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Reza Shah Overthrown
World War II allies Britain and Soviet Union invaded Iran to secure railway to supply Soviet Union. They exiled Reza Shah to South Africa because he was too sympathetic to the Axis powers. His son Muhammad Reza became the new Pahlavi Shah of Iran. -
Operation Ajax
Elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh was overthrown in a coup sponsored by the CIA and MI6. This coup was meant to give power to the previous ruler Shah Pahlavi, who looked up to western powers and sponsored the exploitation of oil. -
Hussain Borujerdi dies and Khomeni emerges
Husain Borujerdi, the prominent Marja of all Shi'a Islam, died. Khomeini emerged as one of the probable successors to Boroujerdi's position of leadership. This emergence was signaled by the publication of some of his writings on fiqh. -
Khomeini announces he is against Shah's western bill
Khomeini organized opposition to the Shah's Local council election bill. The Bill introduced by Shah's government allowed women to vote for the first time and non-Muslims to run for councils. Religious pressure forced government to back down completely and abandon the bill. -
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi proposes "White Revolution"
The government introduced a six-point reform bill to be put to a nation-wide referendum vote. The six points included women's suffrage, as well as other reforms. Khomeini summoned a meeting of his colleagues in Qom to press upon them the necessity of opposing the Shah's plans. -
Shah orders Khomeini's arrest
After Khomeini continues his denunciation of the Shah's programs, including issuing a manifesto that also bore the signatures of eight other senior scholars. In it he lists the various ways in which the Shah has violated the constitution. This leads to riots called the Movement of 15 Khordad. -
Khomeini is released
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Khomeini's support grows
Khomeini gave a series of nineteen lectures to a group of his Talaba (students) on Islamic Government while he was in exile in Iraq in the holy city of Najaf. Notes of the lectures were soon made into a book that is distributed throughout Iran. -
Students Celebrate anniversary of the Movement of 15 Khordad
Students at the Feyziyeh madreseh held a demonstration within the confines of the building, and a sympathetic crowd assembled outside. Both gatherings continued for three days until they were attacked by military forces, resulting in some casualties. -
Iranian Revolution Begins
Iranians started to protest and revolt against the Shah and his government. -
Iranian Revolution Ends
98.2% of votes were in favor of the Islamic Republic. -
Fear of American influence provoked
Prime Minister Bazargan photoed shaking hands with U.S. official Zbigniew Brzezinski at a meeting in Algeria. Radical leftists and theocratic media in Iran alerted the "nation of the return of American influence." All of which lead to increased resentment and fear of America attempting to reinstate their influence in Iran.
