History of Iran

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History of Iran
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Persian Empire
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History

• PersiaHistorical name
• for Iran (Name changed to Iran in 1935 at the
  request of the Shah)
• Persians are an Ethnic Group descended from the
  Aryans
• Ruled by dynasties ruler is Shah
• Spoke Persian (Farsi) dialect

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Persia and Islam

• 650 A.D. Conquered by Islamic Arabs
• Entirely new language, religion and culture was
  imposed on the Persians
• Under the Safavid dynasty (1500s), Iran became
  the largest Shi'ite country in the Muslim world,
  which it still is today.

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Persia and Europe

• 1722Beginning of European invasion and influence
  in the region
• Persia sandwiched between a growing Russian
  Empire in Central Asia and the expanding British
  Empire in India

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• Never directly invaded, both Great Britain and
  Russia created a sphere of influence over
  Persia
• Sphere of Influence when a country falls under
  the political influence of another country
  becomes almost like a subsidiary of the more
  powerful country.

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Persia and Great Britain

• After WWI, claimed as a British protectorate
• Protectorate a state or territory controlled by
  a more powerful state. It is not a possession of
  the controlling state. The controlling state
  typically directs foreign relations and defense.
  The relationship is established by treaty.

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• 1921 Reza Shah Pahlavi installed as the ruler
  of the Pahlavi dynasty
• Ruled for 16 years
• Pushed out British attempt at control
• Began to modernize and secularize politics
• Central government reasserted power over the
  indigenous people.

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Post War Iran

• 1941 new Shah Reza Shah Pahlavi who ruled until
  1979
• International hope that Iran would be a
  constitutional monarchy with Parliament
  maintaining most of the power.
• Shah had a hands off style of managing.

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Oil in Iran

• Oil discovered in 1908
• British exerted influence through British
  Petroleum Company
• 1951 the Prime Minister forced Parliament to
  nationalize the British owned/run oil industry

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• In return for US support, the Shah agreed to
  allow a consortium of countries British (40),
  US (40), Dutch (14) and French (6) to run
  Iranian oil facilities for 25 years.
• This left 0 of the control and profits to Iran.

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Islamic Revolution

• 1979 Protests forced the Shah to flee
• Transformed Iran from a pro-west monarchy to an
  Islamic theocracy
• Control won by Ayatollah Khomeini
• New government is extremely conservative

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Former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini
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Significant Events

• 1979Militant Iranian Students seized the US
  Embassy in Tehran and held hostages for 444 days.
  Failed US rescue mission
• 1980-88Iran/Iraq War Known as the First
  Persian Gulf War.

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Significant Events

• 1980-88Iran/Iraq War Known as the First
  Persian Gulf War (until the 1990 Persian Gulf
  War).
• Sparked by a territorial disputes primarily
  related to the Shatt-al-Arab waterway at the head
  of the Persian Gulf.

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Shatt-al-Arab waterway
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Significant Events

• The war was disastrous for both countries
• stalling economic development
• disrupting oil exports
• costing an estimated 1.5 million lives.

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• Iraq was left with serious debts to its former
  Arab backers
• including 14 billion US dollars loaned by
  Kuwait, a debt which contributed to Saddam's 1990
  decision to invade Kuwait.

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Significant Events

• Much of both sides' oil industry was damaged.
• The end of the war left the borders unchanged.
• 1990 as war with the western powers loomed,
  Saddam recognized Iranian rights over the eastern
  half of the Shatt al-Arab, reverting to the
  status quo which he had repudiated a decade
  earlier.

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A satellite image showing the Persian Gulf
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Now, what about their nuclear capabilities?????