Tag Archives: Iran
Why was there a revolution in Iran in 1979?
This revision podcast is relevant to both GCSE and IGCSE History students, , although AS and IB students may find it a helpful introduction to events in the Gulf in the later 20th Century. The aim is to present an explanation of the factors that led to the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
The podcast explores three key factors:
- Dissatisfaction with Shah’s government and his handling of the economic and social problems in Iran
- A widespread anti-Western attitude as a result of the Shah’s close relationship with Britain and the USA
- The role and impact of Ayatollah Khomeini
The revision guide aims to give clear examples for each of these factors, and explain how they contributed to the revolution that transformed Iran into a theocracy.
The overthrow of the Shah in the Iranian Revolution, 1979
On the 11th February 1979 Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, was overthrown as a result of the Iranian Revolution. His overthrow saw the end of the 2,500 year old monarchy in Iran and ushered in a theocracy overseen by the Ayatollah Khomeini.
Why did Iranian students storm the US Embassy in Tehran?
On the 4th November 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began when a group of Iranian students from a group called the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam’s Line stormed the American Embassy in Tehran.
Causes and Consequences of the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-88
This revision podcast is relevant to both GCSE and IGCSE History students, although AS and IB students may find it a helpful introduction to events in the Gulf in the later 20th Century.
The podcast looks at three key factors:
- The different causes of the war, including Iran’s threat to Saddam’s regime, the opportunity for Iraq to gain territory and oil, and timing
- The nature of how the war was fought, including the impact of foreign powers
- The consequences of the war for each nation
The revision guide aims to give clear examples for each of these factors, and explain how students might approach a question on them in the exam.
