Iran

Iran

1. Beginning of the 1900's

   • Iran, ruled by Shah was an Independent country, but the British controlled their oil fields.
   • 1951
     • Shah made Mohammed Mossadeq the Prime Minister due to all the support he was getting from people as he returned Iran’s right on their own oil resources.
       • Britain made as much as it could so that Iran couldn’t get any success.
     • 1953
       • The overthrow of Mossadeq’s government.
         • America joined British side because they were afraid of Communism.
           • As a result of all the American and British pressure, Shah replaced Mossadeq and imprisoned him.
       • 1955
         • Iran went back to the old business earning 40% of their own oil and joined an anti-Soviet alliance with Britain, Turkey, and Iraq
           • As a result of the incomes they were getting, Shah made lots of positive changes and reforms in his country. But there was a vast contrast between the rich and the poor masses.
         • 1978
           • Shah had to face opposition the army and police killed more and more people and as a result, there were even more strikes and protests.
             • By the end of the year, many soldiers refused to kill more people, as some of them sympathised with the protestors
           • 1979
             • In January Shah left iran for Cancer reasons but he never returned. Who did was the 76-year-old Khomeini to celebrate their triumph with most of the population and to declare an Islamic Revolution.
               • An Islamic Republic was established after the Shah’s last prime minister fled the country and most of the army declared support for the revolution.
                 • There were many different groups competing for power in Iran. Like the Communist Party, and the one who wanted a Western-style democracy.
                   • However, the ones who had the power here were the Ayatollah Khomeini’s supporters.
                   • Western pop music and films were banned, and many Shah’s supporters were executed.
             • As the USA was the former ally of the Shah and offered medical treatment to their people in November 1979, it was now known in Iran as “the Great Satan”
               • And for the USA, Iran was now an international “outlaw” country.
               • Meanwhile neighbouring Iraq was a prime target for the export of the Islamic revolution.
                 • As they had Shiite population that were executed from top positions in government, Khomeini accused the Iraq government of being “atheist” and “corrupt”
                   • He called on them to: “Wake up and topple this corrupt regime in your Islamic country before it’s too late…”
             • 1980
               • Saddam Hussein invades Iran
                 • Iran- Irak war