Iranian Revolution 1979

Iran Revoultion 1979

• Shah of Israel started rein in 1941
• Muhammad Reza controlled the army & ruled as king for 10yrs, until crisis 1951
• PM Mohammad Massadeq nationalised Iran’s oil. British = upset (GB controlled oil through ‘Anglo-Iranian Oil Company’
• Massadeq = popular amongst Iranian ppl, bc he was pro-Iran Independence, and anti-foreign interference
• Therefore, Shah regarded Massadeq as a threat, so in August 1953, Shah overthrew Massadeq w/CIA & MI6
• This coup (^^^) = not pop. This meant that the Shah’s rule linked w/USA and GB (GB&USA prime interest = safe oil supplies)
• Shah’s link w/USA became more apparent: Shah imported: USA food, farm animals (undercut Iran’s farmers), and USA styled shops (damaged revenue for local merchants)
• Reza continued Iran’s plan to modernise (which started in 1920) - Reza launched White Revolution in 1963
• Reformation of: land, industrial expansion, health and education
• Land redistribution = backfired: the peasants only held enough land to feed their families, thus no extra £, so were no better off
• Most villages lacked water, electricity, roads and other infrastructure
• Numbers of doctors, nurses, hospital beds; but late1970’s, Iran had worst Infant Mortality, & patient-doctor ratio
• late1970’s distribution of income = most unequal in 20yrs: top 10% = 37.9% of Iran’s wealth; bottom 10% = 1.3% of Iran’s wealth
• Oil revenues increased from $34m -> $20bn by 1975, and paid for Army, Air Force and Navy
• After 1953 Shah made his cabinet and parl. up of supporters
• PM’s and ministers = favourites of the Shah (most = Western educated and supported Shah’ foreign interference regime)
• March 1975: Shah established one-party state; ‘Resurgence Party’ = existence
• Shah produced a new imperial calendar, which went against and supplanted Muslim calendar. Was introduced overnight. This = wage of war against Muslim pop.
• Any oppo to the Shah was discovered by secret police ‘SAVAK’, which was supported by FBI. SAVAK = known for brutal torture etc.