Iran – A Current Overview

3rd largest oil reserve & 2nd largest natural gas reserve

Imports more gasoline than any other country except U.S.

1978-1979 Revolution

2005 - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

succeeds Khomeini

2007- 60% of population

under 30

Rise of fundamentalism – SHARI’A

Reza Shah Pahlavi

After WWII began a program of Westernization (modeled after Turkey) Land reform & ownership

increased Education improved Women’s rights: voting, more

education, professionalism & western dress

Carried on by son Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (abdicated 1941)

REFORMS FAILED Spending too much on non-

essential things (i.e. military instead of helping people)

Iranian Revolution 1978-79

Iranian Revolution

Shiite, Ayatollah Khomeini Exiled in 1964 – began Rev from

Paris Grievances: corruption, police

heavy-handedness, modernization, westernization, imperialism, exploitation of underprivileged, & illegitimate shah monarchy

52 US personnel hostage crisis of ’79 (444 days)

Iran became Islamic Republic led by handful of powerful

ayotallahs & 180,000 mullahs (priests) THEOCRACY

“divine rule by clerics”, Khomeini was the infallible supreme leader

Prediction: How will this change in

leadership affect society & culture in

Iran??

Cuban Revolution

CAUSE Corrupt government

Fidel Castro overthrew Fulgencio Batista EVENTS

Batista ruled as dictator (40s) Guerrilla warfare begins (mid-50s) Castro takes over (‘59)

New gov= communist Che Guevara – Argentinean, Marxist revolutionary who allied with Castro, later became Pres. of Cuban National Bank & dealt w/US & USSR

Tried to help Bolivian Rev- captured & killed (‘67)

Cuban Revolution: Consequences

Democratic Constitution (amendment allowed US intervention)

1 of last 5 communist governments in world

Better living conditions: Redistribution of wealth,

stabilize population, nationalized industries, health & education opportunities, laws to stop enviro damage

Arts flourished: murals

Negatives Repression of

Spanish American

monopolies Cuban Missile

Crisis

End of Day Quiz

Name 1 cause of the Cuban Revolution. Name 1 cause of the Iranian Revolution. Name one event during the Iranian

Revolution. Name one consequence of the Cuban

Revolution.

THE MIDDLE EAST

1900-1914 Ottomans & WWI Surge in nationalism (esp.

Young Turks) Post- WWI

1st Central Power to fall Armenian Genocide Betrayed by G.B. & France -

land was controlled by the League of Nations

Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk)

Interwar Period

American oil companies hedged out British influence & gained control over many oil facilities Saudi Arabia Kuwait* Bahrain

Post WWII Pakistan independence

from GB (1947) Syrian independence

(1944) 1948- 1st Arab-Israeli

War* Turkish Crisis- Soviets

demanding lands (although neutral during WWII) & US sent aid…why?

Egypt

Came to power in 1952 – member of the Free Officers Movement

Allied w/Muslim Brotherhood Loss of Arab-Israeli War (1948) Broad social & economic

reforms Foreign policy:

Defeat Israel Arab unity Agitate socialist rev

1956- forced G.B. out of Suez Canal

REFORMS FAILED

Founded 1928 by Hasan al-Banna Murdered in 1949

Contempt for wealthy Egyptian & Euro minority that flourished in face of mass poverty founded to remedy probs

Fundamentalist Called for massive reforms Strikes, riots &

assassinations

Gamal Abdul Nasser Muslim Brotherhood

The Six Day War (1967)

It was a total victory for Israel who then took: The West Bank from Jordan Golan Heights from Syria Gaza Strip and Sinai from Egypt

1978 Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian Pres. Anwar el-Sadat signed the Camp David Accords (oversaw by Pres. Carter) Israel returned Sinai and Egypt (a Muslim nation)

recognized Israel’s right to exist Won Nobel Peace Prize Muslim extremist assassinated Sadat in 1981 – jailed political opponents (etc.)

Egypt after Nasser

Anwar Sadat was his successor Ended many programs, sought out

private initiatives Made peace with Israel Expelled Russians Opened Egypt to the west Hosni Mubarak (successor) continued on

similar path MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALISM continues

One such group assassinated Sadat

Israel

Balfour Declaration (1917) creation of Israel required that Jews and

Palestinians divide land that was traditionally theirs

1930’s -1940 ~500,000 Jews arrive

Palestinians had the numbers but the Jews had money & world sympathy

David Ben-Gurion (PM of Israel) - May 1948

“The Arab-Israeli Conflict”

PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) was created & dedicated to reclaiming the land and establishing a Palestinian state Intifada’s (uprisings) Terrorism

New Hostilities began in 2000 Israel elected Ariel Sharon as PM and he built a wall between Palestine and Israel for

protection

PLO leader Yasser Arafat died in 2004 New president signed a armistice with Israel ending the

Intifada

Intifada c.1988 – Young Palestinians demonstrating in the streets

Israel & Palestine “The Arab-Israeli Conflict”

“Right of Return”

9 million Palestinians living outside of homeland Diaspora (ghurba)

Israel (2007) 7.3 million Jews 1.6 million

Palestinians/non-Palestinians

OPECORGANIZATION OF PETROLEUM EXPORTING COUNTRIES

Oil= power OPEC set the world price for oil and

controlled the amount available 1970 they cut supply

Prices skyrocketed Since the 1980s lost some of its power Infrastructure &/or wealth in hands of

minority

8% of world’s oil reserves

Urbanized, welfare state

1990 Gulf War Iraqi invasion to

“reclaim” land

Shiites, Sunnis & Kurds

9% of world’s oil reserves

No deep water port

KuwaitIraq: “Vortex of Violence”

Iraq: “Vortex of Violence”

Saddam Hussein Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) Gulf War (1990) Civil war Operation Iraqi Freedom

1st “free” election (2005)

Civil War

Terrorismal-Qa’ida destroyed the World Trade Center in New York on

September 11, 2001

“Arab Spring”

Wave of demonstrations and protests (both non-violent and violent), riots, and civil wars in the Arab world that began on 18 December 2010