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Shah's Repressive Security Apparatus
- The Shah built a powerful repressive state including Saavok, trained by CIA and Mossad, to crush opposition and maintain control.
- Saavok infiltrated all levels of society, creating wide fear and surveillance among Iranians domestically and abroad.
White Revolution's Contradictory Impact
- The White Revolution aimed to co-opt left-wing demands like land reform and women's suffrage to prevent revolution.
- However, it caused mass proletarianization and urban slums, ironically fueling the conditions for revolutionary upheaval.
Rise of Khomeini and Radical Opposition
- After the coup, repression of nationalists and communists radicalized opposition.
- Khomeini emerged by 1963 opposing the Shah's US ties and despotism, gaining prominence by linking the Shah to tyrannical figures in Shia history.