Behind the Curtain of the Iranian Revolution
Abstract
As the first globally televised revolution with dramatic images of hundreds of thousands of protesters in the street destroying effigies of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, it is easy to assume that Iran's revolution in 1979 succeeded due to a mass popular uprising against him. However, a review of Iran's modern history and a critical examination of firsthand accounts of the 1979revolution reveal that its success had more to do with the Shah and his regime than the revolution itself. This study takes amore nuanced look into the role of the Shah's own regime in bringing about the success of the revolution where previous attempts had failed, while also countering common misconceptions that the revolution was necessarily Islamic or even popular. Dominant explanations on the success of the Iranian Revolution overemphasize social upheaval and the role of the revolutionaries as the critical factors for its success. However, it was the Shah's own insecurities and power plays by members of his own royal court that led to the revolution's success. In fact, Iran's leading clergy at that time did not support the Shah's ousting and implored the Shah to restore order. Any modern analysis of revolution must not only consider the revolutionaries, but more importantly, the ability of the existing government to remain unified and maintain control.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 05, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1176860
Entities
People
- Kurosh Massoud Kurosh
Organizations
- Marine Corps University