For half a century, the United States and the Soviet Union were in conflict. But how and where did the Cold War begin? Jamil Hasanli answers these intriguing questions in At the Dawn of the Cold War. He argues that the intergenerational crisis over Iranian Azerbaijan (1945-1946) was the first event that brought the Soviet Union to a confrontation with the United States and Britain after the period of cooperation between them during World War II. Based on top-secret archive materials from Soviet and Azerbaijani archives as well as documents from American, British, and Iranian sources, the book details Iranian Azerbaijan's independence movement, which was backed by the USSR, the Soviet struggle for oil in Iran, and the American and British reactions to these events. These events were the starting point of the longer historical period of unarmed conflict between the Soviets and the West that is now known as the Cold War. This book is a major contribution to our understanding of the Cold War and international politics following WWII.

Chapter 1: The Penetration of the Soviet Troops into Iran and the Strengthening of the Soviet Position in Iranian Azerbaijan Chapter 2: The Intensification of Soviet Policy in Iranian Azerbaijan Chapter 3: The Struggle for Oil and the Government Crisis in Tehran Chapter 4: End of War in Europe: Decisions of Moscow and Iranian Azerbaijan Chapter 5: Creation of the Democratic Party and the Idea of Autonomy Chapter 6: Decision of the Popular Congress of Azerbaijan Chapter 7: Establishment of the National Government of Iranian Azerbaijan Chapter 8: The Situation in Iranian Azerbaijan and the Moscow Meeting of Foreign Ministers Chapter 9: The National Government of Iranian Azerbaijan: Between Autonomy and Independence Chapter 10: January 1946: Beginning Reforms in Tabriz Chapter 11: February 1946: Qavam As-Saltanah's Moscow Visit Chapter 12: The Starting Point of the Cold War: Iranian Azerbaijan, March 1946 Chapter 13: The Withdrawal from Iranian Azerbaijan and the Oil Policy of the Soviets Chapter 14: The Starting of Negotiations between the Central Government and Azerbaijan Chapter 15: The Strengthening of the U.S. Influence in Iran Chapter 16: The Failure of Stalin's Policy in Iranian Azerbaijan