modern iranian history

Modern Iranian History

Revolutions

The Hostage Crisis

The Iran-Contra Scandal

“Axis of Evil”?

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Middle East Map

Iran’s Geography

• Access to two important waterways: The Caspian Sea & The Persian Gulf

• Mountains: The Elburz & Zagros

• Population: 63 Million



Reza Shah the Great

• Came to power in 1921• Promoted Nationalism &

Modernization• Changed name from

Persia to Iran • Oil Reserves brought both

Soviet & British interest (Anglo-Iranian Oil Company)

• Built Trans-Iranian RR• Overthrown by Allies



Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi

• After overthrow of his father, the new Shah is permitted to ascend to the throne by Allies

• All Oil in Iran was foreign owned and Iranians began to voice displeasure

• Continued reforms



Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq • Prime Minister Mosaddeq

supported Iranians Claim of Nationalization of Oil

• Shah fled country after failed removal of Mosaddeq

• Got caught in the Cold War labeling, was not communist but took their support against West

• CIA backed his overthrow, 1953

• Became icon for anti-imperialism



The Shah Returns (1953-1979)

• Returned after Mosaddeq was removed

• Instituted 4 years of martial law

• Centralized power and became a dictator event though there was a “democratic system” set



White Revolution

• Western reforms• Banished Chadors

(Veils)• Women gained right

to vote• Land Reform• Workers gained rights



Dark Side of the Shah

• Crowned himself King of Kings

• Repressed all opposition• Instituted the SAVAK,

Secret Police• Discontent Grew• Islamic leaders targeted• Economic gap between

elite and others



The U.S. Supports the Shah

• The U.S. & Iran under the Shah had a great relationship

• Iranian Oil was sold to the U.S. & Iran bought military items from the U.S.

• The Iranian public received next to nothing from the wealth flowing into Iran



The public makes its feelings known

• A common sight during the revolution was images of the Shah burned by protestors

• This discontent continued to grow with repressive responses by the military



Black Friday

• The military shoots its own citizens in what became known as Black Friday and doomed the Shah

• Hundreds are killed on this day as a turning point in the revolution



Multiple Protests Occur









Statues of the Shah are taken down

• Reminiscent of other dictatorial statues which have come down, all types of public depictions of the Shah were removed



The Coverage of the Events

• In the Iranian News their was a celebratory tone• In the U.S. media there was uncertainty over the

direction of the revolution





Former Oppressors are Targeted

• SAVAK Members are arrested

• Former Generals under the Shah face charges and are executed

• Radical Stage of Revolution





Ayatollah Khomeini leads the Islamic Revolution (1979)

• An Islamic Cleric who had been banished by the Shah years earlier returns to lead Iran

• Viewed as “Supreme Leader” above the secular government

• Establishes a theocracy (religious government)



Iranians demand return of the Shah

• Shah goes into exile in January 1979 spending time in NY and in Egypt

• Iranians demand that he be returned to face charges for his years of autocratic rule



Iranian Students Storm the U.S. Embassy

• The U.S. Embassy in Tehran was taken with the approval of Ayatollah Khomeini in November 1979

• The students demanded that the Shah return

• The 52 hostages were held for 444 days

• This crisis led to late night news with the creation of Nightline with Ted Koppel



The Crisis affects the 1980 Election

• The Nation was severely affected by the hostage crisis.

• Carter was defeated in 1980 by Ronald Reagan, who truly began the current Conservative movement in the government.

• The hostages were released on the day Reagan was inaugurated.



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The Iran-Iraq War

• Iraq invades Iran in September of 1980

• The U.S. sells arms to both sides during this bloody conflict.

• Iran has three times Iraq’s population.

• It is estimated that 400,000-700,000 were killed. An estimated 800 billion was the eco. cost.



Iraq uses Chemical Warfare

• Used Mustard Gas and Tabun against Iran’s human waves in 1985

• Saddam Hussein ordered chemical attacks against Kurds within Iraq in the village of Halabja in 1988



The U.S supports Iraq in the War

• In December of 1983 presidential envoy Donald Rumsfeld, visited Iraq.

• The U.S. supported Iraq as it feared an Iranian victory in the region.



Iran-Contra Affair • In 1985 a secret arms deal

between the U.S. and Iran took place through Israel.

• Monies from the arms sales was then used to support a counter-revolutionary group in Nicaragua

• Oliver North an NSC official is at the core of the scandal

• Congress investigates looking to find out how high the scandal reaches.



Iran Today

• Cleric Mohammad Khatami is currently the 5th President of Iran, elected in 1997 with 70%.

• Has great support from the youth of Iran, re-elected in 2001 with 78%.

• Is considered more moderate than previous leadership.



State of the Union Speech 2002

• “Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people's hope for freedom.”

• “States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil”



Nuclear Threat?

• This is a nuclear facility in Natanz, Iran.

• Is Iran looking to build a nuclear weapon or is it trying to harness nuclear power?

• Will there be an escalation in the conflict?



modern iranian history

Documents

shah shah

shah years

millionreza shah

shah returnthe

new shah

shah face charges

antiimperialismthe shah

iranian public