The History Cat: Age of Imperialism: The Iranian Revolution of 1979

Describes the transformation of Iran into an oil-rich country, and the westernization that took place under Shah Reza Pahlavi. This was followed by a religious backlash and the overthrow of the Shah by Ayatollah Khomeini and his supporters. The unrest from those events, and American involvement in giving refuge to the Shah, precipitated the takeover of the American Embassy in November 1979. This hostage crisis lasted for 444 days.