ia_2010_hag_b

= B. Summary of Evidence = In just one hundred days, protests would bring down the Iranian monarchy. Demonstration would multiply into the millions, strikes would spread and shut down the economy, including the oil industry that propped up the regime and the Shah would be forced to flee the country [|[i]]

There were in my opinion four key issues which ultimately lead up the Islamic Revolution of 1979. These being the Emergence of Protest in 1977, which essentially provides Political cause; the Shi'i Appeals (middle of 1978), which provide Cultural and Social cause; the General Strike (end of 1979) which provides Economic explanations and finally the military cause running through 1978 to 1979.

The Shah of Iran, had been friendly and established a warm and supportive alliance with America with the four previous Presidents before Carter. The Shah was very determined and made it a priority to observe the United States politics. Carter said "To all people I say that after two hundred years America still remains confident and youthful in its commitment to freedom and equality, and we always will be" [|[ii]]. This worried the Shah, as this would mean that the Iranians would want more freedom of speech, by which they might condemn and slate the riches of the Shah, they might even choose to instate a Parliament that could 'challenge the absolute power of the Shah' [|[iii]]

By early 1978 riots start to form and on the 9th of January 5 protesters were shot. "The officers fired shots in the air... the police began to level their weapons at the protesters" [|[iv]]. Khomeini began to win the population over, allowing him to rise up and address the national support beneath him, "Now that the great nation of Iran has consciously risen up..let [it's leaders] continue the struggle until the regime is overthrown." Followed shortly by his speech in Iraq "We are all duty bound to rise up against this person [the Shah]. An active uprising, a national uprising... I would be the first to take up arms, if I could" [|[v]].

After the Black Friday Massacre (when police opened fire on an unarmed crowd) demonstrations stopped and turned to less dangerous methods, striking. The most important strike occurred in the oil fields that supplied the regime's financial lifeblood [|[vi]]. However they assured themselves it was not a materialistic revolt "this is not a people that is hungry, it's a spiritual revolution. Look at the people breaking [windows]. They are breaking everything. They're not keeping anything for themselves." [|[vii]]

With strikes cascading nationally and revenues threatened by the oil workers "Walkout", the situation became critical in November of 1978. The Shah therefore reacted and appointed a military government. He cracked down on protestors but at the same time offered concessions and promised future reforms. [|[viii]]

[|[i]] Charles Kurzman "The unthinkable revolution in Iran" [|[ii]] Jimmy Carter, Speech of July 15, 1976, in Carter, //A Government as Good as Its people// 131-132 [|[iii]] Charles Kurzman "The unthinkable revolution in Iran" 13 [|[iv]] Zamimeh-ye Khambar-Nameh, March-April 1978, 19-21; Shirkhani, Hamaseh-ye 19 Dey; SAVAK memorandum of January 10, 1978, in //Enqelabe Eslami beh Ravayet-e Asnad-e SAVAK,// vol. 2,16. [|[v]] Ruhollah Khomeini, pronouncement of June 10, 1978, in //Zamimeh-ye Khabar-Nameh//,, July-August 1978, 7'-75. Ruhollah Khomeini, speech of June 5, 1978, in //Davani, Nehzat-e Ruhaniyum//,, vol. 7, 157. [|[vi]] Charles Kurzman "The unthinkable revolution in Iran" 78 [|[vii]] Ruhollah Khomeini, quoted in Bayat, //Workers and Revolution in Iran,// 48. On Islamist opposition to materialism see Mutuhhari, //Fundamentals of Islamic Though,// 100-102; Badamchiyan, //Shenkat-e Enqelab-e Eslami,// 67-70. A student quoted in Brière and Blanchet, //Iran//, 80. [|[viii]] Abrahamian, //Iran between Two Revolutions,// 508; Bayat, //Workers and Revolution in Iran ,// 88; Binder , "Revolution in Iran ," 52-53.