The Islamic Republic and the World Global Dimensions of the Iranian Revolution

by Panah, Maryam

• ISBN13: 9780745326221
• ISBN10: 0745326226
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781849643481
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-09-20
• Publisher: PLUTO PRESS (UK)

Summary

Iran is now in the eye of the storm. As events in Iraq deteriorate, a US invasion of Iran looms as a real threat. This book provides a detailed analysis of Iran's recent history, and in particular how the country has been shaped by the 1979 revolution. It is often forgotten that modern Iran is a revolutionary republic that arose out of the overthrow of the old, secular and very pro-western regime. Since the revolution, this has been replaced by an Islamic State. Maryam Panah explores the Iranian revolution in its international context, and examines the different forces at play within the country, and how these conflicting political interests continue to mould the country today and shape its external relations.

Author Biography

Maryam Panah was born in Iran and is a fluent Farsi speaker. After reading Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University, she completed her doctoral thesis at the London School of Economics. She works in the field of international development, has recently lived in the UK, Belgium and India and is currently based in Berlin.

Table of Contents

Chronology	p. ix
Acknowledgements	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
The Iranian Revolution in international context: a theoretical perspective	p. 4
A theoretical framework: causes and consequences	p. 6
Revolution and the Islamic Republic: an analysis	p. 13
The Iranian Revolution: internal and external causes	p. 16
Historical legacy of foreign influence in Iran	p. 16
Socio-economic development and structural change	p. 21
The revolutionary coalition	p. 28
Evolution of a revolutionary discourse: international influences	p. 32
Populism and the Revolution: domestic and international impact	p. 42
Populism and 'Khomeinism'	p. 42
The revolutionary centrifuge: a fragmenting coalition	p. 44
Khomeinism: nationalism, anti-imperialism, universalism	p. 47
Khomeinism's decisive moment: 1979-80	p. 51
The domestic consequences	p. 57
International consequences	p. 65
Export of revolution: Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and the Gulf	p. 69
International containment of the Islamic Republic	p. 76
After the hostage crisis	p. 76
The Iraqi response: onset of the Iran-Iraq war	p. 80
Regional policies of containment: the Gulf states and beyond	p. 82
The United States and the West: policy in the 1980s	p. 86
Exporting revolution: a unique failure	p. 93
Populism, war and the state	p. 97
'War populism' and revolutionary images of the international system	p. 97
Popular mobilisation and war contributions	p. 101
War, populism and repression	p. 104
Development of the instruments of state coercion	p. 106
Abasement of 'social populism'	p. 111
Social basis of the war	p. 114
State crisis and change	p. 118
State, revolution and class: a theoretical explanation	p. 119
The critical conjuncture: external and internal pressure and the economy	p. 122
The end of an era? The important concept of 'maslehat'	p. 128
Reform and reaction 1990-2005	p. 131
The reform years	p. 133
The conservative backlash	p. 139
Revolutionary foreign policy and international tension	p. 148
Revolutionary continuity: Islamic universalism	p. 148
Military and security strategy	p. 156
International tension	p. 158
Conclusion	p. 163
Notes	p. 168
Index	p. 204
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