedayat was the recipient of the US Legion of Merit for his actions during World War II in the Imperial Iranian army which was awarded to him in September 1955.{{cite web|title=Awards. Abdullah Hedayat|publisher=The Hall of Valor|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/400574|archive-date=25 January 2021|access-date=1 January 2022

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125133932/https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/400574}}

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Category:20th-century Iranian politicians

Category:1899 births

Category:1968 deaths

Category:Defence ministers of Iran

Category:Imperial Iranian Armed Forces four-star generals

Category:Iranian military personnel of World War II

Category:Iranian prisoners and detainees

Category:Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit