636. Revolution in Iran: Fall of the Shah (Part 1)
This episode examines the events leading up to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, focusing on Jimmy Carter's ill-timed toast to the Shah of Iran on New Year's Eve 1977, just days before violent protests erupted. The hosts explore the backgrounds of both the Shah and Ayatollah Khomeini, setting up the dramatic confrontation between modernizing monarchy and Islamic revolution.
Summary
The episode opens with Jimmy Carter toasting the Shah of Iran and Empress Farah at a banquet in Tehran on New Year's Eve 1977, praising Iran as a guarantee of stability in the Middle East. This moment proves deeply ironic as violent revolution breaks out just days later. The hosts examine the background of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the Shah, born in 1919 to an army officer who staged a British-backed coup in 1921. The Shah became ruler at 21 when the British forced his father to abdicate during WWII, and was later restored to power in the controversial 1953 CIA-backed coup that toppled democratically elected Prime Minister Mosaddegh. By the 1960s-70s, flush with oil money from the OPEC crisis, the Shah developed a personality cult, threw extravagant parties like the famous Persepolis celebration, and pursued aggressive modernization while maintaining a corrupt court. Meanwhile, Jimmy Carter, the unlikely president from rural Georgia, brought his evangelical Christianity and populist appeal to the White House but struggled with foreign policy inexperience. The episode then introduces Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, born around 1900, who became a respected Islamic scholar and political opponent of the Shah's westernizing policies. The hosts explain the crucial role of Shia Islam in Iranian identity, built around concepts of martyrdom, suffering, and apocalyptic expectations. Khomeini was exiled to Iraq in 1964 after opposing the Shah's reforms and American military immunity agreements. By 1978, economic problems, massive urban migration, inflation, and social tensions created a powder keg. The revolution began in January 1978 when government newspapers attacked Khomeini, triggering protests in the holy city of Qom where several people died. This started a 40-day cycle of memorial services and new protests. The turning point came in August 1978 when Islamic militants (though blamed on the Shah) burned down a cinema in Abadan, killing 500 people. Mass protests followed, culminating in the September 8 'Black Friday' massacre at Jaleh Square where troops killed about 100 demonstrators. By November, Ambassador Sullivan was cabling Washington that the Shah was finished and America should consider dealing with Khomeini.
Key Insights
- The hosts argue that Carter's presidency became consumed by the Iranian revolution, making it one of the first major political casualties of the Islamic revolution that would reshape global politics
- The speakers claim the Iranian revolution ranks as one of only three truly global revolutions in history, comparable to the French and Russian revolutions in its dramatic cultural and political consequences
- The hosts explain that the 1953 CIA-backed coup against Mosaddegh created a lasting perception among Iranians that the Shah was a Western puppet, fundamentally undermining his legitimacy
- The speakers argue that the Shah's oil wealth from the 1970s OPEC crisis, rather than strengthening his regime, actually destabilized it by creating massive inflation, inequality, and social dislocation
- The hosts contend that American foreign policy makers' complete lack of understanding of Shia Islamic theology and apocalyptic worldview left them unprepared to handle Khomeini's rise
- The speakers claim that Shia Islam's distinctive theology, centered on martyrdom, suffering, and rejection of temporal authority, made it particularly suited for revolutionary opposition to the Shah
- The hosts argue that the Shah's modernization policies, while improving conditions for women and minorities, alienated traditional religious constituencies and created a dangerous gap between rich and poor
- The speakers suggest that the massive influx of American personnel and culture into Iran created a profound sense of cultural alienation among traditional Iranians, particularly young men from rural backgrounds
- The hosts reveal that the Shah was secretly suffering from leukemia throughout the revolutionary period, which his doctors initially concealed from him, contributing to his listless response to the crisis
- The speakers argue that the August 1978 Abadan cinema fire, killing 500 people, became the crucial turning point when public opinion definitively turned against the Shah, regardless of who was actually responsible
- The hosts contend that the 40-day Shia mourning cycle created a predictable rhythm of escalating protests that the government proved unable to break
- The speakers claim that by November 1978, even experienced diplomats like Ambassador Sullivan recognized that the Shah's regime was finished and America needed to consider accommodation with Khomeini
Topics
Full transcript available for MurmurCast members
Sign Up to Access