East vs. West
The Iran Revolution
Patten & Valdner
Global History II
Mepham High School
Iran
Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi
Iran
» Iranian nationalist who
attempted to modernize
and westernize Iran.
» Allows capitalism
» Developed Iran’s oil
industry
» Repressed civil rights.
» Supported by US
A Divided Iran
» Upper Classes
» Lower Classes
» Wealthy
» Poor
» Urban
» Rural
» Westernized
» Traditional
» Secular
» Very Religious
» Minority of the
population
» Majority of the
population
Ayatollah Khomeini
Iran
» Fundamentalist cleric
he led the 1979 Iranian
Revolution.
» Under his leadership
America was known as
“the great satan”.
Fundamentalist
» A fundamentalist is
a believer in
traditional religious
beliefs. Often
fundamentalists
oppose modern
reforms in favor of
returning to
traditional beliefs.
Ayatollah Khomeini
» Overthrows the Shah
» Religious man who wants Iran to
be a religious state (Islamic
Fundamentalist)
» Leads the Iranian Revolution
» Iran becomes a strict Muslim state
The Iranian Revolution
1979
» Causes
» Shah Pahlavi was westernizing Iran
» Religious people were unhappy
» Khomeini will gain support of the
Islamic Fundamentalists
American Hostages
The Iranian Revolution
1979
» Effects
» Khomeini takes power in 1979
» The Shah flees Iran; helped by U.S.A.
» 53 Americans are taken hostage at the
US embassy until 1981
The Iranian Revolution
1979
» Effects
» Iran becomes a theocracy
» Iran becomes a strict Muslim State;
laws in Iran are based in the Koran
(Quran)
» Women lost all rights and privileges.
Government bans western books.
Conflict between
Modernization &
Tradition