The Iranian Revolution

1979

Iranian Revolution

The Creation of the First Islamic Fundamentalist

State

Long term Causes:Long term Causes: Major _________ are discovered in Iran in the late 1800sMajor _________ are discovered in Iran in the late 1800s Oil rights are sold to foreigners (Britain and Russia)Oil rights are sold to foreigners (Britain and Russia)

Oil Fields

Long term Causes:Long term Causes: Iranian nationalist resent Iranian nationalist resent ____________________ influence influence _________________ _________________ and westernization fail to help peopleand westernization fail to help people ________________ begins in the 1970s________________ begins in the 1970s

WesternModernizationIslamic Revival

Immediate CausesImmediate Causes

1. Leader of Iran, Shah 1. Leader of Iran, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi Mohammed Reza Pahlavi remained in power due to remained in power due to

______________________________US Support

Shah Reza Pahlavi (1941 – 1977)Shah Reza Pahlavi (1941 – 1977)

Q5

Shah creates reform from above: Creating Industry, redistr ibuting land to the peasants, granting r ights to women,

separated religion and government

Institutes Western reforms & ties with the West . But, the majority of his people l ive in poverty. Brutal suppression of dissidents

The Shah & His Wife, The Shah & His Wife, FarahFarah

Iranian elite/upper- and intellectual classes: verypro-Western.

•The Shah spent the oil profits for top of the l ine

American military hardware.

• Litt le money to reinvest back into the

Iranian economy.

• Religious leaders angry with the Shah for

too much “Westernization.”

The Shah Reza PahlaviThe Shah Reza Pahlavi

As opposition to the Shah grows, he becomes more repressive.

Iranians protest the Shah’s policies

Corruption in

Government

Opposit ion voices rall ied round Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a

shia cleric l iving in exile in Paris.

Promising social and economic reform, the

Ayatollah prescribed a return to tradit ional

religious values, which struck a chord with

many Iranians.Exiled Ruhollah Khomeini speaks out forcefully

against the Shah and his American backers.

As the 1970s drew to a close, a series of large-scale, increasingly violent anti-Shah protests swept Iran.

Instability, including a wave of general strikes, continued throughout the year, crippling the country's economy.

Anti-Shah ProtestsAnti-Shah Protests

Film ClipFilm Clip

The Shah leaves Iran on 1/16/79.

1. Shah’s enemies rally around Shi’ i te leaders. The Ayatollah Khomeini accuse the Shah of violating human rights and undermining Islamic values

2. The Shah flees Iran and Khomeini guides Iran’s new government

Revolution OccursRevolution Occurs

Ayatollah KhomeiniAyatollah KhomeiniLeads the RevolutionLeads the Revolution

Khomeini returns to Iran on February 11, 1979.

Q7

The day of Khomeini 's return he went straight to honor the martyrs at Behesht e Zahra cemetery. Nobody would move out of the way so the helicopter could land because they were so

euphoric about his return

In January 1979, the Shah left Tehran for an "extended vacation". He was never to return.

All over Iran statues of the Shah were torn down by Khomeini supporters.

On February 1, 1979 Ayatollah Khomeini made a dramatic return from exile.

Polit ical and social instabil i ty increased. Street batt les raged in towns and provinces between pro-Khomeini demonstrators and police and security

off icers, and supporters of the imperial regime.

Triumphant Muslim Clerics & Iranian Triumphant Muslim Clerics & Iranian SoldiersSoldiers

Q8A theocracy is created!A theocracy is created!

The Fate of the Shah’s The Fate of the Shah’s GeneralsGenerals

Iran Revolutionary Iran Revolutionary PosterPoster

When the devil leaves, the angel returns!

Revolution OccursRevolution Occurs

3. Revolutionaries take 53 American hostages from the US embassy

4. Government imposes a strict code of behavior according to the Shariah and Koran

5. Western books and music are banned and women’s rights laws are overturned

American Embassy inAmerican Embassy inTehran Taken OverTehran Taken Over

Q9

52 Americans Held Hostage for 444 Days!52 Americans Held Hostage for 444 Days!

Failed Rescue AttemptFailed Rescue Attempt

Film Film

52 American Hostages Released in Jan., 198152 American Hostages Released in Jan., 1981

Impact of the RevolutionImpact of the Revolution

Iran encourages Islamic fundamentalists in other Iran encourages Islamic fundamentalists in other countriescountries to overthrow their to overthrow their secular governmentssecular governments

Iran is isolated by the Iran is isolated by the world communityworld community Tensions between Sunni Iraq and Shi’ite Iran grewTensions between Sunni Iraq and Shi’ite Iran grew Living conditionsLiving conditions do not improvedo not improve IraqIraq declares war with Iran that lasts from 1980-1988 declares war with Iran that lasts from 1980-1988 Lebanese Islamic Lebanese Islamic FundamentalistsFundamentalists begin a civil war.begin a civil war.

Support for the Palestinian CauseSupport for the Palestinian CauseSupport for the Palestinian CauseSupport for the Palestinian Cause

The Ayatollah with

Yasir Arafat.

Funds Hamas and Hezbollah.

The Iran-Iraq The Iran-Iraq WarWar

(1980-1988)(1980-1988)

Q10

Secretary RumsfeldSecretary Rumsfeld& Saddam Hussein: & Saddam Hussein: 19831983

Khomeini’s DeathKhomeini’s Death(June, 1989)(June, 1989)

Another Nuclear Another Nuclear Power?Power?US satellite photo of

Iranian nuclear facility near Arak.

• 2004: Iran announces its plan to create a nuclear power program to generate electricity

• Many countries feel this would lead to the creation of nuclear weapons by Iran

• World pressure is placed on Iran

Mahmoud AhmadinejadMahmoud Ahmadinejad

•Ahmadinejad is the current President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the f irst president in twenty-four years who was not a religious cleric.

•He is not the most powerful off icial in Iran; that role belongs to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Art icle

113 of Constitut ion of Iran.

•Ahmadinejad has been a crit ic of the US and Israel, and backs strengthening Iran's relat ions with Russia, Venezuela, Syria, and the

Persian Gulf states.

Ayatollah Ali KhameneiAyatollah Ali Khamenei

Film ClipFi lm Clip

Westernization?Westernization?

President Hassan Rouhani President Hassan Rouhani

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

“Problems of 35 years cannot be resolved in a short period of

t ime.”

“Problems of 35 years cannot be resolved in a short period of

t ime.”

An American view of An American view of Iranian nuclear Iranian nuclear

powerpower

PINOCCHIAYATOLLAH Scott Stantis (Birmingham News) 1/28/05

A view of Iran’s nuclear A view of Iran’s nuclear power from power from Al-Al-

JazeerahJazeerah

Nobody else (particularly Iran and Arab countries) should have nuclear weapons except

Israel, says Bush. -- Hassan Bleybel 10/23/03