After the 1953 coup, Mohammad Reza Shah’s reign as an autocratic monarch started. Similar to his father’s rule, soon the parliament became a rubberstamp of the royal decrees, and the political rights were in effect suspended. However, it still took the Shah another decade before he could gain the absolute power over his court, the army and the Persian nobility.
Meanwhile, Shah had to contend with his family, who were forcing him into divorces and remarriages; the power-hungry generals of his army, who were planning coups behind his back; and the older and wiser nobility, who were trying to teach and mentor him! Besides, the country was dirt poor and most people were illiterate and living in abject poverty.
The Shah’s oppression of Mosaddeg’s allies was moderate, with only one of them (Dr. Fatimi) executed. However, his secret police (Savak) soon found its real target among the underground Tudeh party and its clandestine military branch. Several hundred were arrested and many tortured and executed.
Astonishingly, later on the Savak itself became a threat to the Shah, as its first notorious chief (general Bakhtiar) planned a coup-d’état, apparently in discussion with the American CIA! In the 1950’s, the Shah became so disenchanted with his wrenched monarchy, that he collapsed in a state of deep despair and depression, and even seriously contemplated abdication and ‘retirement’!
Two events saved the Shah’s morale from depression and desperation, a happier marriage and a royal revolution!
When the Shah’s only full-brother died in an airplane crash in 1954, he was left with no heir-apparent. His beautiful wife seemed sterile and in 1958, the royal family forced him into his second divorce. This time, instead of wedding a prominent princess or pampered nobility, the 40-year-old Shah turned towards a young middle-class university student (Farah Diba) who was both intelligent and energetic. The young bride soon blessed him with two sons and two daughters, as well as some degree of hope and happiness.
The royal (White) revolution of 1961 was instigated by the American-inspired new reformist prime minister, Dr. Ali Amini, who had also served in Mosaddeg’s cabinet. Amini and his agriculture minister designed a revolutionary land-reform program that overnight, disposed of the feudal system in Iran. To that program, they also added clauses for women’s suffrage, compulsory secular education, and provincial councils.
The new Democrat US president (Kennedy) believed that such social reforms were the best remedy for modernizing the 3rd world countries, without losing them to the communist block.
Not everyone was happy with the “White” revolution. However, the large landowners were appeased by some moderating measures, and the conservative clergies were calmed regarding the compulsory secular schools and the women vote. Unfortunately, a militant ayatollah (Khomeini), who had a history of aggressive anti-secular views as well as collaboration with the radical Fedaiyan Islam, rose in fierce disagreement against the Shah’s reforms.
Rather than attacking the core and popular items such as the land reform, Khomeini concentrated his attacks against the peripheral issue of provincial councils, where non-Muslims could be elected with no distinction from the Muslims. He condemned that clause as a clear violation of the constitution, which officialised the Shia Islam. He also tied the reformist efforts to the increasing Jewish and Baha’i influence over the Shah’s government. The ensuing religious uprisings of 1963 (15 Khordad) were viciously suppressed by the riot police and the army, resulting in hundreds of causalities. This caused a major disenchantment among the militant religious groups who had helped bring the Shah to power in 1953, but now felt completely betrayed and brutalized.
Following the 1963 crack down, ayatollah Khomeini was arrested and even psychologically abused in prison. Even so, next year, a new conciliatory prime minister (Mansur) arranged for his release and safe return to Qom. Sadly, the much westernized Mansur soon became the target of even more vicious attacks from Khomeini, who declared him an American puppet and initiated some more rioting. This time, the Shah forced Khomeini into exile (first to Turkey and then Iraq), to uproot the leadership of religious discontent. Nevertheless, the Islamic militancy continued and Mansur was murdered by the Fedaiyan Islam terrorists in the spring of 1965.
Prime Minister Mansur’s assassination heralded a new era of terrorist attacks and guerrilla warfare against the Shah’s government. Although the fundamentalist Fedaiyan Islam group was soon decimated, two new and actively armed resistance groups (Peoples Fedaiyan and Peoples Mujahidin) emerged from the tormented ashes of the Tudeh Party and the National Front. Both groups were radicalized by the Savak suppression of any political dissent, and evolved into Cuban-style militant guerrillas. Also, both of them received significant support, training and arms from the Palestinian resistance fighters, who saw the Shah as a staunch Israeli supporter.
In response, the Shah packed the leadership of his secret police (Savak) with the most notoriously vicious characters (like general Nasiri), who truly enjoyed the persecution, torture and murder of hundreds of idealistic intellectuals and university students.
In the mid 1960’s, the Shah decided to take an active role in the affairs of government, which gradually turned into an omnipotent supervision and even direction of all the political, military and social affairs of Iran.
In his thirty seven years of reign, the Shah steadily turned from a constitutional monarch (1941 to 1953) to a meddling king (53 to 63), a benevolent dictator (63 to 73) and finally a deranged tyrant (73 to 79). However, the forceful reform decade starting in the mid 1960’s was the zenith of his dictatorial reign, which elevated Iran from the lowly ranks of a backward country to a respectable and thriving state.
The Shah was unusually energized by the achievements of his ‘White’ revolution, and the forceful struggle against what he saw as the communist (red) and the religious (black) reactionaries. For more than a decade, he took the helms of the country, all the time believing that he was taking Iran from the dark ages into the modern era of a grand civilization. To that effect, Shah even assumed the prime ministerial functions, and used a tame figure head (Hoveida) to rubber stamp all his wishes and directions.
Reference: Farsi-Nameh
http://www.ketabfarsi.org/ketabkhaneh/ketabkhani_3/ketab3436/ketab3436.pdf
I've always wondered if the absence of Asadollah Alam, was a decisive factor in His Majesty's ultimate defeat in 1357...What's worse than a dictator ruler?...A dictator ruler with shaky knees...Something like that...
Marvin Zonis is anything but an objective historian
He is another of those "academics" who worked for the CIA and participated in undermining the legacy of the Shah in academic circles after the revolution. He has been one of the IRI and NIAC's favorites because of his biased narrative. He has been regularly interviewed by Press TV and invited at the other IRI apologist Conferences.
He is another of those "globalist" ignorants
Press TV- Lion and Eagle-01-10-2010(Part3)
AIC Panel Discussion: Dr. Marvin Zonis
General Nassiri was a Patriot
There is absolutely no evidence for what you are claiming that he was a "Sadist" enjoying "torture"
What proof do you have for your baseless claims ?
The Revolutionary Trials where nobody even had the right to have a lawyer ?
part1 محاکمه نصیری رییس ساواک
I agree with DK where is any evidence that General Nasiri was sadist and enjoyed torture? if I am not mistken up untill a year before fiasco of 1979 he was an ambassador to Pakistan. In fact even in his kangaroo court , under torture and severe beatings he seemed clueless and his statements reflected a peron that really did not know what was going on in Savak at that time!
Nasiri was an idiot. Period.
And I won't tell you who was the smart guy among the Shah's men, unless you want me to...
Nasiri said that those people who were in charge of booking political inmates or introgating them were in lower level of SAVAK. When Nasiri was serving in SAVAK, He was a C.E.O. He said that he had nothing to do with arrest or introgations. General speaking, introgators hold the lower positions in chain of command in SAVAK. He said it on Islamic T.V right after revolution while he was suffering from head injury. There was a bandage on his head. Apparently he was bleeding on his head. It seems somebody hit him in head during flame of the revolution. Murderer Yazdi was present in that T.V conference.
Nasiri last governmental position was ambassador to Pakistan. The reason he was appointed to that position related to the fact that Communist group Fadaeyan Khalq had a plan for assisination of president Zia Al Haq in Pakistan. That was what Moscow radio claimed in those days.
Pakistan under leadership of Zia Al Haq, Afghnistan under leadership of president Dawood and Iran under smart leadership of our shahanshah were a region of stability. No one wanted to lose that security and stability in the region. But the destiny played the other way around and the region fall into kias shortly after.
Well do tell us Razi, you are on a roll! consider yourself served.
I consider Houshang Ansary the smartest man in Shah's circle...He left Iran in a timely fashion, as soon as he detected the first signs of dictator's going down the drain...And when Shah summoned him back, unlike fools like Nasiri, he only raised his middle finger to salute His Majesty... Never heard of Nina Ansary?
God bless the Shah, general Nasiri, and SAVAK!
God bless all of the people who worked in shah's administration. They all worked deligently to promote Iran to the level of modern and progressive countries
At the end, some of them left and some of them stayed. That didn't make some better or worse than the others.
That very photo sends shivers up and down the spines of the Tudehies, Commies, Akhoonds, and the rest of delusional subversives and revolutionaries.....! God bless them all!
Only those of us, old enough to remember Khomeini's Khordaad 15th. should be allowed to pitch in here... Unfortunately, judging Shah's era via google or Youtube doesn't do justice...
Historically, Shia clergies have always been obstacles in the way of Iran's progress and modernization.
It started during Qajar era when Seyyed Jamaledin Assad Abadi was propagating an utopia of Islamic society among naive and uneducated people in Iran. Later on, He was arrested and was sent to exile by Nasserdin shah via turkey border. The idea of Islamic Iran propertuated throughout Pahlavi era.
Shia clergies were obstacles of Iran's progress by glorifying traitor such as Mirza Kochak khan jangali as a "Hero".
Shia clergies were obstacles of Iran's progress by glorifying backward Shia clergy such as Hadi Modaress as "Hero".
They were obstacles in Iran's progress by glorifying murderer such as Navab Safavi as a "Hero".
Shia clergies were obstacles to Iran's progress by opposing Shah's white revolution as "non Islamic" move in June 1963.
Shia clergies were obstacles Iran's progress by taking power in 1979 and puting our nation in state of stagnation, misery and poverty for 37 years.
Shia clergies were able to reach power by spreading rumors such as shah is giving "Workman savage compensation" to foreign nationals who stayed in Iran. Such a law doesn't exist.
Shia clergies were able to reach power by setting a fire in Cinema Rex in Abadan (1978) and burning over 500 women/children and innocent people to ashes. They turned around and blamed it on shah and SAVAK.
Shia clergies were able to reach power by giving false hopes and false promises such free housing and free gas and electricity to naive Iranian poeple.
Shia clergies continue to stay in power by manipulating our intellectuals. They portraited themselves as "Independent" or rather they were against western world. That false notion manipulated Persian pride and have had Shia clergies to gain support among our intellectuals.
Shia clergies were able to stay in power by mass execution such as massacre of over 20,000 political prisoners in summer of 1988. The execution continues as off this write up.
Shia clergies were able to stay in power by obeying all of the American's conditions such as nuclear deal. They were able to stay in power by getting pushed by western world.
So just so I undrestand this according to you Razi Houshang Ansari whole beterayed shah, stole ton of money and split was a smart one and yet others who served under the man, served their country proudly , didn't beteray him and ended up loosing their life's to islamo+communist alliance were stupid!
Good to finally see the logic (or lack of it ), ethics and morals of our home grown lefty communist crowd!
Stole money? When? How?