A pledge to exporting the revolution is enshrined in irans constitution. Islamic revolution in iran that would alter this country forever. Iraniansupported unrest could lead to sabotage and strikes by oil workers, since shias inhabit many of the oilproducing areas of the persian gulf states. The iranian revolution there are various parties that have different viewpoints and opinions of the. Ideology, politics, and the development of military power in iran 19792009 by. Irans efforts to export its revolution are a threat to key us interests. Revolution of 1979 including the effect of antiwestern feeling, widespread social and economic inequality, and the impact of ayatollah khomeini. Causes and consequences for regional stability leicester university dissertation. Following the success of the revolution, the islamists instituted a theocratic dictatorship and wiped out the workers movement and the left. Anatomy of a revolution a look at the events that triggered the khomeini movement and led to irans islamic revolution in 1979. James buchan read persian at oxford university and in isfahan in the 1970s and was for many years. Brief background information explains the underpinnings of the revolution and basic facts about islam, including the differences between shiite and sunni sects. Iran is as committed to exporting the islamic revolution today as it was in 1979. Panelists reflect on the events that unfolded during the iranian revolution in 1979, how the united states responded, and the consequences for today.
The 1979 iranian revolution council on foreign relations. Ruhollah khomeini ruhollah khomeini centre greeting supporters after returning to tehran, february 1979. The background music is by ebi and googoosh called nostalgia. This paper is a case study of the 1979 iranian revolution to explain why the outcomes of the revolution were basically at variance with the original demands of the initial uprising. The 1979 iranian revolutions enduring impact on the world.
The 21 and 22 of bahman 57 12 and february 1979 were the days of the collapse of the monarchic system when domestic tyranny, and the foreign dominance that relied on it, were. By roger cohen tehran, irans capital, was in a state of revolt on jan. The 1979 islamic revolution in iran has proved one of the most consequential events in the history of modern terrorism. Economic decline and revolutionary turmoil in the 1970s even though the peak of the revolution was in 1979, key preliminary events occurred throughout the mid 1970s.
Iran before 1979 revoultion imperial state of iran youtube. The iranian revolution a history and analysis of the revolution in which socialists aligned themselves with islamists to overthrow the westbacked shah. Religiouslyoriented opposition in the iranian revolution of 19781979. A repressive theocracy had replaced an authoritarian monarchy.
Iran before the 1979 revolution revealed in photographs. The iranian revolution of february 1979 middle east. When i was designing this unit, i thought back on when i first learned about iran. Iranian revolution, also called islamic revolution, persian enqelabe eslami, popular uprising in iran in 197879 that resulted in the toppling of the monarchy on february 11, 1979, and led to the establishment of an islamic republic. Us allies in the area would have reason to be nervous if the iranians were to play a more active role. Much persecution had ended and their ideologies, religious, and cultural traditions were preserved. The iranian revolution of 1979 was many years in the making.
In the modern era, iran always has existed as an independent country. The 1979 iranian revolution was a major landmark in iranian history. Iran s revolution began with a popular democracy movement and ended with the establishment of the world s first islamic state. The revolution and the iranian revolution 2172 words 9 pages. Ironically, 30 years ago iran was one of americas staunchest middle east allies, until a revolution in january 1979 toppled irans prowestern monarchy and brought to power an antiamerican shiite muslim cleric, ayatollah ruhollah khomeini. At the first signs of escalating unrest in early 1978, neither iranian nor u. The iranian revolution 1977 1979 download pdf version by stephen zunes april 2009. Enver hoxha the comintern sh defends the lessons of comrade enver hoxha concerning the iranian revolution from 1979. The revolution led to a surge in iranianbacked terrorism that continues, albeit in quite different forms, to this day. Ten days later bakhtiar went into hiding, eventually to find exile in paris. Irans islamic revolution after the overthrow of the shah, an american ally became one of its biggest adversaries.
White revolution, which was a step intended to stabilize the foundations of despotic rule and to reinforce the political, cultural, and economic dependence of iran on world imperialism, brought into being a united movement of the people and, immediately afterwards, a momentous revolution of the muslim nation in june 1963. Reflections on the near and middle east the iranian working class came out on the battlefield, overthrew the shah and shook the capitalist world. Eager to exploit an opportunity and regain access to. The iranian revolution past, present and future content. The revolution of february 1979 was a revolt of the society against the state. Doctor of philosophy history in the university of michigan. Iran islamic republic ofs constitution of 1979 with. The safavid dynasty ruled iran until 1722, when an afghan army invaded the country and captured isfahan.
The destiny of irans 1979 revolution cannot be understood without this coup by mahmoud delkhasteh 3 years ago no comment the u. The iranian revolution opened a new chapter in the history of mass popular revolutions in the world. The 1979 revolution was a characteristically iranian revolution a revolution by the whole society against the state in which various ideologies were represented, the most dominant being those with islamic tendencies islamist, marxistislamic and democraticislamic and marxistleninist tendencies fadai, tudeh, maoist, trotskyist, and. Ayatollah ruhollah khomeini, the shiite muslim cleric who had worked for years to overthrow the shah, was still in. Less than a year later, 66 americans were taken hostage at the u. The shah fled into exile in january 1979 and exiled cleric ayatollah. Suzanne maloney, editor of the new brookings press volume the iranian revolution at forty, discusses the enduring significance of the 1979 iranian revolution with brookings press director bill. Reza shah, the elder pahlavi, came to power during the 1920s after promoting the idea of 2,500 years of persian monarchy mohammadi 38.
The shah, irans ruler for nearly four decades, had fled the country. Iranian armed forces to quash the islamic revolution. The newsmagazine for teens tehran, irans capital, was in a state of revolt on jan. His actual birth place and life before the revolution has been obscured for political reasons. Background to the revolution shah reza pahlevi, returning to iran after a weeklong exile due to the failled mohamed mossadegh coup detat.
Photos taken in iran before the 1979 islamic revolution, which saw the ousting of king shah mohammad reza pahlavi, show what the vibrant iranian life. Less noticed, but equally significant, the revolution provoked a response by saudi arabia and various sunni militant groups that set the. Shockingly, i was first introduced to iran in the dc comics batman series, a death in the family, in 1988 where the joker meets with ayatollah khomeini and arranges to sell nuclear weapons to arab. Ruhollah khomeini returned from exile to lead the new islamic republic.
A number of observers, including the shah, have written of rumours and allegations that the government of the united kingdom has secretly supported mullahs shia clerics in recent iranian history, and in particular the ayatollah ruhollah khomeini in his successful overthrow of shah mohammad reza pahlavi in the iranian revolution of 1979. The national holiday, islamic revolution day, celebrates the victory of the islamic revolution on february 11, 1979. Chapter 1 the historical background chapter 2 notes on the history of iran chapter 3 the communist party of iran chapter 4 the february revolution of 1979 chapter 5 the basis of islamic fundamentalism chapter 6 the economics of counter revolution. The bbc persian service and the islamic revolution of 1979. Pdf this paper intends to explore the role and key contributions that ayatollah. Forty years ago, ayatollah ruhollah khomeini spearheaded a revolution that deposed a monarchy in iran. The bbc persian service and the islamic revolution of 1979 massoumeh torfeh and annabelle sreberny in the recent political crisis in iran that followed the contested presidential elections of 12 june, 2009, bbc persian television henceforth bbcptv that had started in. Iranian revolution the usbacked shah of iran, mohammed reza pahlevi, is forced to leave the country on 16 january following months of demonstrations and strikes against his rule by secular. The iranian revolution of 1979 has been described as one of the epochal. In the iranian revolution of 1979, ayatollah sayyid ruhollah musavi khomeini ousted mohammad reza pahlavi, who succeeded his father as shah of iran in the early 1950s. In simple terms, the regime of muhammad reza shah pahlavi was overthrown by a coalition of opposition forces dominated by shii muslim fundamentalists.
This video is about iran persia, before the islamic revolution. This concise but informative history chronicles how the iranian revolution of 1979 transformed iran from a monarchy to a fundamentalist islamic republic. It resulted in peace in iran and a better government. Shapour bakhtiar as his new prime minister with the help of supreme army councils couldnt control the situation in the country anymore. From october of 1977 to february of 1979, the people of iran called for the end of the monarchy but they didnt necessarily agree on what should replace it. The iranian revolution and its legacy of terrorism lawfare. The iranian revolution past, present and future brought the safavids into direct conflict with the ottoman empire and led to two centuries of intermittent warfare between those two powerful states. By the middle of the 20th century, iran was a country that enjoyed immense wealth built on. In some of its basic characteristics, the revolution did not conform to the usual norms of western revolutions, because the state did not represent just an ordinary dictatorship but an absolute and arbitrary system that lacked political legitimacy and a social base virtually across the whole of. The public remarks of iranian leaders indicate that tehran has been consistently committed to spreading its ideology beyond irans borders since 1979. During the last twentynine years, enough evidence has been published to. The iranian revolution of 197779 was the first in a series of mass popular civil insurrections which would result in the overthrow of authoritarian regimes in dozens of countries over the next three decades. Iranian revolution the outcome of the iranian revolution was a positive one for iran.