021_smith_psmea_p_94-95_100-103_98-99

1906: Constitutional Revolution established elected parliament (Majlis) under a constitutional monarchy with the Shah as head of state.
Deep-rooted opposition to foreign influence and control over oil resources.
1907: Anglo-Russian agreement outlines spheres of interest in Persia.
1908: Oil discovered in British zone by prospectors.
1909: Formation of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
1911: Start of oil exports.
1914-1918: WWI causes occupation of Persia by Britain and Russia; Russia withdraws in 1917.

1921: Colonel Reza Khan leads a coup and becomes minister of war, eventually the commander-in-chief of armed forces.
1925: Reza Khan deposes Shah and takes the throne as Reza Shah, ending the Qajar dynasty.
1935: Persia renamed Iran.
Women encouraged to adopt Western dress.
1941: UK and USSR occupy Iran to protect supply routes, forcing Reza Shah to abdicate; succession by Mohammad Reza Shah.

1949: Mossadeq leads the movement for national ownership of oil.
1951: Majlis elects Mossadeq as prime minister; oil nationalized despite the Shah's opposition.
1953: Failed attempt by the Shah to remove Mossadeq leads to a coup organized by the USA and UK, reinstating the Shah.

1962: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini arrested for criticizing US military personnel immunity proposal.
1964: Khomeini exiled to Najaf, Iraq.
1970s: Oil income rises significantly; Shah's extravagance increases amid societal discontent due to food shortages.
1978: Widespread protests lead to violent state responses; Khomeini gains support as a voice for the discontented population.
1979: Shah leaves Iran, Khomeini returns to establish the Islamic Republic with himself as Supreme Leader.

Khomeini’s regime initiates clampdowns on dissent.
US Embassy invasion and hostage crisis ensues, illustrating tensions with the West.
1980: Iraq capitalizes on perceived Iranian weakness and invades.

The conflict leads to at least 300,000 Iranian deaths and devastates the economy.
Khomeini orders executions of political prisoners to consolidate power.

Iran has significant ethnic diversity including Persians, Kurds, Azeris, and others.
Majority (90%) are Shi'a Muslims, with some Sunni Muslim populations.
Mapping and demographics:
- Security barriers exist, particularly dividing Baloch populations from those in Pakistan.

1918: Following defeat of the Ottoman Empire, British occupation begins.
1921: Faisal (son of Hussein) is appointed king.
Iraq, established from former Ottoman provinces, lacks a unifying national identity.

Diverse groups include Shi'a Arabs, Sunni Arabs, Kurds, and minorities such as Yazidis, Christians, and others.
Ethnic diversity in Iraq has diminished after the 2003 US intervention, leading to significant migrations and persecution of minorities.

Ba'ath Party coalesced power through military backing and strategic alliances.
1963: Qassem overthrown by Ba'athists in a US-backed coup.
1968: Ba'athists seize power in another coup, with Saddam Hussein rising to deputy.

Repression characterized governance, with execution and imprisonment of dissenters common.
Development programs benefited ordinary people, primarily from the Sunni demographic.

The Iran-Iraq War left Iraq heavily indebted, particularly to Kuwait.
1990: Iraq’s grievances against Kuwait escalate, resulting in invasion plans.

Historical perception of Iraq as a stabilizing force in the region by the USA leads to subdued responses to Saddam’s aggression.

US support for Iraq includes economic aid despite knowledge of weapons usage.
1988: Ceasefire is agreed, with devastating human and economic costs on both sides.

Estimated deaths in the Iran-Iraq War range from half a million to potentially 1.5 million.
The war illustrates extensive health, societal, and economic ramifications still felt in both countries.