Military government of Gholam-Reza Azhari

The Shah Shah ordered Gholam Reza Azhari at 5 November 1978 to lead the military government at the time of growing protests in the country.[1] The selection of General Azhari was taken as an indirect signal to the revolutionaries that the regime had lost its resolve to resist and play it tough.[2] The cabinet was officially formed on 6 November.[3]

Military government of Gholam Reza Azhari
Military cabinet of Imperial State of Iran
Prime Minister
Date formed	6 November 1978 (1978-11-06)
Date dissolved	31 December 1978 (1978-12-31)
People and organisations
Head of state	Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Head of government	Gholam Reza Azhari
Deputy head of government	Ali Fardad
No. of ministers	18
History
Legislature term(s)	24th Iranian Majlis
Predecessor	Government of Jafar Sharif-Emami
Successor	Government of Shapour Bakhtiar

Of the eleven cabinet ministers appointed by Azhari, only six were military, and even this number was whittled down in the following weeks. The military cabinet members, for the most part, had no experience in their respective areas of responsibility. In short, the hotly debated change to a military government was, in practice, more cosmetic than real.[1]

Among Azhari's first acts were the arrest and imprisonment of former Prime Minister Hoveida, the former head of SAVAK, the former head of the national police, the former mayor of Tehran and several more former ministers and high dignitaries. These wanton acts were again carried out in the hope of appeasing the revolutionaries.[2]

On the eve of 20 December, Prime Minister Gholam Reza Azhari suffered a massive heart attack. He tendered his resignation to the Shah on 31 December 1978.[4]