979 Shah Mohammed to raise our pocket he was overthrown by a revolution that put an end to a monarchy that was more than 2500 years old. Its true nature i didnt believe it was an uprising at 1st. You know. Thats where 13 regimes fall 1st gradually and then suddenly. The shahs mistake was to want to do too much too fast Mohammad Reza pocket he was the last shah of iran and a key figure in World Politics during the 2nd half of the 20th century. Is our own and was the shiite ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini who became a beacon of resistance to the shots room. He by groups who got to see the 2 of them were polar opposites both in terms of social image and personality by then bells on they became very fierce antagonists absolutely and the shock developed. And almost of session with. Their rivalry lasted almost a lifetime eventually the shah was defeated and with the ayatollahs victory came islamic fundamentalism a new challenge for World Politics. In september 941 at the height of the 2nd world war the Iranian Parliament swore in 21 year old mohammed a raise of hostility as the countrys new head of state. His father razor sharp levy had declared iran neutral but make no secret of his sympathies with the nazi regime the allies demanded his abdication. Since hitlers invasion of the soviet union in 1941 the british and americans had been transporting heavy military equipment through iran to aid russians in their fight against the german reich. I say 5 and up to one raises abdicated and fled iran he left his son behind president Mohammad Reza stayed in iran raise a shot told him to remain there and take over last year. Mohammed race has father had prepared him for this moment from a young age his crown prince had always had a special role among his siblings his father chose his sons playmates and sent him to an elite Swiss Boarding School to receive a western education. He also dictators who he would marry. The egyptian princess. A union that ultimately would end in divorce razor sharp wanted this arranged marriage between the 2 ruling families to strengthen the power of the path luvvie dentistry in iraq. And he was of very very powerful charismatic figure who completely dominates the sons life. 300 kilometers southwest of the capital tehran lies the away says city of hama and the youngest of 6 children Ruhollah Khomeini was born here in 1902 and a house on the outskirts of the city. His father was murdered when he was just 5 years old. The case was officially never solved but khomeini always held razor sharp responsible. Until the end of his days at a lawful may need so that there is a shop a surly have intervened to say the bear this was the bitterness lived in him because in his writings you know every now and then uses those whose fathers have been killed but it is a shock. Growing up without a father which shaped the rest of how many as life his mother put him in the care of a wealthy aunt who made sure he got a good education. Common and started school age 5 a Village School teacher taught him to read and write and he proved to be a quick learner far more capable than his classmates while the Children Play and he studied and read the koran. Before razor sharp was forced to abdicate he had launched a comprehensive program of reforms he wanted iran to become a modern country and one of his moves was to ban women from wearing the traditional veil known as the shadow or the clergy accused him of meddling in their affairs and a wave of protests and chewed. Khomeini was now starting islamic law and he also felt that this was a fundamental violation of the principles of islam. It must have come as a relief to form a need when razor sharp was pressured by the allies to abdicate khamenei demanded that iran should return to being governed by islamic law but his demands fell on deaf ears. Died in exile in south africa in 1984 or eyes were on his son when he took over. People were intrigued to see how he would solve the conflict with the clergy that he had inherited from his father up until then his public image had always been rather reserved. But the young sharon our showed surprising determination like his father he wanted to modernize the country and it society but he also wanted to end the religious dispute. Khamenei had by now started teaching as law and he found a willing audience among Young Students who were becoming increasingly radicalized one shiite fundamentalist group called itself. Islam the devoted ease of islam it still exists today. Its members came from poor districts of tehran and campaigned for a theocratic state based on the koran they wanted all western influences banned and to force women to cover up in public. Be deemed a couple of years the really big a very important because the 1st or their assassinated of intellectual missive im not just robbie who campaigned against islam as a whole then they proceeded further and assassinated the Prime Minister general russel mara. For many was. The cleric who gave them. Cover the president. You just killed somebody unless. The rights of us for example. In early 1949 unknown attackers tried to kill the shah many believed the devoted behind the attempted assassination although that was never proven the Iranian Parliament accused the pro moscow today party and banned it a move the shark proved off because he wants answers species of communism as he was of radical islam his political path was leading him toward the west. American. Here you go. Here and the great of the market is enough for you. U. S. President harry s. Truman and the people of america gave shar mohammed a raise or an exuberant welcome when he arrived in november 949 of course this wasnt a purely selfless gesture america was looking to gain access to the immense oil reserves in iran. The shah also needed support for his plans to modernize the country and was interested in Technical Innovations like the hoover dam but not everyone shared his enthusiasm for the west. The slanderer took a page the country was totally dependent the shah is dependent on the americans and the british but we wanted to have an independent state. A country that was in control of its own fate. One that made its own decisions and shy that. The postwar Global Economic boom was fueled by one thing in particular oil the largest refinery in the world was being built in a dan not far from the Persian Gulf Oil production had been a predominantly british enterprise since the start of the 20th century the Anglo Persian Oil company in iran was like a state within a state. In march 951 the Iranian Parliament decided to nationalize the oil industry and britain cut off its supply to iran many skilled british workers had to leave the country the state takeover of the Oil Facilities was popular but the oil embargo soon caused an economic slump extreme part is like the communist today party. Exploited the crisis for their own ends. And the shah even briefly fled into exile to escape the line of fire. Several camps were now fighting for power in iran including the mullahs and their followers and various political groups like the communists who wanted to abolish the monarchy in favor of a peoples republic the shark it only hold on to his power with help from the us the American Intelligence Service the cia gave him money and helped him to set up his own secret Police Called some back. To. The shah was willing to team up with any ally who would fight against the influence of communism from the soviet union the clerics were traditionally anti communist and pro monarchy so he tried to win them over to his side but it didnt work. He certainly thought that that ideological backing was religion. And that again another mistake that he made. The region. Particularly as incarnated boyd the shiite clergy could never have because. The ideological framework on which to build more there now is a sham that was for nitish. In december 1959 tehran witnessed huge celebrations press photographers from all over the world fought for the best picture of mohammad a razor park lobby and his new wife. After 2 failed marriages his 3rd wife the new queen would soon give birth to the much awaited heir to the throne and ensure the future of the park lobbied in a state. With the shah by her side far apart harvey became an influential figure in her own right she accompanied him on his trip to america in april 962. 00 by the couple warmly received. Together with john f. Kennedy as president bashar intensified iran u. S. Relations the 2 of them agreed that only a Strong Military could fend off the latent threats from the soviet union the us promised aid to strengthen irans armed forces and in return for weapons america would get home while. It. Was. Already doing what the else them but often the americans gave the shah modern weapons to build up his armed forces. There were countless military advisors in iran who decided what would be done and what wouldnt you ask him to. Do it and the things they did was certainly not a service to democracy bush diminished a democratic. In the 960 s. Iran was still very much a developing country most people were tenant farmers with most of the land in the hands of feudal lords and big landowners including numerous mullahs and religious foundations. Was. On january the 11th 963 the sham put forward a comprehensive Reform Program aimed at significantly improving the peoples Living Conditions he called it the white revolution. And you know this if you can link the white revolution that his majesty decided to undertake was truly his idea and his decision that he wanted his country and his people to develop the vision j. Lo better a nationwide referendum was held on the vast majority. Today in favor of the ambitions program it aimed to abolish the feudal system privatized state owned companies combat illiteracy and give women the right to vote they want allowed to vote in the referendum but were allowed to fill in unofficial ballot papers to register their support of the rakyat he wanted to run to modernize the white but lucian was intended to make iran better and it did in many many ways it ended feudalism in iraq thats not an easy thing to do. The starting point of the white revolution was a land reform which met with staunch resistance from the clergy the shan gave more than 500000 hectares an area twice the size of luxembourg to 30000. 00 poor families. Yet there really would fit me. There were rumors that the sharks reforms who carried out under pressure from america which would have meant they would only have served colonial and imperialist interests and not those of the iranian people. In other words they were being carried out on foreign on american orders. Socalled educational soldiers were sent to Village Schools to teach children how to read write and count. Adult farmers and nomads also had to go to school the shot included people from all social classes in his campaign. As god i know i read so i voted to see if there was an army for literacy but not for real education. I mean of course its a good thing that people are literate but literacy doesnt equal political education theres a big difference for it it should be legal. And segue also into shit and or political education was banned in schools and in universities. From wharton. Khomeini became the spokesman for a group of mahlers who rejected this policy as being pro western. News that was a model law for many on one of the at the time the Ayatollah Khomeini was someone who represented the people and the opposition more that is on the hollow fundal was he bravely articulated their demands which is why we supported him. As i told our khomeini him i asked me to go for many votes of the at that khomeini was now very much in the public eye he was no longer the young clergyman he had been in the city of course complaining about razor sharp and holding back out of respect for his teachers so on and mel he was the grand ayatollah he gathered a considerable following and had much more potential to mobilize the people and buttons. So many took advantage of his enhanced power imagine from the shadows and adopting an. Gress if stance towards the shahs policies for the 1st time he publicly want him against continuing in the ways of his family. Forming you send a couple of letters directly addressed to the shah and the shah gave a couple of lectures speeches directly responding. I have quoted those at length in the shop and theyre remarkable khomeini for his defiance. Telling the shop boy. Dont do something so that i throw you out of the country like your father and the shah saying these little. The world is like ants like the who survived in feces we are not going to let them rule this country. The key elements of the white revolution was to strengthen the role of women in Iranian Society. Iranian women enjoyed their newly acquired rights and the selfconfidence that came with them not only could women vote they could even run for political office. It was a milestone on the Journey Towards female emancipation. Khomeini and his followers believed the foundations of their faith while under threat from the new role of women in politics and society and head back how many denounced corruption state violence and the torture employed by their son back secret police threatening what he called the tyrants of our time with a black reaction to the white revolution. Die. Ziad the karl drama back then khomeini was the only one who spoke out against the shah. To go out. He threatened to patrol him as a sinful person than mens. A religiously sinful person to mention and to organize a revolt against him. And i stand here you mean through orderly. Demonstrations and counterdemonstrations swept the country the shah sent the army into the holy city of qum and khomeini was arrested and sentenced to death. The sentence was mitigated after intervention from the clergy but khomeini was forced into exile in a jaf in iraq. Meanwhile the white revolution was running into problems in the country signed. The farmers now had their own fields to cultivate but they often lacked seeds water and modern farming equipment. That he usually is that adds the 7 for. The land reform resulted in people having to move out of their villages and into the cities such as terror. But they couldnt live in the city centers so they settled on the outskirts. It was these marginalized communities that became the soldiers of the revolution was decided was on and a lot for that when khomeini arrived in not just the stronghold of shiite islam in iraq he initially withdrew from public life now aged 60 he was isolated and believed that his time was coming to an end many Iranian Clerics wanted nothing to do with his Political Activities he started taking a renewed interest in the study of the holy scriptures and talked to is just a few of his students to keep up to date with the situation in iran. The family members who had accompanied him into exile were amongst his few supporters. When and why. When it was this distant figure very little interest in anything other than his mosque and his books and never went once 2 blocks from his house to the other side to see a river. Went to his mosque and came home for 14 years. Back in iran the shah had always maintained that he wanted to achieve something for his country before he finally ascended the Peacock Throne now he finally allowed himself to be crowned in a lavish coronation in october 967. He knew how important it was to display the dynastys religious foundations and it always involved the clergy and his public appearances so he had passed support as he took up his rightful place as the new shah one shot the king of kings. Years. He also had his wife crowned empress and elevation unprecedented in irans long history. To me a moderate candidate had to do beside him i would urge when his majesty placed the crown on my head it was as if he put it on the heads of all women. It was a very important moment in the history of our country. I didnt think that i had become important in my own right. I saw it as a sign of progress and respect for women. Earlier in 1967 the glamorous couple had been on a state visit to the federal republic of germany where they were greeted by president col hina luca and Chancellor Court keeping up. The visit focus primarily on economic ties between the 2 countries the shop visited the Big Steel Companies along the rhine and he needed help to industrialize his country for example building new dams for agricultural irrigation it was a lucrative opportunity for german businesses. But the ugly side of the shahs regime was revealed during the couples visit to the opera and ballet and when members of savak attacked demonstrators protesting against oppression and torture in iran the situation escalated in the shahs visit and the protests against his policies became a turning point in the history of west germany. I to drive his white revolution forward the shah used capital from abroad to upgrade his countrys technology he invested billions in electrification and in various industries. He wanted iran to catch up with the modern world and become the global power it once was. I think that our country in the next 10 years will be what you are today. In the next 25 years according to other people im not saying that would be among the 5 most prosperous countries of the world. The iranian capital in particular had started opening up to western culture and was quickly becoming a modern metropolis very few women still covered up in public and young people could travel freely and get an education abroad terence people enjoyed all the advantages of a cosmopolitan city where they were free to express themselves. But as far as the political structures were concerned nothing had changed embodied by the shah himself the monarchy remained an all powerful and unaccountable avoid to israel and then showed us