Mohammed Reza Pahlavi

Infobox_Monarch | name = محمدرضا شاه پهلوی
Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
title =Shah of Iran, King of Kings


caption = Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi and his wife, Empress Farah.
reign =September 26, 1941 – February 11, 1979
predecessor =Reza Shah
successor =Monarchy Abolished, Islamic Republic declared
suc-type =Heir-Apparent
heir =Reza Pahlavi
consort =Fawzia bint Fuad (1941–1948)
Soraya Esfandiary (1951–1958)
Farah Diba (1959–1980)
issue =Shahnaz, Reza Cyrus, Farahnaz, Ali Reza, Leila Pahlavi
royal house =Pahlavi
royal anthem =
father =Reza Shah
mother =Tadj ol-Molouk
date of birth =birth date|1919|10|26|mf=y
place of birth =Tehran, Iran (Persia)
date of death =death date and age|1980|7|27|1919|10|16|mf=y
place of death =Cairo, Egypt
place of burial=|

Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, (Persian: محمدرضا شاه پهلوی, pronounced [IPA|mohæmmæd-rezɒː-ʃɒːh-e pæhlæviː] ) (October 26, 1919, Tehran – July 27, 1980, Cairo), styled His Imperial Majesty, and holding the imperial titles of Shahanshah ("King of Kings"), and Aryamehr ("sun of the Aryans"), was the monarch of Iran from September 16, 1941, until the Iranian Revolution on February 11, 1979. He was the second monarch of the Pahlavi House and the last Shah of the Iranian monarchy. "'

hah

The Shah came to power during World War II after an Anglo-Soviet invasion forced the abdication of his father, Reza Shah. Mohammad Reza Shah's rule oversaw the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry under the prime ministership of Mohammad Mossadegh. During the Shah's reign, Iran celebrated 2,500 years of continuous monarchy since the founding of the Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great. His White Revolution, a series of economic and social reforms intended to transform Iran into a global power, succeeded in modernizing the nation, nationalizing many natural resources and extending suffrage to women, among other things. However, the decline of the traditional power of the Shi'a clergy due to parts of the reforms, increased opposition.

While a Muslim himself, the Shah gradually lost support from the Shi'a clergy of Iran, particularly due to his strong policy of modernization and recognition of Israel. Clashes with the religious right, increased communist activity and a 1953 period of political disagreements with Mohammad Mossadegh, eventually leading to Mossadegh's ousting, caused an increasingly autocratic rule. In 2000, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright stated:

"In 1953 the United States played a significant role in orchestrating the overthrow of Iran's popular Prime Minister, Mohammed Massadegh. The Eisenhower Administration believed its actions were justified for strategic reasons; but the coup was clearly a setback for Iran's political development. And it is easy to see now why many Iranians continue to resent this intervention by America in their internal affairs." [ [http://www.fas.org/news/iran/2000/000317.htm 3/17/00 Albright remarks on American-Iran Relations] ]

"'

Various controversial policies were enacted, including the banning of the Tudeh Party and a general suppression of political dissent by Iran's intelligence agency, SAVAK. Amnesty International reported that Iran had as many as 2,200 political prisoners in 1978. By 1979, political unrest had transformed into a revolution which, on January 16, forced the Shah to leave Iran after 37 years of rule. Soon thereafter, the revolutionary forces transformed the government into an Islamic republic.

Biography

Early life

Born in Tehran to Reza Pahlavi and his second wife, Tadj ol-Molouk, Mohammad Reza was the eldest son of the first Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty, and the third of his eleven children. He was born with a twin sister, Ashraf Pahlavi. However, Mohammad Reza, Ashraf, Ali Reza, and their older half-sister, Fatemeh, were born as non-royals, as their father did not become Shah until 1925.

On February 21, 1921, Reza Khan together with Seyyed Zia'eddin Tabatabaee staged a successful coup d'état against the reigning Qajar dynasty of Persia. Years later, on December 12, 1925, Reza Khan was declared Shah by the country's National Assembly, the Majlis of Iran. He was crowned in a ceremony on April 25, 1926; at the same time, his son Mohammad Reza was proclaimed Crown Prince of Iran.

As a child, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi attended Institut Le Rosey, a Swiss boarding school, completing his studies there in 1935. Around the same time, his father officially asked the international community to refer to Persia by its internal name, "Iran". Upon Mohammad Reza's return to the country, he enrolled in the local military academy in Tehran; he remained in the academy until 1938.

Early reign

Deposition of his father

In the midst of World War II in 1941, Nazi Germany began Operation Barbarossa and invaded the Soviet Union, breaking the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. This had a major impact on Iran as the country had declared neutrality in the conflict. [Pierre Renouvin, "World War II and Its Origins: International Relations, 1929-1945". page 329]

During the subsequent military invasion and occupation, the joint Allied and Soviet command forced Reza Shah to abdicate in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He replaced his father on the throne on September 16, 1941. It was hoped that the younger prince would be more open to influence from the pro-Allied West, which later proved to be the case.

Subsequent to his succession as Shah, Iran became a major conduit for British and, later, American aid to the USSR during the war. This massive supply effort became known as the Persian Corridor and marked the first large-scale American and Western involvement in Iran, an involvement that would continue to grow until the successful revolution against the Iranian monarchy in 1979.

Oil nationalization and the 1953 coup

In the early 1950s, there was a political crisis centered in Iran that commanded the focused attention of British and American intelligence agencies. In 1951 Dr. Mossadegh came to office, committed to re-establishing democracy and constitutional monarchy, and to nationalizing the Iranian petroleum industry, which was controlled by the British. From the start he erroneously believed that the Americans, who had no interest in the Anglo-Iranian Oil company, would support his nationalization plan. He was buoyed by the American Ambassador, Henry Grady. However, during these events, the Americans supported the British, and, fearing that the Communists with the help of the Soviets were poised to overthrow the government, they decided to remove Mossadegh. Shortly before the 1952 presidential election in the US, the British government invited Kermit Roosevelt of the CIA to London and proposed they cooperate under the code name “Operation Ajax” to bring down Mossadegh from office. [ Kermit Roosevelt, Counter coup, New York, 1979]

In 1951, under the leadership of the nationalist movement of Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, the Iranian parliament unanimously voted to nationalize the oil industry. This shut out the immensely profitable Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), which was a pillar of Britain's economy and political clout in the region. A month after that vote, Mossadegh was named Prime Minister of Iran.

Under the direction of Kermit Roosevelt, Jr., a senior CIA officer and grandson of former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, the CIA and British intelligence funded and led a covert operation to depose Mossadegh with the help of military forces loyal to the Shah. This plan was known as Operation Ajax. [cite news | first=James | last=Risen | title=Secrets of History: The C.I.A. in Iran | publisher=The New York Times |date=2000 | url=http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/041600iran-cia-index.html | accessdate=2007-03-30 ] The plot hinged on orders signed by the Shah to dismiss Mossadegh as prime minister and replace him with General Fazlollah Zahedi, a choice agreed on by the British and Americans.

Despite the high-level coordination and planning, the coup initially failed, causing the Shah to flee to Baghdad, then Rome. After a brief exile in Italy, the Shah returned to Iran, this time through a successful second attempt at the coup. The deposed Mossadegh was arrested, given a show trial, and condemned to death.Fact|date=March 2007 The Shah commuted this sentence to solitary confinement for three years in a military prison, followed by house arrest for life.Fact|date=March 2007 Zahedi was installed to succeed Prime Minister Mossadegh.

The American Embassy in Tehran reported that Mossadegh had near total support from the nation and was unlikely to fall. The Prime Minister asked the Majles to give him direct control of the army. Given the situation, alongside the strong personal support of Eden and Churchill for covert action, the American government gave the go ahead to a committee, attended by the Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles, Kermit Roosevelt, Ambassador Henderson, and Secretary of Defense Charles Erwin Wilson. Kermit Roosevelt returned to Iran on July 13 and on August 1 in his first meeting with the Shah. A car picked him up at midnight and drove him to the palace. He lay down on the seat and covered himself with a blanket as guards waved his driver through the gates. The Shah got into the car and Roosevelt explained the mission. The CIA provided $1 million in Iranian currency, which Roosevelt had stored in a large safe, a bulky cache given the exchange rate of 1000 rial = 15 dollars at the time. [Robert Graham, Iran: The Illusion of Power, p. 66]

The Communists staged massive demonstrations to hijack the Prime Minister’s initiatives. The United States had announced its total lack of confidence in him; and his followers were drifting into indifference. On August 16, 1953, the right wing of the Army reacted. Armed with an order by the Shah, it appointed General Fazlollah Zahedi as prime minister. A coalition of mobs and retired officers close to the Palace, attempted what could be described as a coup d’etat. They failed dismally. The Shah fled the country in humiliating haste. Even Ettelaat, the nation’s largest daily newspaper, and its pro-Shah publisher, Abbas Masudi, published negative commentaries on him. [New York Times, July 23, 1953, 1:5]

During the following two days, the Communists turned against Mossadegh. They roamed Tehran raising red flags and pulling down statues of Reza Shah. This frightened the conservative clergies like Kashani and National Front leaders like Makki, who sided with the Shah. On August 18, Mossadegh hit back. Tudeh Partisans were clubbed and dispersed. [ New York Times, August 19, 1951, 1:4,5]

Tudeh had no choice but to accept defeat. In the meantime, according to the CIA plot, Zahedi appealed to the military, and claimed to be the legitimate prime minister and charged Mossadegh with staging a coup by ignoring the Shah’s decree. Zahedi’s son Ardeshir acted as the contact between the CIA and his father. On August 19 pro-Shah partisans, organized with $100,000 in CIA funds, finally appeared, marched out of south Tehran into the city center, where others joined in. Gangs with clubs, knives, and rocks controlled the streets, overturning Tudeh trucks and beating up anti-Shah activists. As Roosevelt was congratulating Zahedi in the basement of his hiding place, the new Prime Minister’s mobs burst in and carried him upstairs on their shoulders. That evening, Ambassador Henderson suggested to Ardashir that Mossadegh not be harmed. Roosevelt gave Zahedi $900,000 left from Operation Ajax funds.

The Shah returned to power, but never extended the elite status of the court to the technocrats and intellectuals who emerged from Iranian and Western universities. Indeed, his system irritated the new classes, for they were barred from partaking in real power. [ R.W. Cottam, Nationalism in Iran ]

The Shah was a strong supporter and patron of the Iran Scout Organization. A stamp showing the Shah in Scout's uniform was issued in 1956. [cite web
title = 1956. National scout jamboree.
publisher = Flags on Stamps
url = http://www.flagsonstamps.info/Iran.htm
accessdate =2008-08-04 ] In 1960 during a state visit the Shah was awarded the highest award of Pfadfinder Österreichs ("Silberner Steinbock am rot-weiß-roten Band"), the National Scout Organisation of Austria. [cite book
last = Pribich
first = Kurt
title = Logbuch der Pfadfinderverbände in Österreich
publisher = Pfadfinder-Gilde-Österreichs
date = 2004
location = Vienna
pages = 189
language = German]

Assassination attempts

The Shah was the target of two unsuccessful assassination attempts. On February 4, 1949, the Shah attended an annual ceremony to commemorate the founding of Tehran University. [ [http://www.geocities.com/ali_vazirsafavi/IranLing.htm Ali Vazir Safavi ] ] At the ceremony, Fakhr-Arai fired five shots at the Shah at a range of ten feet. Only one of the shots hit the Shah and his cheek was grazed. Fakhr-Arai was instantly shot by nearby officers. After an investigation, it was determined that Fakhr-Arai was a member of the Tudeh Party, [ [http://persepolis.free.fr/iran/personalities/shah.html The Shah] ] which was subsequently banned. [ [http://www.iranchamber.com/history/mohammad_rezashah/mohammad_rezashah.php Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi] ] However, there is evidence that the would-be assassin was not a Tudeh member but a religious fundamentalist. [Stephen Kinzer, "", John Wiley & Sons, 2003, ISBN 0-471-26517-9] [cite book |last= Dreyfuss|first= Robert |title= Devil's Game: How the United States Helped Unleash Fundamentalist Islam |publisher= Owl Books |year= 2006 |isbn= 0805081372 ] The Tudeh was nonetheless blamed and persecuted.

The second attempt on the Shah's life occurred on April 10, 1965. [ [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-3816(197002)32%3A1%3C19%3AMARFAT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q JSTOR: The Journal of Politics: Vol. 32, No. 1 (Feb., 1970)] ] A soldier shot his way through the Marble Palace. The assailant was killed before he reached the Shah's quarters. Two civilian guards died protecting the Shah.

According to Vladimir Kuzichkin, a former KGB officer who defected to the SIS, the Shah was also allegedly targeted by Soviet Union, who tried to use a TV remote control to detonate a Volkswagen which was turned into an IED. The TV remote failed to function. [cite book |last= Kuzichkin|first= Vladimir |authorlink=Vladimir Kuzichkin |title= Inside the KGB: My Life in Soviet Espionage |publisher= Ballantine Books |year= 1990 |isbn= 0-8041-0989-3 ]

Later years

Foreign relations

The Shah supported the Yemeni royalists against republican forces in the Yemen Civil War (1962-70) and assisted the sultan of Oman in putting down a rebellion in Dhofar (1971). Concerning the fate of Bahrain (which Britain had controlled since the 19th century, but which Iran claimed as its own territory) and three small Persian Gulf islands, the Shah negotiated an agreement with the British, which, by means of a public consensus, ultimately led to the independence of Bahrain (against the wishes of Iranian nationalists). In return, Iran took full control of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa, three strategically sensitive islands in the Strait of Hormuz which were claimed by the United Arab Emirates.

During this period, the Shah maintained cordial relations with the Persian Gulf states and established close diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia. Relations with Iraq, however, were often difficult. Then in 1975, the countries signed the Algiers Accord, which granted Iraq equal navigation rights in the Shatt al-Arab river, while the Shah agreed to end his support for Iraqi Kurdish rebels. [ [http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-6388.html Iran - State and Society, 1964-74] ]

The Shah also maintained close relations with King Hussein of Jordan, Anwar Sadat of Egypt, and King Hassan II of Morocco. [ [http://www.commonwealthclub.org/archive/04/04-03pahlavi-speech.html Interview with Farah Pahlavi] by Mary Bitterman, 2004-03-15.]

In July 1964, Shah Pahlavi, Turkish President Cemal Gürsel and Pakistani President Ayub Khan announced in Istanbul the establishment of the Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) organization to promote joint transportation and economic projects. It also envisioned Afghanistan joining some time in the future.

The Shah also maintained close relations with Pakistan. During the 1965 war between Pakistan and India, the Shah provided free fuel to the Pakistani planes, which landed on Iranian soil, refueled and then took flight.

The Shah of Iran was the first Muslim leader to recognize the State of Israel, although when interviewed on CBS 60 Minutes by reporter, Mike Wallace, he criticized US Jews for their control over US media and finance. [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQgZ3oLp_WY Mike Wallace interviews Mohammad Reza Pahlavi] ]

During his reign however, it was reported in the New York Times (1982), that half of the arms to Iran were "being supplied or arranged by Israel".

Modernization and autocracy

[

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thumb|left|230px|The_Shah_with_President Richard Nixon of the United States and First Lady Pat Nixon during a state visit in 1971.]

With Iran's great oil wealth, Mohammad Reza Shah became the pre-eminent leader of the Middle East, and self-styled "Guardian" of the Persian Gulf. He became increasingly despotic during the last years of his regime. In the words of a US Embassy dispatch, “The Shah’s picture is everywhere. The beginning of all film showings in public theaters presents the Shah in various regal poses accompanied by the strains of the National anthem... The monarch also actively extends his influence to all phases of social affairs...there is hardly any activity or vocation which the Shah or members of his family or his closest friends do not have a direct or at least a symbolic involvement. In the past, he had claimed to take a two party-system seriously and declared “If I were a dictator rather than a constitutional monarch, then I might be tempted to sponsor a single dominant party such as Hitler organized”. [Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Mission for my Country, London, 1961, page 173 ]

However, by 1975, he abolished the multi-party system of government so that he could rule through a one-party state under the Rastakhiz ("Resurrection") Party in autocratic fashion. All Iranians were pressured to join in. The Shah’s own words on its justification was; “We must straighten out Iranians’ ranks. To do so, we divide them into two categories: those who believe in Monarchy, the constitution and the Six Bahman Revolution and those who don’t... A person who does not enter the new political party and does not believe in the three cardinal principles will have only two choices. He is either an individual who belongs to an illegal organization, or is related to the outlawed Tudeh Party, or in other words a traitor. Such an individual belongs to an Iranian prison, or if he desires he can leave the country tomorrow, without even paying exit fees; he can go anywhere he likes, because he is not Iranian, he has no nation, and his activities are illegal and punishable according to the law”. [Fred Halliday, Iran; Dictatorship and Development, Penguin, ISBN 0-14-02.2010-0)] In addition, the Shah had decreed that all Iranian citizens and the few remaining political parties must become part of Rastakhiz. [ [http://www.internews.org/visavis/BTVPages/Theislamicrevolution.html#Opposition Opposition to Mohammad Reza Shah's Regime] ]

Achievements

The Shah made major changes to curb the power of certain ancient elite factions by expropriating large and medium-sized estates for the benefit of more than four million small farmers. In the "White Revolution", he took a number of major modernization measures, including extending suffrage to women, much to the discontent and opposition of the Islamic clergy. He instituted exams for Islamic theologians to become established clerics, which were widely unpopular and broke centuries-old religious traditions.

Criticism

The Shah used imprisonment and torture to maintain power. Amnesty International estimated the Shah's political prisoners at 60,000 to 100,000 in number. [ [http://www.nybooks.com/articles/8603 Iran's "Progress"] by Thomas R. Moore, Reply by Reza Baraheni.]

In October 1971, the Shah celebrated the twenty-five-hundredth anniversary of the Iranian monarchy. The New York Times reported that $100 million was spent. [ "The New York Times", October 12, 1971, 39:2 ] Next to the ruins of Persepolis, the Shah gave orders to build a tent city covering convert|160|acre|km2, studded with three huge royal tents and fifty-nine lesser ones arranged in a star-shaped design. French chefs from Maxim’s of Paris prepared breast of peacock for royalty and dignitaries around the world, the buildings were decorated by Maison Jansen (the same firm that helped Jacqueline Kennedy redecorate the White House), the guests ate off Ceraline Limoges china and drank from Baccarat crystal glasses. This became a major scandal for the contrast between the dazzling elegance of celebration and the misery of the nearby villages was so dramatic that no one could ignore it. Months before the festivities, university students struck in protest. Indeed, the cost was sufficiently impressive that the Shah forbade his associates to discuss the actual figures. [(R.W Cottam, Nationalism in Iran P.329) ] [Michael Ledeen & William Lewis, "Debacle: The American Failure in Iran", Knopf, p. 22)]

However the Shah and the supporters of the Shah argue that the celebrations opened new investments in Iran, increased better relationship with the other leaders and nations of the world, recognition of Iran and keeping the history of Iran alive among other different arguments.

Cottam has argued that the longevity of the Shah’s rule was due largely to his success in balancing his security chiefs against each other.

Revolution

On January 16, 1979, he and his wife left Iran at the behest of Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar (a long time opposition leader himself), who sought to calm the situation.cite web
title=1979: Shah of Iran flees into exile
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/16/newsid_2530000/2530475.stm
publisher = BBC
accessdate=2007-01-05] Bakhtiar dissolved SAVAK, freed all political prisoners, and allowed the Ayatollah Khomeini to return to Iran after years in exile. He asked Khomeini to create a Vatican-like state in Qom, promised free elections and called upon the opposition to help preserve the constitution, proposing a 'national unity' government including Khomeini's followers. Khomeini fiercely rejected Dr. Bakhtiar's demands and appointed his own interim government, with Mehdi Bazargan as prime minister, demanding "since I have appointed him he must be obeyed." In February, pro-Khomeini Revolutionary guerrilla and rebel soldiers gained the upper hand in street fighting and the military announced their neutrality. On the evening of February 11 the dissolution of the monarchy was complete.

Exile and death

The Shah traveled from country to country in his second exile, seeking what he hoped would be a temporary residence. First he went to Egypt, and got an invitation and warm welcome from president Anwar el-Sadat. He later lived in Morocco, the Bahamas, and Mexico. But his pancreatic cancer began to grow worse and required immediate and sophisticated treatment.

Reluctantly, on October 22, 1979, President Jimmy Carter allowed the Shah to make a brief stopover in the United States to undergo medical treatment. The compromise was extremely unpopular with the revolutionary movement, which had been angered by the United States' years of support for the Shah's rule. The Iranian government demanded the return of the Shah to Iran to stand trial.

This resulted in the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, and the kidnapping of American diplomats, military personnel and intelligence officers, which soon became known as the Iran hostage crisis. According to the Shah's book, Answer to History, in the end the USA never provided the Shah any kind of health care and asked him to leave the country. [Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Answer to History, Stein & Day Pub, 1980, ISBN 0-8128-2755-4.]

He left the United States on December 15, 1979, and lived for a short time in the Isla Contadora in Panama. Finally he returned to Egypt, where he died on July 27, 1980, at the age of 60. Egyptian President Sadat gave the Shah a state funeral.

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi is buried in the Al Rifa'i Mosque in Cairo, a mosque of great symbolic importance. The last royal rulers of the two monarchies are buried there, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi of Iran and King Farouk of Egypt, his former brother-in-law. The tombs lie off to the left of the entrance.

Legacy

In 1969, the Shah sent one of 73 Apollo 11 Goodwill Messages to NASA for the historic first lunar landing. [Rahman, Tahir (2007). We Came in Peace for all Mankind- the Untold Story of the Apollo 11 Silicon Disc. Leathers Publishing. ISBN 978-1585974412] The message still rests on the lunar surface today. He stated in part, "...we pray the Almighty God to guide mankind towards ever increasing success in the establishment of culture, knowledge and human civilization." The Apollo 11 crew visited the Shah during a world tour.

Shortly after his overthrow, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi wrote an autobiographical memoir "Réponse à l'histoire" ("Answer to History"). It was translated from the original French into English, Persian ("Pasokh be Tarikh"), and other languages. However, by the time of its publication, the Shah had already died. The book is his personal account of his reign and accomplishments, as well as his perspective on issues related to the Iranian Revolution and Western foreign policy toward Iran. The Shah places some of the blame for the wrongdoings of SAVAK and the failures of various democratic and social reforms (particularly through the White Revolution) upon Amir Abbas Hoveyda and his administration.

In the 1990s and the decade following 2000, the Shah's reputation has staged something of a revival, with many Iranians looking back on his era as time when Iran was more prosperous [Molavi, Afshin, "The Soul of Iran", Norton (2005), p.74] [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iran/2004/5-020204.htm Iran Report] 2 February 2004] and the government less oppressive. [Sciolino, Elaine, "Persian Mirrors," Touchstone, (2000), p.239, 244] Journalist Afshin Molavi reports even members of the uneducated poor - traditionally core supporters of the revolution that overthrew the Shah - making remarks such as 'God bless the Shah's soul, the economy was better then;' and finds that "books about the former Shah (even censored ones) sell briskly," while "books of the Rightly Guided Path sit idle." [Molavi, Afshin, "The Soul of Iran", Norton (2005), p.74, 10]

Women's right

During the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi women gained the right to become ministers such as Farrokhroo Parsa, judges such as Shirin Ebadi and any other profession regardless of their gender.

Marriages and children

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was married three times.

Fawzia of Egypt

His first wife was Princess Fawzia of Egypt (born November 5, 1921), a daughter of King Fuad I of Egypt and Nazli Sabri; she also was a sister of King Farouk I of Egypt. They married in 1939 and were divorced in 1945 (Egyptian divorce) and 1948 (Iranian divorce). They had one daughter, Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi (born October 27, 1940).

oraya Esfandiary

His second wife was Soraya Esfandiary (June 22, 1932-October 26, 2001), the only daughter of Khalil Esfandiary, Iranian Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, and his wife, the former Eva Karl. They married in 1951, but divorced in 1958 when it became apparent that she could not bear children. Soraya later told The New York Times that the Shah had no choice but to divorce her, and that he was heavy hearted about the decision. [cite news | title=Soraya Arrives for U.S. Holiday | url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20C13FD355D1A7B93C1AB178FD85F4C8585F9 | format=PDF | publisher=The New York Times | pages=35 | date=1958-04-23 | accessdate=2007-03-23]

He subsequently indicated his interest in marrying Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy, a daughter of the deposed Italian king, Umberto II. Pope John XXIII reportedly vetoed the suggestion. In an editorial about the rumors surrounding the marriage of "a Muslim sovereign and a Catholic princess", the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, considered the match "a grave danger," [Paul Hofmann, "Pope Bans Marriage of Princess to Shah", The New York Times, 24 February 1959, p. 1.] especially considering that under the 1917 Code of Canon Law a Roman Catholic who married a divorced person could be excommunicated.

Farah Diba

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi married to his third and final wife, Farah Diba (born October 14, 1938), the only child of Sohrab Diba, Captain in the Imperial Iranian Army, and his wife, the former Farideh Ghotbi. They were married in 1959, and Queen Farah was crowned Shahbanu, or Empress, a title created especially for her in 1967. Previous royal consorts had been known as "Malakeh" (Arabic: Malika), or Queen. The couple remained together for twenty years, until the Shah's death. Farah Diba bore him four children:

# Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince (born October 31, 1960)
# Farahnaz Pahlavi (born March 12, 1963)
# Ali-Reza Pahlavi (born April 28, 1966)
# Leila Pahlavi (March 27, 1970 – June 10, 2001)

Quotes

On the revolution

* "When asked whether he thought that Iranians had been ungrateful towards him:" Gratitude is the prerogative of the people. [The Shah's last interview, Panama [http://nomullas.com/shahsint.ram] ]
* "The role of the U.S.:" I did not know it then – perhaps I did not want to know – but it is clear to me now that the Americans wanted me out. Clearly this is what the human rights advocates in the State Department wanted... What was I to make of the Administration's sudden decision to call former Under Secretary of State George Ball to the White House as an adviser on Iran?... Ball was among those Americans who wanted to abandon me and ultimately my country. [What Really Happed to the Shah of Iran - [http://www.payvand.com/news/06/mar/1090.html#_ftn1] ]

* "Promise to the nation:" You, the people of Iran, rose against injustice and corruption... I too, have heard the voice of your revolution. As the Shah of Iran, and as an Iranian, I will support the revolution of my people. I promise that the previous mistakes, unlawful acts and injustice will not be repeated. [Iranian State Radio, 5 November 1978 - [http://www.talieh-sepidedaman.com/Articles/Gozargahi5.htm Partial transcript (in Persian)] ] [ [http://www.iranian.com/Pictory/2003/February/shah.mp3 Audio of Mohammad Reza Shah's televized speech, November 6, 1978] ] This speech is said to have been written by the uncle of Shahbanou Farah and was given to the Shah in a rush, as the Shah was sick and in a bad mood he couldn't write or say speeches himself.

On the role of women

* Women are important in a man's life only if they're beautiful and charming and keep their femininity and... this business of feminism, for instance. What do these feminists want? What do you want? You say equality. Oh! I don't want to seem rude, but... you're equal in the eyes of the law but not, excuse my saying so, in ability... You've never produced a Michelangelo or a Bach. You've never even produced a great chef. And if you talk to me about opportunity, all I can say is, Are you joking? Have you ever lacked the opportunity to give history a great chef? You've produced nothing great, nothing!... You're schemers, you are evil. All of you. [Oriana Fallaci, Interview with History. New York; Liveright Publishing, 1976. pp. 270-272.] [ [http://www.payvand.com/news/06/mar/1067.html Excerpt available in the introduction to an interview with Grand Ayatollah Montazeri] by Golbarg Bashi] - When later he was asked in an interview by Barbara Walters if he had said this, he answered "Not with the same words, no." [Barbara Walters interview, cited in Elaine Sciolino, [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506EFDB153AF931A35756C0A9629C8B63 The Last Empress] , May 2, 2004]

* ... women- who after all make up half the population- should be treated as equals...

* I have never believed that women were diabolical creatures if they showed their faces or arms, or went swimming, or skied or played basketball. If some women wish to live veiled, then it is their choice, but why deprive half of our youth of the healthy pleasure of sports?Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, "Answer to History", Stein & Day Pub, 1980, ISBN 0-8128-2755-4.]

Honours

*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Iran-1926
*Grand Collar of the Order of Pahlavi of Iran-1932
*Collar of the Order of Muhammad Ali of Egypt-1939
*Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB)-1942
*Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion, 1st Class w/ Collar of Czechoslovakia-1943
*Croix de Guerre w/ Palm of France-1945
*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Propitious Clouds of China, special grade-1946
*Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit of the United States-1947
*Knight of the Order of the Golden Spur of the Vatican-1948
*Royal Victorian Chain (RVC)-1948
*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Zulfiqar of Iran-1949
*Collar of the Order of Hussein ibn Ali of Jordan-1949
*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Renaissance of Jordan-1949
*Order of the King Abdul Aziz Decoration of Honour, 1st Class of Saudi Arabia-1955
*Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Bundesverdienstkreuz of Germany-1955
*Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Order of Merit of Lebanon-1956
*Grand Collar of the Order of the Yoke and Arrows of Spain-1957
*Grand Cordon of the Grand Order of the Hashemites of Iraq-1957
*Grand Cross w/ Collar of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy-1957
*Grand Cordon of the Order of Idris I of Libya-1958
*Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum of Japan-1958
*Grand Cross of the Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Merit of Austria-1958
*Knight of the Order of the Elephant of Denmark-1959
*Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion-1959
*Order of Pakistan, 1st Class-1959
*Order of Ojaswi Rajanya of Nepal-1960
*Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer of Greece-1960
*Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold of Belgium-1960
*Grand Cross w/Collar of the Order of St Olav of Norway-1961
*Grand Collar and Chain of the Order of Solomon of Ethiopia-1964
*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Supreme Sun of Afghanistan-1965
*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile of Egypt-1965
*Grand Cordon of the Order of the Liberator San Martin of Argentina-1965
*Grand Cordon w/Collar of the Order of Independence of Tunisia-1965
*Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross of Brazil-1965
*Grand Cordon of the Order of Muhammad of Morocco-1966
*Order of Mubarak the Great of Kuwait-1966
*Order of al-Khalifa of Bahrain-1966
*Order of Independence of Qatar-1966
*Order of the Badr Chain of Saudi Arabia-1966
*Order of the Chain of Honour of the Sudan-1966
*Grand Cordon of the Yugoslavian Grand Star of Yugoslavia-1966
*Collar of the Order of the Seraphim of Sweden-1967 (Knight-1960)
*Order of the Crown of Malaysia (DMN)-1968
*Order of the Maha Chakri of Thailand-1968
*Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland-1970
*Military Order of Oman, 1st Class-1973
*Grand Collar of the Order of Charles III of Spain-1975
*Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle of Mexico-1975

ee also

*Tehran Conference
*Trans-Iranian Railway
*Middle East Theatre of World War II
*Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr.
*Nuclear program of Iran
*National Car Museum of Iran, showcases the cars of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
*Iskander Mirza Major-General Iskander Mirza First President of Pakistan a very close friend of the Shah himself.
*Human rights in the Pahlavi Dynasty

Further reading

*Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, "Answer to History", Stein & Day Pub, 1980, ISBN 0-8128-2755-4.
*Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, "The Shah's Story", M. Joseph, 1980, ISBN 0-7181-1944-4
*Farah Pahlavi, "An Enduring Love: My Life with the Shah - A Memoir", Miramax Books, 2004, ISBN 1-4013-5209-X.
*Stephen Kinzer, "", John Wiley & Sons, 2003, ISBN 0-471-26517-9
*William Shawcross, "The Shah's last ride: The death of an ally", Touchstone, 1989, ISBN 0-671-68745-X.
*Ardeshir Zahedi, "The Memoirs of Ardeshir Zahedi ", IBEX, 2005, ISBN 1-58814-038-5.
*Amin Saikal The Rise and Fall of the Shah 1941 - 1979 Angus and Robertson (Princeton University Press) ISBN 0-207-14412-5
*Abbas Milani, "The Persian Sphinx: Amir Abbas Hoveyda and the Riddle of the Iranian Revolution", Mage Publishers, 2000, ISBN 0-934211-61-2.
*David Harris, "The Crisis: the President, the Prophet, and the Shah—1979 and the Coming of Militant Islam" New York: Little, Brown &Co, 2004. ISBN 0-316-32394-2.
*Kapuściński, Ryszard (1982). "Shah of Shahs". Vinage. ISBN 0-679-73801-0
* Ali M. Ansari, Modern Iran since 1921 ISBN 0-582-35685-7

References

External links

* [http://irannegah.com/video_browse.aspx?keyword=shah Video Archive of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi] .
* [http://www.aryamehr.org A web site in Persian and English dedicated to Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi)] .
* [http://www.rezashah.nl A web site in Persian dedicated to Reza Shah including video clip and photos March 2007)] .
* [http://www.ardeshirzahedi.eu A web site in Persian dedicated to Ardeshir Zahedi including video clip of marriage with Princess Shahnaz and photos of Shah March 2007)] .
* [http://nomullas.com/shahsint.ram The Shah's last interview (conducted by David Frost in Panama)] .
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOBxcXpD4Co Interview with Mike Wallace] - YouTube Video
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8405176709507678021&q=persia+-prince&pl=true Azadi TV: The Shah]
* [http://www.sarbaz.org/articles/ghanoon-asasi/ga.htm The Iranian constitution of 1906 (Persian)] .
* [http://www.iranian.com/Opinion/2003/November/Kashani/index.html ISNA interview with Dr. Mahmood Kashani (Persian)]
* [http://www.iranian.com/FereydounHoveyda/2003/September/Mossadegh/index.html Mossadegh saved the Shah, by Fereydoun Hoveyda]
* [http://www.ardeshirzahedi.org/cia-iran.pdf The CIA and Iran] , Ardeshir Zahedi, May 22, 2000.
* [http://www.nytimes.com/library/world/mideast/041600iran-cia-index.html James Risen: Secrets of History: The C.I.A. in Iran – A special report.; How a Plot Convulsed Iran in '53 (and in '79)] . "The New York Times", April 16, 2000.
*Stephen Fleischman. [http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1129-32.htm Shah knew what he was talking about: Oil is too valuable to burn] , "CommonDreams", November 29, 2005.
*Roger Scruton. [http://www.fortfreedom.org/l14.htm] In Memory of Iran by Roger Scruton, from 'Untimely tracts' (NY: St. Martin's Press, 1987), pp. 190-1
* [http://www.payvand.com/news/06/mar/1090.html Brzezinski's role in overthrow of the Shah] , Payvand News, March 10, 2006.
* [http://www.iranian.com/FereydounHoveyda/2000/August/Shah/index.html 'Free elections in 1979, my last audience with the Shah', by Fereydoun Hoveyda]
* [http://parstimes.com/history/shah_us/ Shah of Iran and US Presidents]
* [http://www.parstimes.com/history/nixon_toast_tehran.html Toasts of the President and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, at a State Dinner in Tehran: May 30, 1972]
* [http://www.zahedi.info A large amount of relevant historical pictures]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Xvhg3DxQE A History Channel video, presented in the context of comments made during a recent debate]

###@@@KEY@@@###

Persondata
NAME=Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Shahanshah Aryamehr Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Second Iranian Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty
DATE OF BIRTH=October 26, 1919
PLACE OF BIRTH=Tehran, Iran
DATE OF DEATH=July 27, 1980
PLACE OF DEATH=Cairo, Egypt