TOPIC 4 Flashcards
Iraq: Background
Following WWI: Iraq became British mandate
1932: Iraqi independence, but with Britain controlling oil production in the country
1933: King Faisal died, and was succeeded by his son Ghazi
- Established a government led by a civilian Prime Minister, Nuri al-Said
o Led from 1938-58
o Backed by the Iraqi army
1952: Iraqi government demanded changes in the profit sharing of oil so that they would be shared equally
- The British, however, retained control of the rates of production and prices
1958: the monarchy was overthrown by the Iraqi army and a republic was established
- Took Iraq out of the Baghdad Pact, a defensive organisation promoting shared political, military and economic goals
- Secured more control over oil production
1960s: the call for Arab unity won much support in Iraq, like the Baathists (an Arab nationalist ideology which promoted the creation and development of a unified Arab state)
Iraq under the Baathists
1968: Baathists seized power
- President Ahmad Hassan Bakr (Hussein’s uncle)
1972: the Baathist government nationalised and took complete control of the Iraqi oil industry
1973: Iraqi government joined other Arab oil-producing states in reducing oil production + sales to West
- Done to punish the West, who supported Israel in the October War
- Oil prices rose by 400%
- Iraq’s income from oil rose from $575 million in 1972, to $26,500 million in 1980
Saddam Hussein
1970s: Saddam was Bakr’s Vice President and the government minister in charge of extending government control over the army and secret police
- Ensured the army was loyal through indoctrination, imprisonment and execution
1979: Saddam Hussein became President of Iraq after forcing his uncle Bakr to abdicate in his favour
- His presidency began with the televised trial of several men, 21 of whom were later executed
- The death penalty became the punishment for leaving the Baath party to join another one
- His “cult of the leader” was similar to Stalin’s
Saddam Hussein against the Shi-ites and Kurds
Under Saddam: mass expulsions of Shiites from Iraq
- 1980-1: 200,000 Shiites were deported from Iraq as their “loyalty wasn’t proven”
Kurds had been in constant conflict with the Iraqi troops since the Iraqi state was created
Under Saddam: many of their leaders were executed or drive into exile
1988: Iraqi forces bombarded the Kurdish town of Halabja and killed 5000 inhabitants
- Used poisonous gas, and also in other locations
o In total: killed 180,000 Kurds
Iran: Background
Early 20th Century: Iran was ruled by a Shah
- It was independent, but the oilfields in the South were controlled by a British company who obtained most of the profits
1921: Army leader, Colonel Reza Kahn, took control of the government as Prime Minister
1925: Kahn made himself the Shah
- Embarked on a policy of Westernisation
- Iran was modernised
- 1930: Iran became the world’s 4th largest oil producer
- 1933: British were forced to grant Iran more of the profits of its oilfields
1941: Soviet and British troops invaded Iran in order to prevent the Germans from taking control of the oilfields
- September 1941: Kahn abdicated in favour of his son, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi Shah
1946: an increasing number of Iranians insisted that their government should take control of their oil
1951: Shah was forced to make Mosaddeq, the leading Iranian nationalist, Prime Minister
The Iranian parliament passed a law to nationalist the oil industry so that the Iranians were in charge of their oil
- Retaliation: the British company withdrew its workforce and refused to allow any of its technicians to work with the new Iranian National Oil Company
- The British also persuaded other Western oil companies not to buy Iran’s oil and the British navy imposed a blockade on Iran’s ports
1953: The Americans and the British carried out a coup d’état to overthrow Mosaddeq
- They used threats and money to persuade the Shah into dismissing Mosaddeq and replacing him with a more pro-Western Prime Minister – to be able to return to exploiting Iran
- Mosaddeq was put on trial and imprisoned while the Iranian parliament was closed down
White Revolution: 1963
The Shah wanted to make Iran a powerful, independent state
He launched the White Revolution and brought young, Western educated men into his government in order to carry out his policies. This led to:
- The transfer of land from the biggest landowners to poorer farmers
- Grant of the vote to women
- Expansion in the number of schools
- A doubling of the literacy rate in the following 15 years
Opposition to the Shah
1967: Shah declared himself the “King of Kings” and hence created absolute power for himself
He disliked being criticised and used brutal repression to crush his opposition
Iran grew rich on the income from the oil industry, but there was still economic discontent
- Still huge gap between the rich elite and poor masses
- Dependence on the non-Muslim West caused anger
Late 1970s: increasing religious opposition to the Shah’s regime was led by the Mullahs (Muslim religious scholars)
Islamic Revolution: 1979
1978: huge strikes and demonstrations took place, demanding the Shah’s abdication – met with repression
- September 1978: troops killed over 500 people in a massive demonstration VS government
- October 1978: a wave of strikes took place, which led to most industries to a halt
January 1979: the Shah left Iran to receive treatment for cancer – never returned
1st February 1979: Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the opposition, returned to Iran after 14 years in exile and declared an Islamic Revolution
The Shah’s last Prime Minister fled the country and most of the army declared support for the revolution
Establishment of an Islamic state
1st April 1979: A national referendum produced a large majority in favour of abolishing the monarchy and establishing an Islamic Republic
Khomeini and his supporters eventually organised in the Islamic Republican Party, came to dominate the Iranian parliament and held key positions in government
Khomeini was the “supreme leader” of Iran
New laws based on the Koren were passed
- Education was purged on un-Islamic influences
- Women were forced to cover their heads
- Mass trials of Shah’s former supporters
Storming of the US embassy: November 1979
The USA, the Shah’s former ally, came to be known as “The Great Satan” in Iran
November 1979: Militant Iranian students stormed the US embassy in Teheran and took 50 of the American staff as hostages
- Millions in the Muslim world admired Khomeini for standing up to the West
The US government, under Carter, declared Iuran to be an international “outlaw”
- Made Iran America’s embassy
April 1980: the US attempted to rescue the hostages in operation “Eagle Claw” but failed
