Prologue: The Paris Peace Conference Acknowledgements Transliteration and Dates Abbreviations List of maps Introduction: Iran at the crossroads Conceptualizing Iran's Outlook Imperial Nationalism Paris: Policies and personalities Historiography and sources Chapter 1: The nineteenth century, the Great Game and the squeezing of Iran Encounters and the advent of Russian confrontation Britain: a symbolic toe in the water Economic hegemony and the Qajar playbook Chapter 2: An Enlightenment Intellectual inheritance Direct action More contemporary foundations Occupation and war The question of International law Chapter 3: A new dawn Iran and the preparation for peace The delegation Foreign reaction to Iran's delegation and plans The delegation goes to Paris Chapter 4: Springtime in Paris January and February March and April Controlling the narrative Chapter 5: The cauterisation of independence May The Triumvirate The Anglo-Persian Agreement June, July and August Criticism of the agreement Chapter 6: The persistence of Nosrat al-Dowleh Nosrat al-Dowleh Countering the narrative Squaring the circle Round two Russia and the endgame Conclusion: A reassessment Notes Appendix Bibliography Index.