By Angela, Kitty, Meaghan, Mohammad, and Noemi

The Iranian Revolution

Map of Iran, the former Iranian flag,

and the current Iranian flag.

Iran- Quick facts• Iran is centrally located in

Eurasia.• Iran’s population was 58

million at the time of the revolution.

• Iran’s influence is derived from its vast oil reserves.

• Iran’s geographic position enables it to potentially eliminate traffic from and to both the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

• Experienced an Islamic Revolution in 1979.

The Sides of the Revolution• The main parties directly involved: the Shah,

supported by the state’s military versus the Ayatollah, and their following of Islamic religious extremists as well as other nationalistic rebels.

• The Shah was also supported by the United States, who was responsible for putting him in power.

• During the revolution, the Shah lost much of his support because numerous members of the military refused to fire on their own people. Many Junior officers sided with the Ayatollah to begin with.

• There is strong evidence pointing to the USSR providing funding to the Ayatollah.

• “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Iran’s revolution began witha Democratic movement, and

ended with the creation ofThe world’s first Islamic state.

The Revolution- Why• Iran attempted to remain neutral

during WWII.• However, the Allied powers needed

oil to supply their troops.• These troops invaded Iran, disposed

of the Shah, and seized Iran’s oil.• A democratic government was set up

once the Allies left.• This government was very

nationalistic and was not in favour of opening its oil market to foreigners.

• The Americans launched a coup to replace the democratic government and reinstated the Shah’s son.

• This coup is known as Operation Ajax.

• The new Shah was given absolute power.

The original Shah, the democratically elected Prime Minister,

and the coup that ended his reign.

The Revolution- Why (Cont’d)

• The Shah launched a vast campaign for the modernization of Iran’s economy as well as its society.– This initiative angered

traditionalists as well as religious fundamentalists.

– These groups also felt that the Shah was to friendly to the United States.

• Many also opposed the Shah’s decision to sell oil to America.

• Another complaint was that the Shah had crossed his constitutional limitations.

• In addition, Iran’s Islamic clergy felt that its traditional influence was being eroded by the Shah’s policies.– The clergy was led by the Grand

Ayatollah Khomeini

Shah (King) M. Pahlavi

Grand Ayatollah R. Khomeini,

The Revolution- What• Khomeini forged a coalition of anti-

Shah groups.– This group included secular groups who

underestimated Khomeini and felt they could control the revolution.

• The protestors managed to disrupt Iran and posed a threat to the monarchy.

• The Shah fled and left the prime minister in charge.

• The prime minister ordered a crack down on revolutionaries, but much of the military refused to fire on Iranian citizens.

• Lacking support, the prime minister resigned.

• Khomeini assumed control of the country and turned Iran into an Islamic republic through a referendum.

Anti-Shah protest

Anti-Shah militants

Outgoing PM

Post Iranian Revolution• The post-revolution era saw the siege of

the American embassy in Tehran and the subsequent hostage crisis.– Dozens of American staffers were taken

hostage.– The Iranians held these hostages for many

reasons.– One major reason was that the Ayatollah was

anticipating an American invasion and wanted to hold some sort of collateral.

• The most significant result of the Iranian Revolution was the loss of a key American ally in Eurasia.

• Iran moved into the Soviet sphere soon after the revolution.

• This loss forced America to seek out new allies in the region.

• Consequently, America imposed a new policy of containment in Iraq, Pakistan, and eventually Afghanistan.

Hostage and hostage takers. The second man to the right is the

current president of Iran.

Post Iranian Revolution (Cont’d)

• The Americans engaged in numerous attempts to pressure Iran into submission.

• The most prominent were:– The Iran-Iraq war (a proxy war)– The failed Nojeh coup

• The Americans were also actively attempting to resolve the hostage crisis.

• The Iran-Contra affair also occurred in the post- revolution era.

• President Jimmy Carter would lose his re-election bid for his failure in handling this affair.

Donald Rumsfeld meets Saddam Hussein to discuss the proxy war.

Image of the Iran-Iraq war.

Views- The President• The Shah asked Carter for help

seeing as they were allies.• Carter decided he couldn’t intervene

because doing so would result in antagonizing the Iranian public, he did however lend the Shah political and diplomatic support.

• The president had also realized that the Shah could not stop the revolution.

• However, Carter allowed the ailing Shah to enter America for cancer treatment.

• This action enraged the Iranians, who responded by seizing the American embassy.

• Carter finally considered military options at this point.

Carter meeting the Shah

Captured American envoy

Views- The New Iranian Gov’t• The Ayatollah was always resentful of foreign

interference in Iranian matters, particularly the U.S’s attempt to westernize Iran.

• The Ayatollah dubbed America the “Great Satan”.• He also declared the American embassy to be a “den

of spies”.• The Ayatollah was enraged when he heard that the

Shah had been granted protection in America (he had intended to have him executed).

• Anti-Americanism became so strong that a group of young religious extremists seized the American embassy and held staffers hostage.

• This action was sanctioned by the Ayatollah.• The Iranians were unsure of what to expect from the

new president, Ronald Reagan, so they freed the hostages on the last day of Carter’s presidency.

Views- The American Public• The American public favoured

the Shah over the Ayatollah, but did not care enough to demand intervention.

• The public was brought out of their indifference by the hostage crisis.

• Most of the public called for military action whereas a smaller segment favoured diplomatic talks.

• A failed rescue attempt also brought on suspicions of incompetence regarding Carter.

• These suspicions led the public to electing Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Wreckage from the failed rescue attempt (Operation Eagle Claw)

The new American president Ronald Reagan.

Fishbone Timeline

•Many events that occurred in the 1970s led to the eventual Iranian Revolution of 1979

–The Oil Boom of 1974–Military Spending–Economic Recession

•Unemployment

•Iranians blamed a lot of their problems on the Shah’s close ties with America and his beliefs of Westernization

Many protests were held against the Shah’s government;

The first prominent demonstration was held on January 1978 in the city of Qom;

Religious groups protested against a story which attacked Khomeini;

Army was sent in.

The Shah turned to the United States;

U.S. had promised to back them up fully;

By then, high-level officials in the U.S. had already decided that the Shah’s government had to go.

August 1978, the attack in the Cinema Rex Fire;

Violence escalated killing over 400 people;

Bombed by Islamist demonstrators, but people thought that the SAVAK was the culprit behind this scheme;

Tens of thousands Iranians went onto the streets to protested.September 1978, the nation was

destabilizing;

Protest became a regular occurrence;

September 8, Black Friday, also the first day that marital law returned;

Troops and tanks attacked crowds of protesters;

Organizers of demonstration claimed that more than 3000 casualties

Iranian people became more and more alienated from the Shah’s regime.

December 1978, marked a break point in protest;

Over two million people protested and demanded for “the removal of the Shah and the return of Khomeini.

January 16, 1979, the Shah and empress were force to leave Iran to Egypt;

New government led by an old opponent, Shah Bakhitar

All remnants of the Pahlavi dynasty were destroyed;

SAVAK was dissolved;

Political prisoners were freed.

Ayatollah Khomeini was the most popular leader after the Shah Regime;

After fifteen years in exile, he was finally allowed to return from France on February 1.

A week after his return, Khomeini ordered his followers to go against Prime Minister Bakhitar;

One million demonstrators demanded Bakhitar’s resignation.

Youthful revolutionaries seized government buildings and radio stations;

Huge quantities of arms had been stolen by Khomeini followers;

Streets were roamed by armed militias;

40 000 or so Americans returned to the United States, fearing for their safety.

There were more Khomeini followers;

They exercised more power;

Ultimately, rebel soldiers gained the upper hand and began to take over police stations and military bases;

February 11, non-Islamist government and the Prime Minister surrendered;

Khomeini appointed Mehdi Bazargan as the Prime Minister.

Iran became a judiciary government ruled by Islamic Sharia;

Banned alcohol, gambling, nightclubs, and mixed bathing;

Men and women must be segregated everywhere;

Anyone who did not obey this must be punished; and any spreading of corruption would result to death.

Former colleagues, generals, and friends of Shah was taken away;

Without holding trials, they were all executed immediately, dismissing international protests.

November 1, 1979, Shah was admitted into the United States to treat for his cancer;

Khomeini urged his people to go against the United States which he called as the “Great Satan”

The US Embassy was a “den of spies”

November 4, 1979, Khomeini followers known as the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line gathered in front of the Embassy;

The embassy was seized as the guard of Marines were greatly outnumbered;

Out of the 90 occupants, 63 were held hostage.

For several day, Khomeini did not make any comment regarding the hostages;

American President Jimmy Carter wanted to appeal for the hostages on humanitarian grounds;

November 12, oil imports from Iran ended in an attempt to put pressure on Iran economically and diplomatically.

The Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line demanded that the U.S. deliver Shah to Iran in exchange for the safe return of the American hostages;

Mid November, hostage takers released women hostages and African American hostages;

Carter administration refused.

April 24, 1980, President Carter approved the secret rescue mission, Operation Eagle Claw;

Mission was unsuccessful, as two helicopters broke down in the sandstorm, and another crashed during landing;

Second rescue attempt was also unsuccessful.

Jimmy Carter lost the Presidency to Ronald Reagan

July 27th, 1980, Shah died of cancer;

September 1980, Iran was invaded by Iraq;

Iran wanted to solve the hostage crisis;

January 20,1981, hostages were released ending the 444 day hostage period.

When Reagan became President,

Khomeini and his followers were afraid

that he would take on more violent

actions to rescue the hostages.

With Iraq invading their home soil, the Iranians became more and more

desperate to resolve the hostage crisis.

The end of the hostage crisis also

marked the end of the Iranian

Revolution.

Importance to the Cold War• The Hostage Crisis

– This began during the Revolution, and continued long into the Iran/Iraq war.

– This is a prime example of brinkmanship, as the Ayatollah had no way of predicting the US’s reaction.

– The Hostage Crisis reflects Cold War life, as it shows the constant tension and fear that everyone lived in.

Importance to the Cold War (Cont’d)

• The Iran/Iraq War– This war is more like a

typical proxy war. The United States supported the invading, oil-rich forces of Iraq, while the USSR drew on the “enemy of my friend” theory yet again, and Sided with Iran.

– Iran was also a great aid to the USSR, as it gave them a foothold in the middle east, and provided a main supply of oil to fuel the war.