The Iranian Revolution (Persian: انقلاب ایران ‎, romanized: Enqelâbe Irân, pronounced [ʔeɴɢeˌlɒːbe ʔiːɾɒːn]); locally known as the Islamic Revolution (or the 1979 Revolution) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and the replacement of his government with an Islamic republic under the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a leader of one of … Throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s, the Shah of Iran — Mohammad Reza Pahlavi — and the Iranian student opposition abroad developed competing narratives of human rights in Iran. Bolshevik Revolution Over the next several months the two sides ruled Russia. Iran began ramping up its defence budget, and with the help of American and British defence programs, it became one of the region's strongest military powers. Outlets for political participation were minimal, and opposition parties such as the National Front (a loose coalition of nationalists, clerics, and noncommunist left-wing parties) and the pro-Soviet Tūdeh (“Masses”) Party were marginalized or outlawed. As a result, instead of Iran having a one-year breakout time (which, absurdly, was considered a great achievement as opposed to destroying Iran’s capability altogether) to six months or less. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. As their plane took off, jubilant crowds filled the streets of Iran's cities and began tearing down statues and pictures of the Shah and his family. Ten days later Bakhtiar went into hiding, eventually to find exile in Paris. On December 11, 1978, more than a million peaceful protesters turned out in Tehran and other major cities to observe the Ashura holiday and call for Khomeini to become Iran's new leader. The Iranian Revolution of 1979. Fatalities were followed by demonstrations to commemorate the customary 40-day milestone of mourning in Shiʿi tradition, and further casualties occurred at those protests, mortality and protest propelling one another forward. The Revolution was a procedure that commenced chronologically in 1977 and concluded with the official liberation day of February th 11 , 1979. These groups, which included clergy, landowners, intellectuals, and merchants, had previously come together in the Constitutional Revolution of 1905–11. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/the-iranian-revolution-of-1979-195528. Dr. Kallie Szczepanski is a history teacher specializing in Asian history and culture. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The shah’s dependence on the United States, his close ties with Israel—then engaged in extended hostilities with the overwhelmingly Muslim Arab states—and his regime’s ill-considered economic policies served to fuel the potency of dissident rhetoric with the masses. Measure content performance. In addition, the Shah's reforms, particularly those concerning the rights of women, angered Shia clerics such as Ayatollah Khomeini, who fled into exile in Iraq and later France beginning in 1964. Geneva 3 Talks: Iran Nuclear Negotiations For Dummies . After few messages of mutual agreements against Shah and plan of his removal, He was given a green light to start his direct activity against Shah and create “The Shora” with all the help of all those Ayatollahs in Iran … They were followed by thousands more Iranian youth—mostly unemployed recent immigrants from the countryside—who began protesting the regime’s excesses. Author of. The Iranian Revolution, also known as the Islamic Revolution, was the revolution that transformed Iran from an absolute monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, one of the leaders of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic. However, the Shah also ruthlessly suppressed dissent, jailing and torturing his political opponents. Demonstrations continued to grow; on December 10, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Tehrān alone. Years later, Mohammad Reza Shah dismissed the parliament and launched the White Revolution—an aggressive modernization program that upended the wealth and influence of landowners and clerics, disrupted rural economies, led to rapid urbanization and Westernization, and prompted concerns over democracy and human rights. Definition and Examples, 8 Countries That Had Arab Spring Uprisings, J.D., University of Washington School of Law, B.A., History, Western Washington University. Updates? Bakhtiar went into hiding, eventually to find exile in France. Posts about Seattle written by particularkev. The recent rift between Iran and Saudi Arabia can be traced to the Iranian revolution of 1979, which saw … He was ill with cancer and seldom appeared in public. The groups that opposed the Shah did not have what one might imagine as a cohesive political ideology or vision; they included far right-wing clergy who favored a theocratic government, nationalists, and far left-wing interests such as communists. 9-10, fighting broke out between the Imperial Guard (the "Immortals"), who were still loyal to the Shah, and the pro-Khomeini faction of the Iranian Air Force. On Feb. 11, the pro-Shah forces collapsed, and the Islamic Revolution declared victory over the Pahlavi dynasty. Iran became a police state, monitored by the hated SAVAK secret police. A recession beginning in 1975 increased tensions between the classes in Iran. Due to the Shah’s economic reforms, Iran had ascended into the ranks as a globally formidable industrial economy. Iranian Revolution: Causes: 1953, U.S and Great Britain helped Muhammed Reza Pahlavi take control of Iran government ; Pahlavi called himself Shah, ruled as dictator ; created policies of westernization and modernization that caused problems among Islamic Fundamentalists; 1970s, Ayatollah Khomeini (Islamic relgious leader) led opposition movement against Pahlavi ; 550 - Cyrus the Great and the … Approximately 400 people were killed in the blaze. They were led by Vladimir Lenin and believed that the new Russian government should be a Marxist (communist) government. The Shah was a modernizer in many ways, promoting the growth of a modern economy and a middle class, and championing women's rights. Following the revolution, Khomeini he highest ranking political and religious authority of the nation. Apply market research to generate audience insights. The Shah's American allies began to believe that his days in power were numbered. Secular protests in the form of marches, organizations, and political poetry readings sprouted all across the country. The 1979 revolution, which brought together Iranians across many different social groups, has its roots in Iran’s long history. A multiclass opposition overthrew an autocratic ruler, leading to the establishment of a theocratic state. Thus, thecountry has emerged as a model for other countries wanting toaccelerate the shift to smaller families. Strike activity declined temporarily, either out of fear of the new military government or gratitude for the Shah's placatory gestures, but within weeks it resumed. Due to decade of massive disagreements & conflicts between Shah & the West, “Agha” was contacted by the CIA & British SIS in Najaf , Iraq prior to Spring of 1357 (1978). The Rag Blog is published by the New Journalism Project, a 501(c)(3) Texas non-profit. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. List of Partners (vendors). Large-scale strikes rocked the country, virtually shutting down both the public and private sectors that autumn, including the crucial oil industry. But in little more than a generation, Iran had changed from a traditional, conservative, and rural society to one that was industrial, modern, and urban. Social and political protest was often met with censorship, surveillance, or harassment, and illegal detention and torture were common. On January 16 1979, the Shah left Iran. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Khomeini became the new Leader of Iran. Store and/or access information on a device. Crowds in excess of one million demonstrated in Tehrān, proving the wide appeal of Khomeini, who arrived in Iran amid wild rejoicing on February 1. Szczepanski, Kallie. The religiously-motivated rioters attacked movie theaters, banks, police stations, and nightclubs. Khomeini continued to preach in exile about the evils of the Pahlavi regime, accusing the shah of irreligion and subservience to foreign powers. Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran on February 1. Islamist revolutionaries opposed the western secular policies of the authoritarian Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Up to that moment, the secular and religious protesters had been evenly matched, but after the Qom massacre, the religious opposition became the leaders of the anti-Shah movement. Szczepanski, Kallie. Weeks later, government workers began to strike. Corrections? Once he was safely inside the country's borders, Khomeini called for the dissolution of the Bakhtiar government, vowing "I shall kick their teeth in." In this environment, members of the National Front, the Tūdeh Party, and their various splinter groups now joined the ulama in broad opposition to the shah’s regime. The Iranian Revolution of 1979, as all historical revolutions, did not happen in a day. In 1953, the American CIA helped to overthrow a democratically elected prime minister in Iran and restore the Shah to his throne. 21 November, 2013 Countercurrents.org . This belief made Ahmadinejad’s plea more than a pious invocation: Some analysts speculate the president was seeking to sow chaos by using religion to further his political goals. In addition to mounting economic difficulties, sociopolitical repression by the shah’s regime increased in the 1970s. Opposition to the shah’s policies was accentuated in the 1970s, when world monetary instability and fluctuations in Western oil consumption seriously threatened the country’s economy, still directed in large part toward high-cost projects and programs. The debate reached … He spoke of democracy at that point, as well, but would soon change his tune. On Jan. 16, 1979, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi announced that he and his wife were going abroad for a brief vacation. On Nov. 5, the Shah ousted his moderate prime minister and installed a military government under General Gholam Reza Azhari. Chaos increased in September with the Black Friday incident. On September 8, thousands of mostly peaceful protesters turned out in Jaleh Square, Tehran against the Shah's new declaration of martial law. The Revolution Begins . This uptick in demonstrations came at a delicate time for the Shah. (2020, August 28). The Iranian Revolution of 1977-79 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. Anywhere from 88 to 300 people died; opposition leaders claimed that the death toll was in the thousands. However, many people in Iran did not like the Shah. Throughout the 1970s, as Iran reaped enormous profits from oil production, a gap widened between the wealthy (many of whom were relatives of the Shah) and the poor. Omissions? The United States supported the Shah because he was against communism and sold oil to western nations. One of the main factions of the Petrograd Soviet was a group called the Bolsheviks. A Brown Bag Seminar with Roham Alvandi. In August, the Rex Cinema in Abadan caught fire and burned, probably as a result of an attacked by Islamist students. Students also read about the power of Iran as a member of OPEC. This was the beginning of Iranian revolution. In a drastic miscalculation, in January of 1978, the Shah had his Information Minister publish an article in the leading newspaper that slandered Ayatollah Khomeini as a tool of British neo-colonial interests and a "man without faith." Iran’s Islamic Revolution shook the world in 1979, with currents that continue to be felt today. In 1953, amid a power struggle between Mohammed Reza Shah and Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.K. Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) orchestrated a coup against Mosaddegh’s government. Then, late in October of 1977, the Ayatollah Khomeini's 47-year-old son Mostafa died suddenly of a heart attack. The Islamic Republic of Iran's Complex Government, Iran Hostage Crisis: Events, Causes, and Aftermath, Women's Roles After the Revolutions in China and Iran, The Difference Between 'Iranian' and 'Persian', U.S. Policy in the Middle East: 1945 to 2008, The Iran-Contra Affair: Ronald Reagan’s Arms Sales Scandal, Leaders of the Middle East: A Photo Gallery, What Is Sedition? 1995 On September 8 the regime imposed martial law, and troops opened fire against demonstrators in Tehrān, killing dozens or hundreds. Summary Of 1979 Islamic Revolution (For Dummies) by Arthimis February 1, 2012. no comment. They thought he was a brutal dictator. The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was supported by the United States, and its eventual replacement with an Islamic republic under the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution, supported by various leftist and Islamist organizations and Iranian student movements. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1902 – 1989), was the leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution that overthrew the Shah. In February, young men in Tabriz marched to remember the students killed in Qom the previous month; the march turned into a riot, in which the rioters smashed banks and government buildings. https://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Iranian_Revolution The Rag Blog is a reader-supported newsmagazine produced by activist journalists committed to progressive social change. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Develop and improve products. Islamist revolutionaries opposed the western secular policies of the authoritarian Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.. 770 The Obama administration had this information but failed to disclose it to the American people. He appointed a prime minister and cabinet of his own. Measure ad performance. A decade of extraordinary economic growth, heavy government spending, and a boom in oil prices led to high rates of inflation and the stagnation of Iranians’ buying power and standard of living. Thus, in spite of all government efforts, a cycle of violence began in which each death fueled further protest, and all protest—from the secular left and religious right—was subsumed under the cloak of Shiʿi Islam and crowned by the revolutionary rallying cry Allāhu akbar (“God is great”), which could be heard at protests and which issued from the rooftops in the evenings. Iranian Revolution: Causes: 1953, U.S and Great Britain helped Muhammed Reza Pahlavi take control of Iran government ; Pahlavi called himself Shah, ruled as dictator ; created policies of westernization and modernization that caused problems among Islamic Fundamentalists; 1970s, Ayatollah Khomeini (Islamic relgious leader) led opposition movement against Pahlavi 1993 Rafsanjani wins reelection. The next day, theology students in the city of Qom exploded in angry protests; security forces put down the demonstrations but killed at least seventy students in just two days. The US was intent on keeping the Shah in place in Iran, however, as a bulwark against the Soviet Union. "The Iranian Revolution of 1979." For the first time in more than half a century, the secular intellectuals—many of whom were fascinated by the populist appeal of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a former professor of philosophy in Qom who had been exiled in 1964 after speaking out harshly against the shah’s recent reform program—abandoned their aim of reducing the authority and power of the Shiʿi ulama (religious scholars) and argued that, with the help of the ulama, the shah could be overthrown. Ruhollah Khomeini (centre) greeting supporters after returning to Tehrān, February 1979. Grab a copy of our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! Human Rights and the Global History of the Iranian Revolution. He outlawed the chador or hijab (the full-body veil), encouraged education of women up to and including at the university level, and advocated employment opportunities outside the home for women. March 20, 2019. Shia Islam holds that the Mahdi, as the redeemer of Islam, will return from hiding to rid the world of injustice. In January 1978, incensed by what they considered to be slanderous remarks made against Khomeini in Eṭṭelāʿāt, a Tehrān newspaper, thousands of young madrasah (religious school) students took to the streets. Iran borders on the then-Soviet Republic of Turkmenistan and was seen as a potential target for communist expansion. Revolution in Iran For many years, Iran had been ruled by a king called the Shah of Iran. Iranians all over the country were dissatisfied with the regime and viewed it as having failed on its economic pro… https://www.britannica.com/event/Iranian-Revolution, International Centre on Non Violent Conflict - The Iranian Revolution (1977-1979). D ’ etat globally formidable industrial economy U.S. and South Korea formidable economy. Accessed April 28, 2021 ) toaccelerate the shift to smaller families movie theaters, banks, stations. 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