Download Iran Through the Looking Glass

Iran Through the
Looking Glass
History, Reform, and
Revolution
Part 1: From Cyrus to Reza Shah
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Iran’s Culture and history played an
important role in the Iranian Revolution of
1979
The Iranians have obtained these cultural
values through their long and complex
history
Early Iran
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Formally known as Persia
Many tribes inhabited this area, they spoke different
languages and had different ethnic origins
But these tribes were pulled together by one
environmental factor, The scarcity of water
The desire for the equal distribution of this scarce
resource gave them 2 major cultural ties
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Development of religion that emphasized justice and
fairness
Development of an effective government able to implement
the rules that governed society
What Was Zoroastrianism?
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Born around the 10th century BCE, a prophet
named Zoroaster traveled through Iran
teaching about the responsibilities of humans
Zoroastrianism emphasized order, social
justice, the idea that people were on earth to
improve the world, and ultimate
accountability before a single god
What were the contributions of the
Achamenian Empire? (530-330 bc)
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Persian King Cyrus was the first in a dynasty called the
Achamenian Empire
Cyrus and his successors developed a postal system, built
roads established a legal system, taxation system and a
gvmt so efficient that the Romans later used it as a model
for their own gvmt
Ended aprox. 330 BC after Alexander the Great invaded
130 years later the Greeks were overthrown and a series
of nomadic wars insued
A man named Ardeshir reestablished central rule over the
tribes
This era was known as the Sassanian Dynasty and lasted
until 637 BC
What were the important developments
of the Sassanian Dynasty? (220-647 CE)
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One of the main goals was to unify the empire and to
create political stability
–Persian
culture flourished in this era
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Rigid Class structures developed with the king at the top
of the hierarchy
The barriers between classes were rigid
These social rules marked the beginning of a political
order and hierarchy that was viewed as oppressive and
unjust
The peoples opposition to this hierarchy set the stage
for the arrival of Islam
Islam and the Safavids
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Islam arrived when the Arabs conquered Iran
between 637-651 BC
The message of justice and fairness appealed to the
many Iranians who resented the Sassanian rule
Islam shared some common ideas with
Zoroastrianism making it easier for Islam to take
root
By the 10th century most Iranians were Islamic but
they still held on to their pre-Islam culture
Who was the Prophet Mohammad?
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According to Islam in 610 CE, Mohammad
had a revelation form the angel Gabriel
His preaching had a great effect on the
impoverished people because he talked about
sharing wealth with the poor
About 100 years after Mohammad’s death a
controversy divided the Islamic Faith into
two branches, the Shi’i and the Sunni
Shi’ism
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Shi’ism is the main form of Islam in Iran today
The Muslims elected a new prophet after
Mohammad's death called a Caliph
The Shi’a only recognize the fourth caliph, Ali, as a
true caliph because he was related to Mohammad
Shi’a- followers of Ali
Later the Shi’a later split up over succession conflicts
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Twelvers because they recognize 12 Imams (leaders) after
Ali
Seveners (Isma’ilis) because they recognize the seventh
leader
What was economic life like during
the Safavid Dynasty? (1501-1736)
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To gain control of the largely nomadic population Shah
Isma’il granted tribal leaders large areas of land in return
for payments and taxes
The Safavids built roads and exported silk and other
textiles as well as ceramics to European countries
The most famous Safavid ruler, Shah Abbas encouraged
support of other religions to help trade with Europe
Shah Abbas collected huge amounts of money in taxes
and trades, he used this money to fund a large army to
protect the Iranians from the boardering Ottoman
Empire
The Qajar Dynasty (1779-1925)
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Established by Agha Mohammad Khan in 1779
The Qajars weren’t really religious. This enhanced the
separation of the clergy that had greater influence over
the population than the Shah
In the early 19th century almost ½ of the population was
nomadic, the leaders of these tribes were of the appointed
as governors of their area and the surrounding areas
The Qajar dynasty was hierarchical and corrupt, with the
citizens taxes going to provide a life of luxury for the Shah
The economy lacked the infrastructure to grow making it
susceptible to interventions by other countries (Britain &
Russia) looking to expand their own wealth
How did Russia and Britain
compete over Iran?
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Russia wanted to expand southward and obtain ports on
the Persian Gulf
Britain viewed this expansion as a threat to their colony,
India.
Iran fought (and lost) 2 wars with Russia and eventually
signed the Treaty of Turkomanchai which allowed
Russian merchants special privileges and favorable Tariff
Britain informed Russia that it would not tolerate any
further expansion in Iran. Iran became a buffer state
between the 2 nations empires
Britain later negotiated a treaty with Iran that gave their
merchants similar rights as the Russians
What were concessions?
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With Britain and Russia competing for trade in Iran, the
shah decided to grant “concessions” to foreign merchants
They gave foreigners the right to develop parts of Iran’s
economy
British and Russian squabbles over these concessions
slowed the development of infrastructure in Iran
The Foreign influence and wealth, along with the thought
that they were plundering Iran lead to increased distrust
of Europeans and other outsiders, this played a powerful
role in Iran’s politics
Why did the Shah’s policies anger
Iranians?
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The concessions benefitted the British, Russian and the
Shah but did little to help the political hardships in Iran’s
economy
The Iranians who had contact with Europeans of had
studied abroad worried that Iran had fallen behind
The government of Iran had stood in contrast with the
organized European governments
They viewed western science and technology as the key to
building Iranian national power and wealth
These brought liberal ideas, In response to these ideas,
Nasir al-Din Shah resorted to repressive measures.
Constitutional Revolution of 19061911
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Some Iranians believed that the influx of foreigners, the
Shah’s corruption and economic hardship threatened the
well-being of Iranians
Intellectuals, merchants, and clergy formed secret societies
to discuss their unhappiness about the state of Iran
Intellectuals- wanted an Iran without the absolute and
corrupt monarchy
Merchants- wanted an economic system that would be more
fair and efficient
Clergy- wanted to strengthen the role of Shi’i Islam in the
government
The intellectuals brought the idea of reform to Iran but the
clergy spread it to the masses
How did protests lead to a
parliament and constitution?
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1905- Protests against the Shah began
The public demands for change led to the
Constitutional Revolution
Protestors demanded a constitution and a
parliament (Majlis- Persian word for
parliament)
The shah, who was mortally ill and had
hoped to preserve the monarchy, agreed
1906- Iran’s first elections for the parliament
were held
How did the Constitution change
Iranian politics?
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Majlis received authority over treaties, loans,
budgets, and concessions, and the power to appoint
and dismiss cabinet members
Constitution defined the rights of the Iranian citizens
Members of the Majlis debated each other in public
and had to answer to the citizens
Twelver was designated as the official religion of
Iran, and a group of clergy was hired to make sure
that the government didn’t contradict the principles
of Shi’ism
How did foreign roles in Iran help the
Shah weaken the new constitution?
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Mohammad Ali Shah didn’t want to relinquish his power
as monarch
Public discontent helped him helped him challenge the
new constitution
He argued that the new gvnmt was even worse at
protecting Iran from foreign interference
After encouragement from Russia the shah ordered his
army to attack the Majlis building and had the officers
arrested and executed
Once the society was divided and the central government
was weakened fighting broke out
1909- Pro-constitution militias deposed the shah and
replaced him with his 9 year old son
How did Russia and Britain
respond to war in Iran?
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1911-Britain sent troop to protect the newly
discovered oil fields
The occupation of the Russians and British
increased resentment because they were seen
as helping the Shah end the Constitutional
Revolution
How did WWI affect Iran?
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Iran’s economy shrunk by 25%
Parts of Iran were occupied by the Ottoman Empire, Russia, and
Great Britain
Iran considered itself an unwilling victim of war and petitioned for
redress at the Paris Peace Conference
The Russian Revolution of 1917 led to the withdrawal of Russian
Troops from the north
Britain became the biggest influence
The Iranian PM decided to embrace the British involvement, in
hope that it would help strengthen the central government
Anglo-Persian Agreement of 1919 would have made Iran a British
protectorate
The Majlis refused to ratify the agreement
Reza Shah (1925-1941) Pahlavi
Dynasty
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1921-Colonel Reza Khan took 3,000 soldiers
into Tehran arrested some leading
politicians, and demanded the Shah to
appoint a new PM
1923-Reza Khan had become PM himself,
expanded the armed forces and purchased
weapons
1925- Majlis abolished the Qajar dynasty and
appointed Reza Khan as shah
What did Reza Shah hope to change
in Iran?
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Hoped to build Iran into a modern state and
economy like the western states of Europe
He worked to strengthen the central gvmnt,
concentrate his power
Ordered the construction of new roads,
railroads, factories, hospitals and ports
Expanded public education for both boys and
girls
Limited the tribes’ movements and forced
them to disarm
How did Reza Shah try to reduce
the power of the ulama?
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Reza Shah believed that the clergy’s power prevented Iran’s
modernization, so many of his plans were designed to weaken the
clergy and make Iran a more secular society
Central component of his reforms included significant changes in the
legal system
New laws required men to dress in the western style and prohibited
hijab (veiling) for women
Many Iranians embraced his modernization of Iran, his efforts to
reduce Islam nade him unpopular
Enforced his policies with Violence, terror and fear
1935- Religious leaders protested the forced unveiling of women at a
mosque. Reza Shah had the army massacre more than 100 protestors
How did the lives of women change
during the reign of Reza Shah?
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The Shah encouraged the education of
women, though 3x as many boys received a
formal education
Women began to have more opportunities for
work.
Women were admitted to the University
Mainly only affected women in middle and
upper classes and did little to change
traditional assumptions about the
subjugation of women to men
How did Reza Shah attempt to limit
the influence of foreign powers in
Iran?
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Reza Shah attempted to reduce the role of
foreign powers in Iran- particularly Britain
The Shah prohibited the sale of property to
foreigners, refused to take loans from foreign
countries to fund his building projects, and
ended a concession that had given the British
the sole right to manage Iranian currency
Britain controlled its monopoly on Iranian oil
How did the German presence in
Iran lead to the Shah’s abdication?
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1930’s the shah allowed Nazi Germany to play an
increasing role in Iran
The Shah’s deep distrust of Britain hoped a German
presence would balance the power of the British
Allied leaders worried that Nazi Germany would use
Iran as a base for military operations against the USSR
After the Allies had expelled the Nazis, Reza Shah gave
the throne to his young son, Mohammad Reza
Mohammad Reza was seen as someone whom the allies
could influence
How did the occupation of Iran
during WWII affect Iran’s Politics?
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During WWII, neither the shah nor the
Majlis had final control over the policy in
Iran
The US sent financial advisors to assist the
Iranian Government and military officers
who trained the Iranian police and army
The US and the USSR wanted a share in
Iran’s oil after the war
How did WWII affect Iran’s
economy?
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The wartime allies took the use of Iran’s
transportation facilities like the railroad to
send supplies, making internal trade more
difficult for Iran
There was little money for the government to
invest in infrastructure or programs to
develop Iran’s economy
By the time WWII ended Iran was
economically destroyed, still subject to
foreign influence, and ruled by a weak shah
Part II: Mossadegh to Khomeini
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At the end of WWII Iran stood at a
crossroads
Britain, the Soviet Union, and the US agreed
to withdraw their occupation forces six
months after the end of the war
The constitution of 1906 was still in affect,
and with the departure of the dictator Reza
Shah, the Majlis and PM assumed
increasingly important roles in Iranian
politics
How did the shah attempt to
strengthen his power?
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Following an assassination attempt in 1949,
Mohammad Reza Shah drew on public
sympathy to back his efforts to increase his
power
He put pressure on the Majlis to accept a new
law that would allow him to dissolve the
Majlis and call for new elections. He was also
given the power to appoint a new PM
Cont.
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Many different political views developed during this
time
The lower class was concerned about basic economic
issues
60% of Iranians who lived in towns and cities lived in
slums
The upper class wished for a more efficient
government, free from foreign control
University graduates used their education to join and
lead social protest movements
Mohammad Mossadegh and Oil
Nationalization
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Increasing profits and rising prices brought more and
more profit to the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, but no
more to the Iranian gvmt
By the late 1940’s, Iran had become the world’s fourth
largest oil exporter, and produced 90% of Europe’s oil
While the AIOC provided jobs for many Iranians, they
were low level with no chance of moving up in the
company
Working conditions were atrocious, paying only around
50cents a day with no vacations or sick days
Riots in Abadan (1946) demanded that the gvmt
renegotiate the terns of the arrangement with the AIOC
What were the results of negotiations
between AIOC and Iran?
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Britain had built its empire by extracting resources
from its colonies greatly advantageous
Local interests were never a concern
Britain manipulated local politicians with bribes or
coercion
Britain needed the oil money for its post war expenses
They offered to train more Iranians for high level
positions and promised that royalty payments would
not drop below 4 million pounds per year ($134
million)
Why did the shah want to support the
Supplemental Agreement with
Britain?
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British officials were responsible for Mohammad
Reza succeeding his father to the throne, so
Mohammad felt he owed the British for this
He thought he could strengthen his power by
helping the British even though the agreement
benefited Britain more that Iran
The Shah ordered the cabinet members to accept
this agreement, which they did, but the Majlis
refused to pass it
Why did the Majlis refuse to support
the Supplemental Agreement?
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The constitution required the Majlis to ratify the
agreement for it to become law
Majlis knew that the public was strongly against
accepting the terms dictated by the British, but they were
afraid to anger the shah
The Shah used bribes and electoral fraud to place his
supporters in the Majlis
Prominent politician named Mohammad Mossadegh led
protests in Tehran for new and fair elections of the Majlis
Many political groups sprang forth at this time with one
united factor: the desire to nationalize Iran’s oil
How did the shah respond to
demands of the political parties?
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In Feb.. 1951 Mossadegh proposed full
nationalization of the AIOC
The PM rejected this proposal. On march 7, a
member of the Fedaian-e Islam assassinated him
On March 15, the Majlis passed a bill
nationalizing the AIOC. They also requested that
the shah appoint Mossadegh as the PM
How did Britain respond to the
nationalization?
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Britain increased its military forces in the region, filed a
complaint with the ICJ and asked the UN Security council
to intervene
The US worried that a continuing crisis in Iran could lead
to increased Soviet influence or even control of Iran
Britain led an international boycott of Iranian oil
British spying proved to Mossadegh that the British
could not be trusted
In Oct. 1952, Mossadegh broke diplomatic relations with
Britain and expelled all British officials form Iran
What other reforms did Mossadegh
attempt to enact in Iran?
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Mossadegh was a strong nationalist who hoped to rid
Iran of foreign influence
Strong advocate for the rule of law and the
Constitution
Reduce the power of the shah and the size of the
army
Enact land reforms- reduce power of wealthy
landowners and allow peasants to own their own
land
How did the British and the
Americans overthrow Mossadegh ?
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US officials worried about Iran falling under
Soviet influence
US & Britain aimed to rid Iran of the Mossadegh
gvmnt, and increase the power of the shah, whom
they thought would do their bidding
The CIA and the SIS came up with a plan to
overthrow Mossadegh
Cont.
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The plan was to convince the Iranian people that
Mossadegh was corrupt, an enemy of Islam, and procommunist
CIA agents bribed newspapers and religious leaders to
spread these Ideas
CIA also paid for physical attacks on Religious leaders
and made it appear as if the attacks had been by
Mossadegh supporters
Us involvement turned Iran into a hotbed of instability,
rioting and chaos
Aug 19, 1953 they captured Mohammad Mossadegh
He was dismissed as prime minister
Royal Dictatorship
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To avoid a repeat of the threats to his power
the Mohammad Reza Shah took steps to
ensure that these events would not occur
again
He had the support of the US and Britain,
who wanted a stable, oil-producing Iran as
an ally against the USSR
What steps did the shah take to
consolidate his power?
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The shah moved to settle the oil dispute: Iran would
receive 50% of oil revenues, similar to other US deals in
the Region
Banned the Pro-soviet Tudeh party
Formed SAVAK (Intelligence and Security Organization
of the Country), a secret police organization which he
used to hunt down his opponents, known for its
mistreatment, torture and execution of opponents
US gave more than $500 million in military aid to the
shah; shah followed a strongly Pro-American foreign
policy
And the Shah only allowed 2 political parties to exist
which were both under his control
The White Revolution: “Plagued by
the West”
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An economic downturn in Iran coincided with US
pressure on the shah to ease restrictions on
political expression as a conditioned for ongoing
financial and military aid
As the repression eased, unrest and discontent
simmered again in Iran
A Cleric named Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini
opposed the shah’s close relations with the US,
Iran’s sale of oil to Israel, the corruption of the
regime, and Iran’s failure to help its masses of
poor people
What was the White Revolution?
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Not a revolution at all
Name given to reforms the shah adopted to reduce the growing
unrest
Most important reform was the redistributing land to peasant
farmers and sharecroppers, giving women the right to vote and
creating the Literacy Corps (increasing education)
Gave 2 million peasants ownership of the land that they
farmed
This took land away from wealthy landowners as well as the
ulama who used the land to support religious schools and
mosques
75% of the peasants did not receive enough land to even reach
a level of subsistence
How did the shah change the status
of women?
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He gave women the right to vote and
increased educational and employment
opportunities
He also introduced laws that gave women
more rights in marriage
Polygamy was still permitted, but now the
husband had to obtain permission of his
current wife before taking another
Why were relations with the US a
sore point for many Iranians?
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The shah spent hundreds of millions of dollars on US
weapons
The US was happy to supply most of it’s advanced weapons
to an ally against the USSR
Majlis approved a law that made Americans residing in Iran
exempt from Iranian laws and taxation, the Ayatollah
Khomeini spoke out, risking the wrath of the shah
Khomeini believed the shah and his reforms were an assault
on Islam and the role of the clergy in Iranian society
Khomeini considered the shah to be an enemy on Islam and
a ruler who was unconcerned about the welfare of the
Iranian people
Why did Khomeini’s message
appeal to so many Iranians?
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Khomeini’s ideas struck a chord with Iranians
of many classes and ideologies
When the shah’s soldiers killed protesting
theology students, Khomeini compared the
shah to the man who had ordered the killing
of Iman Hussein, a central figure in Shi’ism
The students were seen as Shi’i martyrs
Not all Iranians agreed with Khomeini’s ideas
but they were pleased to have someone
speak out against the shah
What important idea did Khomeini
develop in exile?
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The shah ordered Khomeini arrested and exiled to Najaf
in Iraq, a shrine frequently by Iranian pilgrims
These pilgrims would smuggle pamphlets and cassette
recordings made by Khomeini back into Iran
Khomeini developed a religious and political framework
for Iran’s future
Frame work called Velayat-e Faquh –Guardianship of
the Jurist
Thought that clergy should be the ultimate conscience of
the state
And that an Islamic gvmnt needed to replace the corrupt
influence of kings, which believed were illegitimate rulers
How did the shah respond to
Khomeini?
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The shah used SAVAK to suppress and weaken the
religious leadership in Iran
Prevented large religious gatherings from taking place
The shah hoped to reduce the influence of Islam by
replacing it with Iranian nationalism and by emphasizing
monarchy as the lynchpin of the Iranian nation
1971- more than $100 million (almost 500 million in
today’s dollars) was spent for a celebration al Persopolis
only a few wealthy or powerful Iranians were invited
For many, $100 million dollars spent on a banquet while
Iranians remained in poverty illustrated his lack of
compassion and judgment
How did opposition begin to grow?
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The ulama quietly spread the word that the shah’s
celebration of the pre-Islamic kings showed his disrespect
for Islam
The shah repressed political dissent, but small groups
met in secret
SAVAK fiercely repressed dissent through arrests,
torture, and executions.
1975- shah’s efforts to tighten control, made 1 political
party
He was able to remain in power for 3 reasons: brutal
suppression of his opponents and political dissent, nearly
unconditional support from the US & Britain, vast
amounts of money brought into Iran through oil revenues
How did the rising price of oil
affect Iran?
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1973- Arab-Israeli War led Arab nations to impose an oil
boycott on nations that supported Israel
Oil prices doubled worldwide, the shah pushed OPEC to
double the prices again due to the huge sums of money
now flowing into Iran
The shah devoted new oil revenue to large scale industry
and agriculture, and billions of dollars on the most
advanced US armaments
The new large-scale agricultural business failed to
produce more food. Shortages led to price increases
outpaced growth in wages
How did international criticism of
Iran’s human rights record affect
Iran?
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Amnesty International had drawn attention to Iran’s
terrible record on human rights 1975
The shah, anxious to restore its international image,
loosened press censorship and promised to allow more
political participation
This hindered the shah’s ability to use brutality and force
against those who dared to oppose him publicly
Those who dared speak out called for the 1906
constitution to be followed
They also demanded freedom of the press and fair
elections
How did the shah’s efforts to
discredit Khomeini backfire?
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In Jan. 1978, a gvmnt newspaper published an article
attacking Khomeini in an effort to discredit him
Leading members of the clergy who opposed the shah
called for Iranians to protest, and then attend mosques
for forty days to mourn the slaying of the Iranian martyrs
by the shah, in accordance with the Islamic tradition
Protests were mainly peaceful, except in the city of Tabriz
where the gvnmt sent in tanks to control the
demonstrations, and killed more than 100 protesters
The crowds attacked buildings that they considered
symbols of the West, like banks liquor stores, and movie
theatres
The shah was loosing his iron grip on Iran
1979: Iranians Debate Their Future
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1978- the shah imposed a new economic policy that was
intended to help the economy, instead it froze wages and
lead to a sharp increase in unemployment
The protests had moved beyond demanding the
restoration of the constitution to demanding the death of
the shah
Sept 8, 1978 soldiers with tanks put down a massive
protest in Tehran. Hundreds died on this day which
would be known as Black Friday
In early Dec. more than 2 million people took to the
streets of Tehran
Many soldiers especially those who had been drafted into
the army, refused to fire on unarmed demonstrators,
some even joined the protests
Cont.
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The PM , Shapour Bahkriar, negotiated a departure for
the shah
On Jan. 16 1979 the shah left, people sand and danced
and celebrated
Khomeini announced that he would return from exile, he
was seen as the leader who ended the tyranny of the shah
Many Iranians saw the PM as a puppet of the US and a
tratior because he was appointed by the shah, but he
vowed to review foreign contracts, eliminate SAVAK and
to cut back on military
Khomeini claimed that he had appointed a man named
Mahdi Bazargan as the actual prime minister
Cont.
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In March 1979 a referendum was held.
Iranians could only vote for or against forming an Islamic
republic
98% of the 20 Million Iranians voted for an Islamic
republic, process of drafting a new constitution began
Iran was in turmoil: groups from all points of the political
spectrum attempted to assert that their vision for the
future of Iran was the correct one
The unity Iranians had used to overthrow the shah was
dissolving