Iranian Revolution

Protestors take to the street in support of Ayatollah Khomeini . The Iranian Revolution was the 1979 revolution that transformed Iran from an autocratic pro-west monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to an Islamic, theocratic democracy under the rule of Ayatollah Khomeini . The revolution is divided into two stages: the first saw an alliance of liberal, leftist, and religious groups oust the Shah; the second stage, often named the Islamic Revolution , saw the ayatollahs come to power. The Shah had been in power since 1941 , with a brief interruption in 1953 ; through the 1960s and 1970s he faced continued opposition, from religious figures as well as from urban middle classes, who were not among the wealthy elite benefitting from the Shah's extravagance, and who supported a constitutional democracy. The Shah enforced a strict regime, imprisoning hundreds of political activists and enforcing censorship laws. While living conditions for most of the population were poor, there was little popular demand for constitutional reform. In 1978 a series of protests, triggered by a libelous story attacking Khomeini in the official press, created an escalating cycle of violence until, on December 12 , over two million people filled the streets of Azadi Square in Tehran to protest against the Shah. The army began to disintegrate as conscripts refused to fire on demonstrators and began to switch sides. The Shah agreed to introduce a more moderate constitution, but it was too late for compromise. The majority of the population was loyal to Khomeini, and when he called for a complete end to the monarchy the Shah was forced to flee the country on January 16 1979 . Khomeini returned to Iran on February 1 , invited by the anti-Shah revolution already in progress, and rapidly displaced the more moderate elements, creating an Islamic Republic with Khomeini as Supreme Leader .

The Iranian Revolution (also known as the Islamic Revolution or 1979 Revolution ; Persian : انقلاب اسلامی, Enghelābe Eslāmi or انقلاب بیست و دو بهمن) refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy (Pahlavi dynasty) under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini , the leader of the revolution . The first major demonstrations against the Shah began in January 1978. Between August and December 1978 strikes and demonstrations paralyzed the country. The Shah left Iran for exile in mid-January 1979, and two weeks later Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran to a greeting by several million Iranians. The royal regime collapsed shortly after on February 11 when guerrillas and rebel troops overwhelmed troops loyal to the Shah in armed street fighting. Iran voted by national referendum to become an Islamic Republic on April 1, 1979, and to approve a new theocratic constitution whereby Khomeini became Supreme Leader of the country, in December 1979. The revolution was unusual for the surprise it created throughout the world: it lacked many of the customary causes of revolution (defeat at war, a financial crisis , peasant rebellion , or disgruntled military); produced profound change at great speed; was massively popular; overthrew a regime heavily protected by a lavishly financed army and security services; and replaced a modernising monarchy with a theocracy based on Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists (or velayat-e faqih ). Its outcome — an Islamic Republic "under the guidance of an 80-year-old exiled religious scholar from Qom " — was, as one scholar put it, "clearly an occurrence that had to be explained." Not so unique but more intense is the dispute over the revolution's results. Everyone saw the Shah as guidance for their country.

Imperial Iranian Army revoked their allegiance to the throne and declared neutrality on 11 February 1979. The Iranian Revolution ( , ; also 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 —who was supported by the United States —and the replacement of his government with an Islamic republic under the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini , a leader of one of the factions in the revolt. The revolution was supported by various Islamist and leftist organizations and student movements . Demonstrations against the Shah commenced in October 1977, developing into a campaign of civil resistance that included both secular and religious elements. The protests rapidly intensified in 1978 as a result of the burning of Rex Cinema which was seen as the main cause of the Revolution, and between August and December that year, strikes and demonstrations paralyzed the country. The Shah left Iran in exile on 16 January 1979, as the last Persian monarch , leaving his duties to a regency council and Shapour Bakhtiar , who was an opposition-based prime minister . Ayatollah Khomeini was invited back to Iran by the government, and returned to Tehran to a greeting by several million Iranians. The royal reign collapsed shortly after, on 11 February, when guerrillas and rebel troops overwhelmed troops loyal to the Shah in armed street fighting , bringing Khomeini to official power. Iran voted by national referendum to become an Islamic republic on 1 April 1979 and to formulate and approve a new theocratic-republican constitution whereby Khomeini became supreme leader of the country in December 1979. The revolution was unusual for the surprise it created throughout the world. It lacked many of the customary causes of revolution (defeat in war, a financial crisis , peasant rebellion , or disgruntled military); occurred in a nation that was experiencing relative prosperity ; produced profound change at great speed; was massively popular; resulted in the exile of many Iranians; and replaced a pro-Western authoritarian monarchy with an anti-Western theocracy based on the concept of velayat-e faqih (or Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists ). It was a relatively nonviolent revolution , and it helped to redefine the meaning and practice of modern revolutions (although there was violence in its aftermath). There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ). * "Islamic Revolution | History of Iran ." Iran Chamber Society . " Islamic Revolution of Iran ." MSN Encarta . " The Islamic Revolution ." Vis à Vis Beyond the Veil . " Revolution ." The Iranian . 2006. "Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi" . : Unknown parameter |encyclopedia= ignored ( help ) Gölz, Olmo. 2017. " Khomeini's Face is in the Moon: Limitations of Sacredness and the Origins of Sovereignty ." Pp. 229–44 in Sakralität und Heldentum , edited by F. Leonhard , and R. von den Hoff, ( Helden - Heroisierungen - Heroismen 6). The Life and Times of the Shah . "Mass Protests in the Islamic Revolution, 1977–79." Pp. 162–78 in Civil Resistance and Power Politics: The Experience of Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present , edited by A. " 1979: Exiled Ayatollah Khomeini returns to Iran ." ' . 2007.

Revolution in Iran from 1978 to 1979 This article is about the 1979 revolution. Imperial Iranian Army revoked their allegiance to the throne and declared neutrality on 11 February 1979. Ancient period Imperial period Medieval period CE / AD Early modern period Modern period Contemporary period Related articles Name Monarchs Heads of state Economic history LGBT history Military history Women's history Wars before 1979 after 1979 Timeline Iran portal v t e The Iranian Revolution ( , Enqelâb-e Irân ), or the Islamic Revolution ( , Enqelâb-e Eslâmī ), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution also led to the replacement of the Imperial State of Iran by the present-day Islamic Republic of Iran , as the monarchical government of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was superseded by the theocratic government of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini , a religious cleric who had headed one of the rebel factions. The ousting of Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran , formally marked the end of Iran's historical monarchy . After the 1953 Iranian coup d'état , Pahlavi aligned Iran with the Western Bloc and cultivated a close relationship with the United States to consolidate his power as an authoritarian ruler. Relying heavily on American support amidst the Cold War , he remained the Shah of Iran for 26 years after the coup, effectively keeping the country from swaying towards the influence of the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union . Beginning in 1963, Pahlavi implemented a number of reforms aimed at modernizing Iranian society, in what is known as the White Revolution . In light of his continued vocal opposition to the modernization campaign after being arrested twice, Khomeini was exiled from Iran in 1964 . However, as major ideological tensions persisted between Pahlavi and Khomeini, anti-government demonstrations began in October 1977, eventually developing into a campaign of civil resistance that included elements of secularism and Islamism . In August 1978, the deaths of between 377 and 470 people in the Cinema Rex fire — claimed by the opposition as having been orchestrated by Pahlavi's SAVAK — came to serve as a catalyst for a popular revolutionary movement across all of Iran, and large-scale strikes and demonstrations paralyzed the entire country for the remainder of that year. On 16 January 1979, Pahlavi left the country and went into exile as the last Iranian monarch, leaving behind his duties to Iran's Regency Council and Shapour Bakhtiar , the opposition-based Iranian prime minister . On 1 February 1979, Khomeini returned to Iran , following an invitation by the government; several thousand Iranians gathered to greet him as he landed in the capital city of Tehran . By 11 February 1979, the monarchy was officially brought down and Khomeini assumed leadership over Iran while guerrillas and rebel troops overwhelmed Pahlavi loyalists in armed combat. Following the March 1979 Islamic Republic referendum , in which 98% of Iranian voters approved the country's shift to an Islamic republic , the new government began efforts to draft the present-day Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran ; Ayatollah Khomeini emerged as the Supreme Leader of Iran in December 1979. The success of the Iranian Revolution was met with surprise around the world, and was considered by many to be unusual in nature: it lacked many of the customary causes of revolutionary sentiment (e.g., defeat in war, a financial crisis, peasant rebellion , or disgruntled military); occurred in a country that was experiencing relative prosperity; produced profound change at great speed; was massively popular; resulted in the massive exile that characterizes a large portion of today's Iranian diaspora ; and replaced a pro- Western secular and authoritarian monarchy with an anti-Western Islamist theocracy that was based on the concept of Velâyat-e Faqih (or Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist ), straddling between authoritarianism and totalitarianism . In addition to these, the Iranian Revolution sought the spread of Shia Islam across the Middle East through the ideological tenets of Khomeinism — particularly as a means of uprooting the region's , which favoured Sunni Islam . After the consolidation of Khomeinist factions , Iran began to back Shia militancy across the region in an attempt to combat Sunni influence and establish Iranian dominance within the Arab world , ultimately aiming to achieve an Iranian-led Shia political order. IRANIAN HISTORY (2) Islamic period (page 6)" . In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Fear of the shah and his regime had disappeared, and anti-government and pro-Khomeini demonstrations escalated, with the soldiers refusing to shoot the offenders, who went on a rampage, burning cinemas and destroying banks and some government buildings. (...) thirty-seven days by a caretaker regime, which collapsed on 11 February when guerillas and rebel troops overwhelmed troops loyal to the shah in armed street fighting. Journal of Conflict Studies . [2004] 2009." Islamic Revolution of Iran ." MSN Encarta . U.S. foreign policy in perspective: clients, enemies and empire . The Life and Times of the Shah . "Mass Protests in the Islamic Revolution, 1977–79." Pp. 162–78 in Civil Resistance and Power Politics: The Experience of Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present , edited by A. After more than a year of civil strife and street protests, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi left Iran for exile in January 1979. International Encyclopedia of Political Science . Another interesting borderline case between authoritarianism and totalitarianism is Iran, where an almost totalitarian interpretation of a religious ideology is combined with elements of limited pluralism. Under the Islamist regime, Islam has been transformed into a political ideology with a totalitarian bent, and the limited pluralism is allowed only among political groups loyal to the Islamic revolution. There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

Revolution in Iran from 1978 to 1979 This article is about the 1979 revolution. Imperial Iranian Army revoked their allegiance to the throne and declared neutrality on 11 February 1979. Ancient period Imperial period Medieval period CE / AD Early modern period Modern period Contemporary period Related articles Name Monarchs Heads of state Economic history LGBT history Military history Women's history Wars before 1979 after 1979 Timeline Iran portal v t e The Iranian Revolution was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Imperial State of Iran by the Islamic Republic of Iran , as the monarchical government of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was superseded by Ruhollah Khomeini , an Islamist cleric who had headed one of the rebel factions. The ousting of Mohammad Reza, the last shah of Iran , formally marked the end of Iran's historical monarchy . In 1953, the CIA- and MI6-backed 1953 Iranian coup d'état overthrew Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh , who had nationalized the country's oil industry to reclaim sovereignty from British control. The coup reinstated Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as an absolute monarch and significantly increased United States influence over Iran. Economically, American firms gained considerable control over Iranian oil production, with US companies taking around 40 percent of the profits. Politically, Iran acted as a counterweight to the Soviet Union and aligned closely with the Western Bloc . Additionally, the US provided the Shah both the funds and the training for SAVAK , Iran’s infamous secret police , with CIA assistance . By the late 1960s and early 1970s, with the US increasingly involved in the Vietnam War and unable to maintain its interests globally, it adopted the Nixon Doctrine , effectively shifting the burden of regional security to allied states. Iran under the Shah, became "regional policemen" in the Persian Gulf , with Iran’s defense budget increasing around 800 percent over four to five years, as it purchased advanced weaponry from the US. This rapid militarization contributed to severe economic instability, including spiraling inflation, mass migration from rural areas to cities, and widespread social disruption. At the same time, the Shah’s regime grew increasingly authoritarian; those who spoke out were often arrested or tortured by SAVAK. Much of this repression unfolded with little scrutiny or challenge from the US. By the late 1970s, popular resistance to the Shah’s rule had reached a breaking point. Additionally in 1963, the Shah launched the White Revolution , a top-down modernization and land reform program that alienated many sectors of society, especially the clergy. Khomeini emerged as a vocal critic and was exiled in 1964. However, as ideological tensions persisted between Pahlavi and Khomeini, anti-government demonstrations began in October 1977, developing into a campaign of civil resistance that included communism , socialism , and Islamism. By 1977, mass protests were underway. A key turning point occurred in August 1978, when the Cinema Rex fire killed around 400 people. While arson by Islamist militants was later alleged, a large portion of the public believed it was a false flag operation by the Shah's secret police (SAVAK) to discredit the opposition and justify a crackdown, fueling nationwide outrage and mobilization. By the end of 1978, the revolution had become a broad-based uprising that paralyzed the country for the remainder of that year. On 16 January 1979, Pahlavi went into exile as the last Iranian monarch, leaving his duties to Iran's Regency Council and Shapour Bakhtiar , the opposition-based prime minister. On 1 February 1979, Khomeini returned , following an invitation by the government; several million greeted him as he landed in Tehran . By 11 February, the monarchy was brought down and Khomeini assumed leadership while guerrillas and rebel troops overwhelmed Pahlavi loyalists in armed combat. Following the March 1979 Islamic Republic referendum , in which 98% approved the shift to an Islamic republic , the new government began drafting the present-day constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran ; Khomeini emerged as the Supreme Leader of Iran in December 1979. The revolution was fueled by widespread perceptions of the Shah's regime as corrupt, repressive, and overly reliant on foreign powers, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom. Many Iranians felt that the Shah's government was not acting in the best interests of the Iranian people and that it was too closely aligned with Western interests, especially at the expense of Iranian sovereignty and cultural identity. However others perceived the success of the revolution as being unusual, since it lacked many customary causes of revolutionary sentiment, e.g. defeat in war, financial crisis, peasant rebellion , or disgruntled military. It occurred in a country experiencing relative prosperity, produced profound change at great speed, and resulted in a massive exile that characterizes a large portion of Iranian diaspora , and replaced a pro-Western secular and authoritarian monarchy with an anti-Western Islamic republic based on the concept of Velâyat-e Faqih ( Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist ), straddling between authoritarianism and totalitarianism . In addition to declaring the destruction of Israel as a core objective, post-revolutionary Iran aimed to undermine the influence of Sunni leaders in the region by supporting Shi'ite political ascendancy and exporting Khomeinist doctrines abroad. In the aftermath of the revolution , Iran began to back Shia militancy across the region, to combat Sunni influence and establish Iranian dominance in the Arab world , ultimately aiming to achieve an Iranian-led Shia political order. Iranian History (2) Islamic period (page 6)" . In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Fear of the shah and his regime had disappeared, and anti-government and pro-Khomeini demonstrations escalated, with the soldiers refusing to shoot the offenders, who went on a rampage, burning cinemas and destroying banks and some government buildings. (...) thirty-seven days by a caretaker regime, which collapsed on 11 February when guerillas and rebel troops overwhelmed troops loyal to the shah in armed street fighting. Journal of Conflict Studies . "How Britain Crushed Democracy in Iran" . tribunemag.co.uk . This is why they hate each other" . In America and Iran: A history, 1720 to the present" . U.S. foreign policy in perspective: clients, enemies and empire . The Life and Times of the Shah . "Mass Protests in the Islamic Revolution, 1977–79." Pp. 162–78 in Civil Resistance and Power Politics: The Experience of Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present , edited by A. After more than a year of civil strife and street protests, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi left Iran for exile in January 1979. BBC: On This Day . 2007. International Encyclopedia of Political Science . Another interesting borderline case between authoritarianism and totalitarianism is Iran, where an almost totalitarian interpretation of a religious ideology is combined with elements of limited pluralism. Under the Islamist regime, Islam has been transformed into a political ideology with a totalitarian bent, and the limited pluralism is allowed only among political groups loyal to the Islamic revolution. Tyrants: Power, Injustice and Terror . There are <ref group=Note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ).