REZA SHAH PAHLAVI

In 1921 the Qajar Dynasty was challenged by a formidable officer in Iran's only military force (Cossack Brigade), named Reza Khan. He used his troops to support a coup against the government and within four years establish himself as the most powerful man in the country. By 1925 Reza Khan had managed to dethrone Ahmad Shah, and name himself the new king, thereby starting the Pahlavi dynasty. One of Reza Shah’s strengths was his drive to compete in the world arena by modernizing Iran. In order to do this, he knew he had to build large-scale industries, implement a stable infrastructure, construct a nationwide transporation system. In addition, he had plans to establish a national public education system, reform government and improve hospitals and the health care system. In order to achive this, he planned to build the foundation on highly educated Iranian minds who had been trained in Europe or who he sent to get trained in various universities around the world.
In 1935, he changed the name of the country from Persia to Iran. By 1941, the country’s economic infrastrucure had been transformed due to the developments in industry, transporation, education, and health care. From this, new social classes of professional middle class and an industrial working class was created. Among all this development, Reza Shah had kept a strong dictatorship causing major discontent among the masses.
Due to Iran’s positioning, it became critical during World War II for the major powers to influence and gain access to Iran’s land and resources. Although Reza Shah wanted to develop on his own, he also had to rely on foreign expertise to complete most of his development projects. Because Britain had ownership of all of Iran’s oil, the monarch decided to award contracts to Germany, France, Italy and other European countries. This forced Iran to take sides in the War, even though the country had been declared a neutral one.
Because of the projects and development contracts between Iran and Germany, the allies considered Iran an enemy. Britain and the USSR invaded Iran in August of 1941 and forced Reza Shah into exile. With that, they had full control over the country's communications and coveted railroad, which helped them transport oil for war efforts.

MOHAMMAD REZA SHAH PAHLAVI

By 1942, the US joined in and decided to install Reza Shah's son, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi for succession to the throne.
In January 1942 they signed an agreement with Iran to respect Iran's independence and to withdraw their troops within six months of the war's end. Later, at the 1943 Tehran Conference, the U.S. reaffirmed this commitment. However, the USSR did not leave Iran's northwestern provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, until May of 1946. This even was one of the factors to contribute to the new rivalry between the US and the USSR, eventually leading to the Cold War.
Iranians continued to develop and under a the Majlis (Parliament) managed to hold the first genuinely competitive elections in more than 20 years. The issue of Britain owning and profiting from Iran’s oil had become more and more problematic and Iranians sought to nationalize the oil as early as the 1930’s. The Shah, who also ruled mostly by fear and a a grande army under his control was challenged by the policial system which favored an older professional politician, and nationalistic Mohammad Mosaddeq.

Despite his duty as a constitutional monarch to defer to the power of the parliamentary government, the Shah increasingly involved government and weakened or removed strong Prime ministers. A poor decision-maker, the young monarch relied on manipulation, and his army to lead the people. He tried to install himself as an indispensable ally of the West, given the geographics advantage of being close to the USSR and the Arab nations. He continued to promote reform, introducing the 1963 White Revolution, for land reform, voting rights for women, and the elimination of illiteracy.

Over the years his enemies accumulated from the Tudeh (communist) party, to regional religious leaders who feared losing their traditional authority and intellectuals seeking democratic reforms. The Shah was continously criticized for violation of the constitution, , and serving as an installed puppet of the United States. Unable to comprehend the real needs of the people, the Shah imagined himself as grande as the ancient kings of the Persian Empire, provoking the people by holding an extravagant celebration of 2,500 years of Persian monarchy in 1971. After establishing an Intelligence organization, named Savak, the Shah continued to suppress and marginalize his opponents resorting to torture and US support to stay in control. By the mid-1970s the regime ruled amidst widespread discontent due to the repressiveness nature, socioeconomic changes that benefited some classes and not others, and the increasing gap between the ruling elite and the disaffected masses. The Shah's government finally was toppled in the revolution of 1979.

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