The Iranian Revolution Of 1979

The Iranian revolution of January 1978- February 1979, was primarily aimed to overthrow the Pahlavi government. There were many reasons for the revolution, however only a few are major reasons. One of the larger reasons to overthrow the government was because the Iranian population did not accept the policies of westernization that Shāh Mohammad Rezā Pahlavi had imposed. The Iranians believed that these policies were an insult to their culture and that the Shah was being controlled by the united states of america. The oil boom was another reason for which the population of Iran was not content with the Pahlavi government. Iran had invested close to $300,000,000 on new equipment to extract and refine oil. Long with the equipment, more than
ten thousand foreigners came to Iran to operate the machinery. With this many Iranians believed that the foreigners would alter the existing way of life. In 1977 public protests and demonstrations began when the young son of a Iranian politician passed away. In fear of what could come, Pahlavi decided to ask the USA for insight and aid. When American president jimmy carter analyzed the situation, he and a team of professionals deemed Iran nowhere near a state of revolution. One year later, the revolution was upon Iran. Ayatollah Khomeini assumed the position as the leader or the rebels. Ayatollah Khomeini had been the lewder of the opposition during the white revolution in 1963, however was in exile for the passed 15 years until returning to Iran in 1978. Khomeini encouraged violence, martyr and protests as he claimed that it was part of shia Islam. Over the next 10 months, the protests and public demonstrations grew more violent and much larger. On the 16th of January 1979, Shah Muhammad Rezā Pahlavi steeped down and fled Iran with his wife. The newly established Islamic republic lead by Khomeini then assumed the government. On the 11th of February 1979, the last of the Shah's supporters surrendered, giving victory to the Islamic republic. On the 1st of April, a national referendum made Iran a Islamic republic and approved a new democratic-theocratic hybrid constitution where Ayatollah Khomeini became the supreme ruler of Iran.