The Rise and Fall of the Shah of Iran

The Rise and Fall of the Shah of Iran    2012/03/08 11:35
Dmitri Kessel / Time Life Pictures / Getty Ruler Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi officially ruled Iran from 1941 to 1979. He came to power after his father was forced to abdicate the throne by the Allied powers, who hoped to develop greater influence in the region through his son. The Shah, posed here in a Life Magazine wedding portrait with his second wife, Queen Soraya, enjoyed almost three decades of unlimited rule. Viollet / Getty   Dynasty The third child and first son of Reza Shah Pahlavi, Mohammad Reza was one of eleven children born to the "Old Shah", who had several wives. In this c. 1924 photo, Mohammad Reza sits on the lap of his father, who sits behind the future Shah's sister Shams, and next to his twin sister Ashraf. Carl Mydans / Time Life Pictures / Getty   Rise Initially little more than a puppet of the allies, the Shah's hold on power was challenged in the early 1950's, when an Iranian aristocrat, Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh was chosen as Prime Minister. A 1953 coup in support of Pahlavi — backed by the Americans and British — failed and the Shah was forced to flee. But after a second plot staged a few days later succeeded, Pahlavi was allowed to return to power. In this classic Life photo, he steps off the plane that brought him back to Iran from Rome. Popperfoto / Getty Absolute Monarch Once in power, the Shah used the revenues from an agreement between Iran and Western oil companies to solidify his authority. Though he maintained the trappings of a constitutional monarchy, he in fact ruled autocratically, relying on SAVAK, a dreaded secret police, to suppress all forms of opposition. Popperfoto / Getty Arms and the Man A 1977 biography of the Shah lists his hobbies as tennis, skiing, tiger hunting and driving fast cars. In this photo, he demonstrates his fondness for rabbit hunting at his private hunting lodge. Pictorial Parade / Getty Foreign Policy During his reign, the Shah continued to receive American support, and made several state visits to Washington, including this 1963 meeting with John F. Kennedy. He was also the first Muslim leader to recognize the State of Israel. Thomas J. Abercrombie / National Geographic / Getty Glory A graduate of military academies in his youth, the Shah appeared often at state occasions dressed in military attire. He devoted a great deal of his rule to building up the Iranian army. Rolls Press / Popperfoto / Getty Ceremony In 1967, Mohammad Reza decided to stage a coronation ceremony, a formal acknowledgment of his status as monarch. Four years later, another lavish affair — contemporary news reports put the price tag at $100 million — was staged to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian monarchy. Manoocher / Sipa Revolution By the late 1970's, many inside and outside Iran were clamoring for change. In 1978, a demonstration against the Shah in the city of Qom was dispersed by the army and several students were killed. Their funerals inspired more protest, which in turn led anti-Shah groups, both secular and religious, to add their voice to the opposition. AFP / Getty Besieged Resistance to the Shah's rule built steadily until early 1979, when the Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran after years in exile. on January 16, 1979, the Shah and his wife left the country. A few months later, angry students stormed the American embassy, above. Alex Bowie / GettyTehran Calling With the Shah out of the country, his palaces were opened to the people of Iran. In this photo, taken shortly after the storming of the American embassy, a mullah tests one of the former ruler's golden phones. Alex Bowie / Getty   Exile During his second exile, the Shah traveled from country to country, staying briefly in Egypt, Morocco, Panama, the Bahamas and Mexico, where he was photographed in front of a restaurant in Cuernavaca, above. Ailing, he was allowed by President Jimmy Carter to enter the United States for medical treatment (it was this act that prompted the storming of the embassy in Tehran) but was only permitted to stay briefly. He died at 60 from complications of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma in Egypt, in July 1980.