| Empire of West Persia | ||||||
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 The Empire's extent in 1860. The capital is shown in red.
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| Capital | Tehran | |||||
| Government | Absolute monarchy (until 1790) Constitutional monarchy (from 1790) | |||||
| History | ||||||
| - | Formation | 18 October 1712 | ||||
| - | Dissolution | 19 May 1951 | ||||
The Empire of West Persia, also called the Third Sassanid Empire, was the western Persian state established with the dissolution of the former Second Sassanid Empire on 18 October 1712. From 1790 to 1951, the Empire was governed by both a Prime Minister and the Shah, who exercised different administrative functions as Head of State and Chief of Government respectively, a system that is inherited by modern West Persia. Prior to 1790, the Shah was an absolute monarch.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Empire, which already controlled Egypt and Syria, engaged in an expansionist campaign, further conquering neighboring areas, including parts of Rhomania and several tribal areas in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. By the mid-19th century, the Empire was one of the largest political unions in the world.
From 1876, West Persia was involved in a war with the United Kingdom over several territories in Africa and Asia. It eventually lost the conflict, which ended with the liberation of Egypt and Syria Palaestina in 1882 and the reduction of the Empire into the area where Persians actually reside. After the war, West Persia abandoned its imperialistic ambitions and focused on developing friendly relations with European powers, which included trade and agreements. In the 1910s, a new Shah supported the restoration of the Empire's "former glory" and joined Rhomania, Italy, and Germany, its main economic partners, in the Great War as the Central Powers. After the Central Powers' defeat, West Persians started to see war as destructive and useless.
In 1951, an East Persian planned revolution was staged to make West Persia a republic, but the war ended in a ceasefire between the two sides. The Empire was to make the Shah a puppet of the parliament and give more power to the people. This change gave way to the Fourth Sassanid Empire, which is a mere continuation of the Third Sassanid Empire, and fostered a close alliance with the USA in the Cold War, which was against East Persia's idea.
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