The Contemporary History of Iran - Part 11: “The Rise of Reza Shah”

“The Rise of Reza Shah” - Part 11 of the Roqe Media series, The Contemporary History of Iran. How did a man named Reza Khan, who came from modest means, become the ‘father of modern Iran’ and the founder of a new Iranian dynasty? Acclaimed historian Dr. Shaul Bakhash, author of a new book on the life of Reza Shah, joins Jian Ghomeshi from George Mason University to discuss Reza Shah’s evolution from military strongman, to Prime Minister, to King of Iran from 1925-1941, his remarkable role in a fundamental progressive transformation and centralization of the Iranian state, as well as his autocratic nature and rule by iron will that would leave him deeply unpopular by his final year in power. This is the first section of two conversations with Dr. Bakhash that will be followed by Part 12 of the Contemporary History of Iran, “The Fall of Reza Shah.”