Reply #25: This isn't totally relevent, but the book in my sig line

[1932]

has a part about how Mossadegh was able to get the uper hand on the Shah in '51 or '52. He resigned from parliament in a calculated gamble that paid off: the British-selected PM passed some crazy laws his first day and the masses spontaneously poured into the streets chanting "give us Mossadegh or give us death." Four days later, Mossadegh was the prime minister and the Shah made concessions that meant that Iran was going to be more democratic then ever before.

When the British reflected on their loss, they decided that one of their big failings was that the masses were on Mossadeghs side. They didn't think, "well, I guess the popular will prevailed." They though, next time we attempt a coup, we have to hire protesters. Which is what they did when Eisenhower became president and helped them, through the efforts of Kermit Roosevelt, in their coup against democracy in Iran.