Iranian and Russian Revolutions

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Iranian and Russian Revolutions

• Steven King

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Iranian Revolution

• In 1979, despite much economic growth, strong
  opposition to ruler Mohammad Reza Shah
• Opposed because of use of secret police, the
  Savak, to control country and policies favoring
  America but violating the Quran and the Iranian
  Constitution of 1907
• Opposition led by Ayatollah Khomeini

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Iranian Revolution

• At first, he was exiled to Iraq and France and
  his message was distributed through music
  cassette tapes smuggled into Iran in small
  numbers
• On January 16, 1979, Shah left Iran because of
  advanced lymphatic cancer
• Shapour Bakhtiar, his prime minister, could no
  longer control the country

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Iranian Revolution

• Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran on February 1
• Ten days later Bakhtiar went into hiding
• People who opposed the Shah started executing
  hundreds of people
• Had a national vote in which the only thing
  written on the ballot was Islamic Republic Yes
  or No

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Iranian Revolution

• The Islamic Republic won with a landslide victory
• On April 1, Ayatollah Khomeini declared a new
  constitution with his ideals of Islamic
  government
• He became the supreme spiritual leader of Iran
  and many protests were held against many of his
  new rules, such as extreme regulations on womens
  dress code

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Iranian Revolution

• On November 4, Islamic students stormed the US
  embassy and took 66 people hostage
• The prime minister Mehdi Bazargan resigned and a
  new president was elected
• In 1980, Beni Sadr was elected president
• Due to the political turmoil, Iraq saw its
  neighbor as weak and invaded, but Iran had
  surprising defensive success

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Iranian Revolution

• On January 20, 1981 the hostages from the US
  embassy were finally released
• Sadr was removed from power by Ayatollah Khomeini
  and Ali Rajai was elected in his place
• On August 30, Rajai and his prime minister were
  killed in a bombing
• Hojatoleslam Seyed Ali Khamenei was elected

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Iranian Revolution

• By the summer of 1982, Iran had recaptured all
  the territory gained by Iraq and drove them out
  completely
• On August 20, 1988, Iraq and Iran called a cease
  fire and accepted UN resolution 598

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Russian Revolution

• Split into two parts called the February
  Revolution and the October Revolution

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February Revolution

• Sparked from WWI and dissatisfaction with the way
  the country was being run by Tsarina Alexandra
  Fyodorovna of Hesse and Tsar Nicholas' ministers
  while the Tsar was away at war
• WWI was causing most of Russias internal
  problems and Nicholass personal assumption of
  command displayed him in a bad light

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February Revolution

• In August of 1914, all political parties had
  supported WWI, but as the war advanced Russia
  slipped into a state of decline
• The factories were not productive enough, the
  railways were insufficient, and the general
  logistics of Russia were poor
• The moral of troops was low and mutinies sprang
  up frequently

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February Revolution

• On the home front, they were threatened by famine
  and commodities were scarce
• The conditions were right for an uprising
• Harsh winter
• Food Shortage
• General disagreement with the war
• Strikes from workers in Petrograd marked the
  beginning of a revolution

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February Revolution

• The strikes started at the major plant, Putilov,
  and spread to the other plants
• Eventually the majority of the town was on strike
• The people started rioting and clashed with the
  police, resulting in casualties on both sides
• They invaded the police headquarters for weapons

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February Revolution

• The Tsar sent a battalion to suppress the riots,
  but most of the soldiers deserted and aided the
  uprising
• The Tsar refused to believe reports
• He got word that his children had contacted
  measles and returned home
• The train was diverted by disloyal troops
• When it arrived, his army chiefs and prime
  ministers suggested he resign

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February Revolution

• He abdicated and nominated Grand Duke Michael
  Alexandrovich to succeed him
• The Grand Duke declined and the Provisional
  Government gained control of Russia
• The Provisional Government came under the control
  of a Social Revolutionary named Alexander
  Kerensky

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February Revolution

• The Petrograd Soviet issued Order No. 1, which
  ordered the army to obey them rather than the
  Provisional Government
• The dual authority between the Petrograd Soviet
  and the Provisional Government was replaced
  during the October Revolution

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October Revolution

• Also known as the Bolshevik Revolution
• The frustrations of workers and soldiers at a
  failed attack on Germany and erupted into riots
  in July
• A group of 20,000 armed sailors march to
  Petrograd and demanded that the Soviet take power
• After the riots were stifled, the government
  blamed the Bolsheviks

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October Revolution

• The Kornilov Affair also abetted the revolution
• Alexander Kerensky, who was involved in both the
  Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet,
  felt he needed a trustworthy military leader
• He appointed Lavr Kornilov, but Kornilov saw it
  as an opportunity to take control of Petrograd
  for himself

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October Revolution

• When Kerensky realized what happened, the
  Bolsheviks Red Guard offered to defend the city
• Even though the seizure never actually took
  place, the Bolsheviks were seen as the defenders
  of the city
• Kerenskys reputation was irreversibly damaged

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October Revolution

• Shortly afterwards, Lenin led an uprising in St.
  Petersburg against Kerenskys ineffective
  Provisional Government
• The revolt in Petrograd was essentially bloodless
  with the Red Guard seizing control of government
  facilities with little resistance
• The final assault was made on the Winter Palace

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October Revolution

• Most movies about this seize depict troops
  storming the castle, but they basically just
  walked in the front door
• Over half of the Russian Congress were
  Bolsheviks, so after the seizure they voted that
  the power be transferred to the Soviet
• The revolution transformed Russian from a
  liberal nation to a socialist

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Similarities

• Both revolutions installed a new type of
  government
• The leaders of both revolutions were exiled at
  one point because of their involvement with the
  revolution

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Differences

• The Iranian Revolution had much bloodshed, but
  the Russian Revolution did not
• The Iranian Revolution had religious and
  political reasons involved, while the Russian
  Revolution was social and political

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Works Cited

• http//www.iranchamber.com/
• http//www.wikeipedia.com