IRANIAN REVOLUTION 1978:
GREAT SATAN, LITTLE SATAN DEMONIZING EPITHETS AND THE SPREAD OF ANTI-WESTERN PROPAGANDA
Mgr. Eva Taterova, M.A., Ph.D.
Middle East Crossroads

IRAN IN 1950s: MOSADDEQ‘S CASE
•USA became the guarantor of political sovereignty of Iran (1947 Truman‘s doctrine) – close
relations to shah Mohammad Reza.
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•Mohammad Mosaddeq became famous as the leader od Iranian nationalists à 1951 prime minister of
Iran – the attempts to nationalize Iranian oil industry that time under control of GB.
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•GB and USA saw Mosaddeq as anti-western politician who might cooperate with USSR à CIA organized
the coup against Mosaddeq à damage of USA image in Iranian society - Mosaddeq became a symbol of US
oppression of the country.

SHAH‘S REGIME
•Rapid modernization of the country by western standards, system of capitalism, huge investments to
the army.
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•Authoritarian government, corruption, poverty of the country despite the modernization efforts.
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•Huge celebrations of 2,500 years of Persepolis in 1971.
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•According Amnesty International Report shah imprisoned more that 2,200 people in 1978.

IRAN-USA MUTUAL RELATIONS
•USA fully supported the regime of Mohammad Reza even though shah was criticized for his autocratic
government, violation of human rights etc.
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•Iran under shah understood as a close US ally in the Cold War and the guarantee of stability in
the Middle East.
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•USA provided a significant economic aid to Iran as well as supplies of weapons and military
equipment.
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•Close collaboration of secret services CIA and SAVAK.

GROWTH OF OPPOSITION
•1963 Ruhollah Khomeini had a famous speech in Qom where he criticized the shah for his alleged
atheism, corruption, and friendly ties to Israel and USA à arrested and later forced to leave to
exile.
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•Khomeini‘s popularity had increased in Iran especially in the conservative part of the society but
he also had support of those who disapproved the shah‘s regime (corruption, secret police, limited
civil rights etc.)
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•Opposition against shah was rather heterogeneous: Communist Party (Tudeh), republicans, Islamic
nationalists, anarchist, etc.
khomeini.jpg

IRANIAN REVOLUTION 1978
•Sometimes titled as Islamic revolution but this is not precise – the revolution was made by many
fractions of the opposition, the Islamists took power only after few months (“revolution eats her
own children“).
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•During the whole year 1978 massive demonstrations and strikes all over the country à January 1979
escalation of the situation – shah lead the country while ayatollah Khomeini came back to Iran as
the hero of the revolution.
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•March 1979: referendum à declaration of Iranian Islamic Republic – Khomeini became the supreme
leader with the support of the Revolutionary Guards.
iranian revolution.jpg

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•WHAT ARE THE STRATEGIES TO KEEP
THE RADICAL POST-REVOLUTIONARY REGIME IN POWER?

KHOMEINI‘S SPEECH ON NOVEMBER 5, 1979



HOSTAGE CRISIS IN TEHRAN
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•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGUI7kDLsQo

IMPACTS OF IRANIAN REVOLUTION
•Big shock in the western countries but also
for the Soviet Union („lesser Satan“).
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•Breaking of the mutual relations with USA (hostage crisis in USA embassy in Tehran).
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•Disruption of regional stability – increase
of radicalism in the Middle East due to the effort of Iran to export the revolution (support of the
radical groups in Middle East: Hizballah, Hamas).
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•Hostility in relations with Israel but also with Saudi Arabia and other sunni Islam leaders.
Iran and the West: Big little Satan - Qantara.de

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•HAVE USA DESERVED SUCH A HOSTILITY
BY IRAN?

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•THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION