29 Facts About Fathollah Minbashian

Fathollah Minbashian served in the Iranian army from 1938 to 1972, reaching the rank of four-star general as Commander of the Imperial Iranian Ground Forces, during the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.

Fathollah Minbashian came from a family of military musicians, who contributed to the emergence of classical music in Iran.

Fathollah Minbashian's grandfather Gholam Reza Minbashian was a pioneer in the history of classical Western music in Iran.

Fathollah Minbashian is recognised as the first Iranian to have received an education in classical music, and to have studied music abroad, and whose work was published in Europe.

Fathollah Minbashian was the first Iranian to have taught classical music in Iran, and he created Iran's first string orchestra.

Nasrollah Fathollah Minbashian held these posts until 1935, while teaching several instruments which he had mastered: the piano, the violin, the cello.

Fathollah Minbashian attended a Zoroastrian school until the age of 14.

Fathollah Minbashian was 20 years old when he entered the Military Academy in the same class as Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran's Crown Prince.

Fathollah Minbashian left it as an officer in 1938, coincidentally the day of his father's death.

Fathollah Minbashian graduated top of his class, and became a major.

Fathollah Minbashian returned to the United States in 1951, as the Americans had qualified him to go to their war school, the Command and General Staff College of the US Army at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

In 1970, while on an official visit to the United States as Commander of the Imperial Iranian Ground Forces, General Fathollah Minbashian received the US Legion of Merit.

Fathollah Minbashian has been acknowledged for having contributed to the modernisation of Iran's ground forces.

Fathollah Minbashian reorganised the academy and student discipline, and having become a brigadier general in 1958, he was appointed to the command of the First Brigade of Tehran.

Fathollah Minbashian was therefore stationed in the holy city of Mashhad during the 1963 demonstrations.

Fathollah Minbashian always denied this, stating that the army under his command played no role in the execution.

Fathollah Minbashian's task had only been to provide logistical assistance to the Gendarmerie, the only actors in the field.

Fathollah Minbashian organised a show of military force to intimidate the Iraqis.

In 1971, Fathollah Minbashian learned of his forced retirement as Commander of the Imperial Ground Forces through the press.

The second factor leading to Fathollah Minbashian's dismissal was his constant concern and insistence with the Shah about creating a decent life for the soldiers and the non-commissioned officers of the army, from poor backgrounds.

Fathollah Minbashian allegedly stated that what he was asking for was a mere drop in the ocean of the luxurious spending by Princess Ashraf.

On this subject, Fathollah Minbashian related in much detail his row with the British Chief-of-Staff, three days before his dismissal.

Later, Fathollah Minbashian stated on numerous occasions that he had been sacked by the Shah for his professionalism, his straight talking, and because of British pressure as he threatened their arms transactions and economic interests in Iran.

Fathollah Minbashian had practiced soccer in his youth quasi-professionally as he was the first and very popular goalkeeper of the national football team of Iran.

Fathollah Minbashian practiced many other sports including swimming, the horseback riding, tennis and skiing.

Fathollah Minbashian had a great passion for films by Norman Wisdom and Fernandel, which he dubbed in Persian.

General Fathollah Minbashian left Iran in 1972 after his dismissal at the age of 55, and moved to France.

Fathollah Minbashian turned down the Shah's subsequent offer to appoint him as an Ambassador, as well as some private business proposals.

Fathollah Minbashian died on 5 July 2007, and is buried in the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris.