Topics: History

Overview and Central Thesis On February 11, 1979, Iran witnessed the culmination of a popular revolution that deposed the Pahlavi dynasty—an event that astonished global observers. The monarchy under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, which had appeared entrenched by virtue of oil wealth, extensive sec...

INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDThe downfall of the Pahlavi monarchy in early 1979 stands as a defining moment in modern Middle Eastern history. Under the leadership of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (r. 1941–1979), Iran witnessed decades of sweeping state-led modernization, financed by substanti...

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEWThe Iranian Revolution of 1979, which deposed the Pahlavi monarchy and established the Islamic Republic, is widely recognized as one of the most transformative events in the modern Middle East. This upheaval reshaped Iran’s sociopolitical landscape, reoriented the country’s...