THE LAST SHAH — Part 6 — The Great Civilization 1971–1976

History Onion · Part 6 The Great Civilization · 2:58

Younger Iranians were not alive for the Pahlavi era. They know it through photographs, family stories, old footage, and social media — women in public life, the Caspian coast, Sinatra in Tehran, direct flights to New York, nightlife, and a country that seemed to be joining the modern world. In October 1971, the Shah held a celebration at Persepolis. Fifty silk tents designed by Maison Jansen. Red Mercedes limousines. Maxim's of Paris catering. Nineteen-eleven Moët. Emperors, kings, presidents, princes, and envoys came from around the world. At the tomb of Cyrus, the Shah spoke across twenty-five centuries: "Cyrus, sleep peacefully — for we are awake." From Najaf, Khomeini called it "the devil's festival." Of all the American presidents the Shah worked with, Nixon may have understood him best. The Nixon Doctrine made Iran America's regional partner in the Persian Gulf. The Shah could buy almost any conventional weapon the United States produced. Through OPEC, he helped make oil-producing countries harder to ignore. Iran did not join the Arab oil embargo. The Shah kept quiet ties with Israel open — including oil channels that officially did not exist. Oil revenues surged. Eighty F-14 Tomcats — the only foreign buyer. Highways. Hospitals. Nuclear plants. The Iran Computer Society. In Germany, the Shah commissioned a rugged military vehicle for the Iranian army — Mercedes and Steyr built it, and it became the G-Wagon.