During Reza Shah’s reign, Germany sought to extend its cultural and political influence in Iran through education, science, and propaganda. Jahansuz, immersed in this environment, became enamored with Nazism and its emphasis on Aryan racial identity—a concept easily adaptable to Iran’s own pre-Islamic imperial pride. He organized a group of intellectuals and military officers around this ideology, laying the foundation of SOMKA.
In 1939, Jahansuz was arrested for conspiracy and alleged espionage. His defiant cry of “Long live Iran” before execution transformed him into a martyr figure for nationalist extremists. Though this initial iteration of SOMKA was dismantled, its ideological momentum continued underground.
Davoud Monshizadeh and the Party’s Revival
The postwar revival of SOMKA was led by Davoud Monshizadeh, a highly educated and ideologically committed nationalist. Born in 1914, Monshizadeh had studied and later taught at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he developed close ties with Nazi institutions. He was injured fighting alongside SS units during the Battle of Berlin, highlighting his direct involvement with Nazi Germany.