- 1941, British and USSR invade Iran
- 22 year old Shah takes control of Armed Forces
- finds out he must live with free press, competitive elections, etc.
- He had to combat 2 political movements
- Tudeh movement= communists
- National Front, led by Muhamed Mosadeq
- Tudeh gets support from working class trade unions
- Nation Front gets support from middle class
- They called for Nationalizatn of British oil company
- Mosadeq wants to sever Shah's ties with armed forces
- Mosadeq said that the Shah should not be day to day ruler
- 1951, Mosadeq becomes Prime Minister
- immediately he nationalizes oil industry
- 1953, Mosadeq overthrown in a coup backed by the CIA
- With Mosadeq gone, the Shah builds off of three "pillars"
- 1. Support from armed forces
- 2. bureacracy
- 3. royal patronage system
- the bureaucracy developed immensely under the Shah
- the interior ministry had the power to appoint most local officials
- also appointed electoral supervisors
- this put them in a posotion to rig elections
- creates rubber stamp legislature
- thing shah does:
- education ministry grows x20
- Justice ministry replaces sharia with british style courts
- justic system is further secularized when Shah decreed a controversial family protection law. It raised marriage age to 20 for men and 18 for women. Also, allowed women to work outside home. Furthermore, restricted polygamy to an extent.
- State controls many insitutions like major banks, radio and tv networks, and national Iranian oil company.
- Muhammed Rheza Shah establishes Palavi foundation, which controlled 207 large companies. These companies are tax exempt
- 1975, Shah announces Resurgance Political Party
- declares Iran a one party state and those in opposition are jailed
- Resurgance party establishes Bazarre gujilds which it expects merchants to join.
- Widespread resentment towards Shah is prevalent in Iran during this time
- 1979, Cultural Revolution overthrows Shah
- Before 1979, Newspaper outside iran publishes article written by previously exiled Iranians
- Article basically points out all of Shahs bad policies and thing he did while in office
- Basically said he was CIA's puppet, increased military excesively, trampled on consitituion, and used government money for his own use.
- This stirred up already bad feelings towards Shah
- Ayatolah Khomeimi=exiled Iranian who denounces palavis
- Khomeini said the Iranian masses were being opressed
- He invented a new form of Shi'ism
- changes the Jruists' Guardianship and gave the SEnior Clergy the power
- By 1977, a few sparks set off Revolution
- economic difficulties
- insults against Shah's control of the poeple
- The Carter administration criticised The Shah's violation of human rights
- labor unions, trade association, and bazar guilds all rise up when Shah loosens reigns
- bloody Friday=troops fire into a crowd of protestors, killing hundreds
- the whole country goes on strike and economy goes down
- oil workers said they would not export oil until the Shah was exported
- January 1979, Shah leaves power
- February 1979, Khomeini returns and announces Islamic Revolution
- referendum replaces monarchy with Islamic Republic
- Assembly of Religious Experts (elected body) writes a new constitution
- This constitution was highly theocratic and put power in the hands of the clergy
- 1979, referendum about constitution
- 99% of people voted yes
- only 75% voter participation though :/
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Monday's NOTES
Sorry this is a couple days late
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