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Period: to
Constitutional Revolution
A Nationalist backlash against the monarchy which established a parliament and Iran's first constitution. -
Reza Khan
Reza Khan, military officer in Persia's Cossack Brigade, names himself Shah of Persia. Shortly after, he launches a campaign to modernize the country. Khan had hopes to create a national eduction system,railroad system, and improve health care. -
Ahmad Shah
Qajar Dynasty's is deposed and an assembly votes in Reza Shah as the new shah of Persia. -
Pahlavi Dynasty
Reza Khan Pahlavi crowned and creared the beginning of the Pahlavi. The shah's eldest son, Mohammad Reza is crowned prince. -
Persias new name
Persia is officially named Iran and by the mid-30s, Reza Khan's dictorial approach begins to cause dissent. -
Reza Shah forced out of power
Khan declares Iran a neutral power during WWII and Iran's British-controlled oil interests are largely maintined by German engineers and tachnicians, and Khan refuses to to expel German citizens despite request by Britain. Reza Shah is forced out of power and his son, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi succeeds him on the throne. -
Expansion
an attempt on the Shah's life results in an expansion of the Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi's constitutional powers. -
attempts to nationalize
Nationalist Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq attempts to nationalize British-owned oil industry. Shah opposes Mossadeq and removes him from power,but regains power and the Shah leaves Iran. -
Shah returns to iran
Shah returns to Iran when Gen. Fazlollah Zahedi and the Central Intelligence Agency overthrows Mossadeq in an August coup d'etat. -
SAVAK
U.S. and Israeli inteeligence officers, along with iran, work to set up the SAVAK, and Iranian intelligence organization that was blamed for the torture and execution of thousands of political prisoners and violent suppression of disent. -
The white revolution
aggressive campaign of social and economic Westernization that is met with intense popular opposition. Popular nationalist, Ayatollah Khomeini arressted in one of many crackdowns on Shah opponents. Shah relies regularly on SAVAK to quell dissidence. -
"imperial" calender
Shah replaces the Islamic calender with an "imperial" calender, starting with the founding of the Persian empire. critics see this as anti-islamic. -
rioting
iranians resort to rioting, demontrations and strikes to protest the Shahs authorian rule. Shah enforced material law. -
Shah flees
Shah flees Iran amongst intensifying unrest. -
Ayatollah Khomeini returns
Islamic nationalist returns from France. He was exiled for his opposition to the Shahs regime and encourages the brewing revolution. -
theocratic republic
Iran is declared a theocratice republic under the rule of Ayatollah Khomeini. It is guided by islamic principles and is held to the Islamic Republic of Iran. -
storming the U.S Embassy in Tehran
took hostage 52 American employees and demamnd that the Shah return from receiving medical treatment in the United States to face trial in Iran. Caused a crisis between the United States and Iran. -
1980 occurences
U.S. Embassy becomes training ground for the Revolutonary Gaurds Corp. Shah dies in exile in Egypt. Iraq invadees Iran after disagreements regarding the Shatt al Arab waterway. President, Saddam Hussein announces his intentions to reclaim the waterway and an eight-year war breaks out. -
war
U.S. hostages are released after 444 days of captivity. -
iran Contra Scandal
U.C wants to sell arms to Iran in exchange for the release of seven American hostages being held by Iranian-blacked Militants in Lebanon -
1988 occurrences
American navy ship, USS Vicennes, shoots down an Iranian civilian plane, killing nearly 290 passengers. The U.S agrees to financial compensation for the victims families, saying the civilian lane was mistaken for an attacking military jet. Iran accepts United Nations Security Council Resolution 598, leading to a cease-fire in the Iran-Iraq War. -
1989 occurrences
the book "The Satanic Verses," by Salman Rushdie is said to be a book that is "blasphemous against Islam". Khomeini dies and Ali Khamenei steps in to to succees Koheini as the national rligious leader. Ali Akbar Hashemi- Rafsanjani, speaker of the nationalist assembly, becomes the new president. Was an influential member of the Council of Revolution of Iran in the Islamic Republic's early days. -
(Ali) Mohammad Khatami- Ardakani
elected to the presidency by many votes amnd pledges political and social reforms as well as economic revitalization and in 2001 Khatami wins the reelection. -
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Iranian Presidentis declared victor in the presidential elections and sparked protests by supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi, who unsuccessfully appealed the results to Iran's Guardian Council