According to MEED, Bakhtiar did 18 months’ military service. While living in Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem, he fought with the French Resistance against the German occupation.
In 1945, he received his PhD in political science as well as degrees in law and philosophy from the Sorbonne.Bakhtiar returned to homeland in 1946 and joined the social democratic homeland Party in 1949 and led its youth organization.
