The Rest Is History: "Revolution in Iran: Fall of the Shah" (Part 1)

Podcast: The Rest Is History
Hosts: Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook
Episode Number: 636
Air Date: January 19, 2026

Overview

In this first installment of a multi-part series, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook offer a sweeping and richly narrated account of the dramatic collapse of Iran’s Pahlavi monarchy and the rise of the Islamic Republic in 1979. The episode weaves together character portraits of key figures (the Shah, Ayatollah Khomeini, Jimmy Carter), background on Iranian history and Shia Islam, social dynamics in 1970s Iran, and the build-up to one of history’s most consequential revolutions. The tone blends wit, skepticism, and fascination, with both hosts drawing pointed historical parallels and telling anecdotes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Carter's Toast (02:00 – 03:58)

• Opens with a (playful) reenactment of President Jimmy Carter’s lavish New Year’s Eve 1977 toast to the Shah in Tehran.
  • “Iran, because of the great leadership of the Shah, is an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world.” (Jimmy Carter, quoted at [01:21])
• The moment is steeped in historical irony: Carter’s words come mere days before the eruption of protests that lead to the Shah’s ouster and Khomeini's return.
• Carter is one of the indirect victims of the Iranian Revolution, as it wrecks his presidency.

2. The Stakes: Why the 1979 Revolution Matters (05:03 – 06:38)

• Dramatic transformation of Iran from a close US ally to a principal opponent, with consequences still resonant today (e.g., Iran’s military support for Russia in Ukraine).
• The hosts place the Iranian Revolution alongside the French and Russian revolutions as a “truly global revolution with dramatic cultural and political consequences.” (Dominic, [05:45])
  • “It fires the starting gun on the kind of the wave of Islamic militancy that has shaken the world since 1979.” (Tom, [06:26])

3. Iran’s Rapid Social Transformation and Context (06:38 – 09:03)

• Tehran’s explosive postwar growth: from 500,000 in the 1940s to nearly 5 million by the late 1970s.
• Modernization and influx of new populations create underlying tensions; infrastructure and social order strain under pressure.
• The “heart of the episode”: The massive socioeconomic changes and how they fuel instability.

4. Portrait of the Shah: Power, Personality & Paranoia (09:03 – 19:11)

• The Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, styled himself as heir to ancient Persian monarchs, cultivating a personality cult and lavish image.
  • “King of kings and light of the Aryans” ([07:55]), “He had a classic kind of 1950s, 1960s dictator vibe…military uniform and enormous sunglasses.” ([15:32])
• Notable excess: opulent palaces, extravagant celebrations (notably the 1971 Persepolis blowout for the monarchy’s 2,500th anniversary).
  • “All the food is flown in from Paris by Maxims…The ayatollahs exaggerated the level of corruption, but actually the British Foreign Office report said it was really corrupt.” (Dominic, [18:00 – 19:01])
• Tainted by association with Western powers (British-sponsored coup of his father, CIA-backed coup against Mossadegh in 1953).
• Increasing autocracy, repression (SAVAK secret police, torture), and failed attempts to Westernize/modernize further alienate sectors of society.

5. The Shah’s Western Backers & Carter’s Dilemma (19:11 – 34:03)

• OPEC oil shock of 1973 quadruples oil revenues, fueling both modernization and corruption.
  • “He spent $12 billion on weapons; more British tanks than the British themselves had!” (Dominic, [20:47])
• America’s staunch support: Nixon and Kissinger see Iran as linchpin against Soviet expansion; Carter continues the partnership despite “human rights” rhetoric.
  • “Carter basically says: don’t overthink the human rights thing, we need the Shah for stability.” (Dominic, [34:55])
• Carter’s personality & approach: earnest, workaholic, but inexperienced and ill-suited to the political and diplomatic nuances of the Middle East.
  • “He’s not naturally charming…he’s stubborn…he’s a massive micromanager. The classic story is that he handled the White House tennis court bookings himself.” (Dominic, [29:33–30:31])

Memorable Quote:

“He turned up on national television wearing a cardigan and said: ‘I’d like everybody to turn their thermostats down.’ You can’t do that, can you? That’s not the imperial presidency.” (Tom & Dominic, [30:17–30:20])

6. Ayatollah Khomeini: Revolutionary, Theologian, Symbol (40:17 – 45:19)

• Introduced with a rousing excerpt of his 1978 speech from exile:
  "All our miseries are caused by the imperialists. If they were not protected by the Iranian government, the people would skin them alive…So brave sons of Islam, stand up, talk to the people…rouse the people in the streets and the bazaars, rouse our students, rouse our simple hearted workers and peasants and let us become holy warriors." (Ayatollah Khomeini, [40:17])
• Khomeini’s background: cleric family, scholarly and austere, poet, influenced by philosophy and mysticism.
• Draws powerful support as a man of dignity, simplicity, and religious authority—a “charismatic and impressive person…never seen smiling or laughing in public.” ([44:16])

7. Shia Islam & Its Relevance to Revolution (45:19 – 52:44)

• Shiism grounds Iranian identity in oppositional, martyr-based, and sometimes apocalyptic worldviews.
  • “At the heart…is the idea of oppression, virtuous martyrs and victims suffering under overweening authority.” (Dominic, [47:16])
• Commemoration of Hussein’s martyrdom in 680—Ashura—serves as a central cultural moment and touchpoint for anti-regime mobilization.
  • “There are echoes [of Good Friday]…it’s basically their Good Friday.” (Tom, [48:53])
• Leaderless religious tradition: Shiite clerics customarily opposed to holding secular power, which makes their seizure of power in 1979 innovative and radical.

8. Roots of Discontent: Modernization & Social Stress (54:10 – 65:46)

• The Shah’s “White Revolution” (modernization, land reform, enfranchising women) erodes the power base and cultural standing of the clergy and upsets traditional society.
  • “The local clerics do not like this…they are losing their estates, their authority, and their role in education.” (Dominic, [54:47])
• Taped sermons of Khomeini spread in Iran, blending religious conservatism with anti-imperial nationalism.
• Growing sense of alienation among the urban poor, the dislocated, and university students:
  • “If their ambitions aren’t met, they will be very quickly frustrated…Islam offers more authentically Iranian answers than socialism or communism.” (Dominic, [63:11])

Student Perspective:

“American lifestyles had swept over our country like a flood. And we found ourselves wondering: Is there any room for our own culture?” – Masume Ebtekar (quoted by Dominic, [62:53])

9. Ignition: The Spiral into Revolution (65:46 – 76:18)

• The Shah’s regime publishes a slanderous article against Khomeini in January 1978; instead of discrediting him, this provokes furious demonstrations.
• Protests snowball, marked by a cycle of violence and commemorative riots every 40 days (a pattern linked to Shiite mourning customs).
• Regime’s misjudgement: underestimates the depth and breadth of resistance, partly due to poor intelligence and its own detachment (exacerbated by the Shah’s undisclosed leukemia).
• Catastrophic Cinema Rex fire in August 1978 (likely Islamist militants, but popularly blamed on the Shah) intensifies unrest.
  • “People are shouting: ‘The Shah is guilty! Burn the Shah!’ The Shah had nothing to do with this. But from this point, I think there is no way back.” (Dominic, [73:32])

10. Crisis and Collapse (74:59 – 76:18)

• By autumn 1978, strikes cripple the oil industry. Revolutionary committees begin taking over cities.
• US Ambassador William Sullivan cables Washington with the “thinking the unthinkable” memo: The Shah’s finished—maybe it’s time to deal with the Ayatollah.

Dramatic Moment:

“We have to do something…If we don’t act now, Iran…will slip out of our hands forever…It may well be time to do a deal with the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.” (Amb. Sullivan’s secret cable, summarized, [76:13])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Carter and the Shah:
  • “It’s one of those great ironic moments of the late twentieth century…” (Dominic, [03:25])
• On the Shah:
  • “Now we are the masters with our money, and our former masters are our slaves.” (The Shah, as told by Dominic, [22:50])
• On American intelligence failure:
  • “Famously, the CIA have profiles of all the big people in Iranian politics—they don’t have one prepared for the Ayatollah Khomeini, because they just don’t think he’s that big a factor.” (Dominic, [71:05])
• On societal alienation:
  • “If their ambitions aren’t met, they will be very quickly frustrated…Islam offers you more authentically Iranian answers than socialism and communism do.” (Dominic, [63:11])
• On Rumors and Revolution:
  • “Rumors now, really exaggerated, that he’d sent in helicopters and people had been machine-gunning crowds from helicopters…People start to say those troops firing on crowds were actually Israeli.” (Dominic, [74:51])
• Ending note:
  • “What tension, what drama…Will Jimmy Carter follow the advice [to ditch the Shah]? Will he, as it were, get into bed with the Ayatollah?” (Tom, [76:18])

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 01:21–03:25| Carter’s Toast and the Irony of 1977 | | 05:03–06:38| Revolution’s Global Implications | | 09:03–12:46| The Shah’s Biography & Westernization | | 17:11–19:11| Corruption, OPEC Oil Windfall | | 29:33–30:31| Carter’s Personality and Micromanagement | | 40:17–44:16| Khomeini’s Revolutionary Message & Persona | | 45:19–52:44| Shia Islam’s Historic and Theological Foundations | | 54:10–65:46| Societal Tensions and the Role of the Clergy | | 65:46–68:39| Newspaper Slander & Outbreak of Protests | | 73:18–74:59| Cinema Rex Fire & the Cycle of Blame | | 74:59–76:18| Regime Crisis, Sullivan’s "Thinking the Unthinkable"|

Tone & Narrative Style

The hosts maintain their trademark blend of sharp intelligence, irreverence, and deep research, mixing scholarly analysis with anecdote, dry humor (especially about Carter’s cardigans and Shah’s sunglasses), and a sense of high drama ("What tension, what drama!"). Their analysis is vivid and accessible yet rooted in a clear command of the subject.

Conclusion

This rich, engrossing episode lays the groundwork for understanding Iran’s 1979 revolution by exploring its historical and social background, the centrality of Shia beliefs, and the complex interplay between domestic dissatisfaction and global strategic blunders. The show stops on the brink of the revolution’s most tumultuous months, promising further analysis of the climactic overthrow of the Shah and return of Khomeini in subsequent episodes.

To hear the continuation—including Khomeini’s triumphal return, Carter’s fateful decision-making, and the embassy hostage crisis—listeners are invited to the next installment.

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