Iran

Who was Mohammad Mosaddegh and what did he do?

Operation Ajax - 1953 coup in response to Mossadegh nationalising oil in 1951. The CIA and British paid thugs to throw pro-Shah protests, and Mossedegh was overthrown. Mosaddegh spent the rest of his life under house arrest, becoming a martyr figure for Iranian nationalists. Shah had almost absolute power after 1953.

He became enormously popular as a symbol of Iranian sovereignty against Western imperialism and was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 1951.

Iranian revolution causes

1979

Income inequality was extreme — Gini coefficient estimated at ~0.48 by the late 1970s

The Shah seen as western puppet / reaction to White Revolution

Shah seen as out of touch – an extravagant party to celebrate 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire

Shah too authoritarian – increasingly authoritarian in the run-up to 1979, used SAVAK, killed protesters during Black Friday, and was blamed for the Cinema Rex fire and killing Khomeni’s child and all political parties banned by 1975

Iran pre WW2

1925 - The Pahlavi Dynasty starts

1935 - Persia renamed to Iran

1941 - Britain and Russia invade and overthrow Reza Palavi .

Why did Britain and the USSR force Reza Shah to abdicate?

• During WWII, Britain and the Soviet Union feared Reza Shah's pro-German sympathies and his refusal to expel German agents from Iran.

• In August 1941 they jointly invaded and occupied Iran, forcing Reza Shah to abdicate in favour of his 22-year-old son, Mohammad Reza.

• Iran's occupation exposed the fragility of Pahlavi sovereignty and left a deep sense of national humiliation.

Shah's economic policy and how did the oil boom affect Iran?

Privatisation, economic growth of 7-8% between 1954 - 69, mild land reform (took from religious)

Land reform - 2 million gained land.

GDP grew 10x from 1963 - 1970s

1973 oil crisis quadrupled oil prices and flooded Iran with revenues – mass modernization

Rapid, unplanned modernisation caused severe inflation, housing shortages, and urban overcrowding as rural migrants flooded into Tehran.

By 1977, overheating of the economy led the Shah to impose austerity, cutting construction projects and fueling unemployment and discontent.

Iranian revolution events

The Shah fled Iran on 16 January 1979; Ayatollah Khomeini returned triumphantly from Paris on 1 February to enormous crowds.

The imperial army collapsed as soldiers defected; the revolutionary forces took control of Tehran on 11 February 1979.

A national referendum established the Islamic Republic with Khomeini as Supreme Leader - the world's first modern theocratic state

How did Mohammad Reza Shah consolidate power after 1953?

The Shah built a powerful military and the feared SAVAK secret police, which crushed political opposition.

All political parties were banned by 1975, press freedoms curtailed, and the Tudeh Party and other opponents were systematically destroyed.

The Shah became increasingly autocratic, relying on US backing and oil wealth rather than building genuine popular legitimacy.

What was the Persepolis Celebration and why did it cause outrage?

The Shah hosted a lavish celebration at the ancient ruins of Persepolis to mark 2,500 years of Persian monarchy, costing an estimated $200–300 million.

Foreign dignitaries feasted on elaborate banquets flown in from Paris while many Iranians lived in poverty - the contrast caused widespread anger.

Khomeini denounced it from exile as a shameful waste, and it became a symbol of the Shah's decadence and disconnection from ordinary Iranians.

What triggered the Iranian Revolution?

Jimmy Carter's human rights pressure led the Shah to briefly relax repression in 1977, creating space for opposition voices to organise.

A January 1978 government newspaper article insulting Khomeini sparked protests in Qom; security forces killed demonstrators, triggering a cycle of 40-day mourning protests that escalated throughout 1978.

By late 1978, mass strikes paralysed the oil industry, and millions took to the streets - the Shah's regime lost control rapidly.

Shah’s white revolution stats

Women granted the right to vote in 1963

Number of universities grew from 4 (1941) to 16 (1979)

How was Iran affected by the Iran-Iraq war

• The use of child soldiers ("Basij" volunteers) remains one of the most controversial aspects

• Iraq used chemical weapons against Iranian troops, causing massive casualties and long-term health problems

• Estimated 500,000 to 1 million Iranians killed (military and civilian)

• Iran sent waves of young soldiers — sometimes barely teenagers — in human wave attacks