BAGIR M., POURHASSAN H. Hierarchy and the Revolutionary Crisis in a Subordinate Polity: The Shah’s Debacle and American Policy
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2026.2.10
Muharrem Bagir,
PhD, Department of Sociology, Akademi Mah. Yeni, Selçuk University, Prosp. Stambulsky, No 36942130 Selçuklu / Konya, Turkey,
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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0895-1340
Hamed Pourhassan,
Independent Researcher, Berlin, Germany,
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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0148-8269
Abstract. Introduction. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s (Shah) downfall in early 1979 raises questions about U.S. policy on regime change in its allies. Despite the Shah’s expectation that the U.S. would intervene to support him against rising opposition, Washington made minimal efforts to restore his authority. This is surprising given the Shah’s significant stockpiles of advanced American military equipment. The key issue is why the U.S. allowed the Shah’s regime to collapse without decisive action, especially when intervention seemed possible. This paper aims to explore this puzzle through the lens of hierarchy theory, which offers a compelling framework for analyzing the behavior of great powers during revolutionary crises in allied states. This study seeks to advance our understanding of the dynamics at play when a dominant state (A) must decide whether to continue supporting an autocratic ruler (B) who is being challenged by opposition forces (C) in a subordinate polity. Analysis and results. It argues that when the autocratic ruler’s survival and sovereignty appear unlikely, the dominant state may withdraw support and consider alternatives among the opposition. Consequently, the dominant state adopts a low-profile approach, aiming to influence the situation to preserve its own authority and reconstruct the political hierarchy through new alliances or arrangements. The focus shifts from the regime’s immediate survival to reestablishing influence via alternative actors capable of maintaining stability and aligning with broader strategic interests. By applying “hierarchy theory,” the paper sheds light on how the U.S. prioritized regional stability and influence over the Shah’s regime’s survival. Authors’ contributions. This article is the result of almost equal participation of two authors. One of the authors (Muharrem Bagir) is a sociologist and has contributed to the article, especially regarding the socio-historical situation of the Pahlavi era in Iran. The second author (Hamed Pourhassan) studied international relations and has generally contributed to the political-systemic part of the article. The theory, research method, and generality of the article have been completed with the participation and consultation of the two authors.
Key words: hierarchy, US foreign policy, Shah, Iran, Middle East.
Citation. Bagir M., Pourhassan H. Hierarchy and the Revolutionary Crisis in a Subordinate Polity: The Shah’s Debacle and American Policy. Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya 4. Istoriya. Regionovedenie. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya [Science Journal of Volgograd State University. History. Area Studies. International Relations], 2026, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 112-128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu4.2026.2.10
Hierarchy and the Revolutionary Crisis in a Subordinate Polity: The Shah’s Debacle and American Policy © 2026 by Bagir M., Pourhassan H. is licensed under CC BY 4.0 
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