Energy Crisis and Camp David Accords

Warm-up

•What is détente? Why is it important?

Map of the Middle East

Where do we get our oil?

Arab-Israeli Tensions

Why did the Arabs and Israelis not get along?-After the formation of Israel, many Arab

countries still believed Israel should not exist. -They were also had lost land in the wars with

Israel over the last 30 years.

The Energy Crisis

• Read pgs 656-658. Complete the notes and answer the questions on you Guided Notes sheet. Raise your hand if you have any questions.

Jimmy Carter• A Democrat from Georgia; he had served

as governor there and ran for president against Gerald Ford, a republican.

• The two most important factors in his life were family and religion. Both of these shaped his political career.

• His campaign focused on his personal character rather than political beliefs. That is, people liked that he was straightforward and compassionate. They were less concerned about his politics.

• He campaigned as a Washington “outsider”. That is, he was not caught up in political issues and problems in DC. People liked this.

Domestic Challenges:Carter faced two major domestic

problems:

1.) The Energy Crisis- the United States was still paying high prices to buy oil from overseas. Also, many Americans began to fear for their safety with nuclear power.

2.) The Economy- high

unemployment and high inflation; this was also known as stagflation.

Three Mile Island• This was a nuclear power plant

located on Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania.

• A nuclear power plant makes energy in order to produce electricity and other forms of energy.

• In March 1979, the reactor core overheated and almost released deadly radiation into the air. If it had happened, it would be like a nuclear weapon going off.

• After this, people began to ask questions about the safety of nuclear power.

Carter’s Foreign Policy• Carter did not believe in Nixon’s

“realpolitik” strategy. He thought that the US should be fair and not forceful with the rest of the world.

• He condemned foreign governments that tortured or jailed citizens unfairly.

• He insisted that all governments should protect citizens’ human rights.

Carter & The Middle East• President Carter became involved

in the Middle East in effort to promote peace.

• In September 1978, he brought together Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin for peace talks as the two countries had been at war. They met at Camp David, the US presidential retreat.

Camp David Accords• The three men met for two weeks and set

up a series of peace agreements known as the Camp David Accords.

• This marked the first time that an Arab nation established peaceful relations with Israel.

• Sadat said that the “barrier of distrust” between Israel and Egypt was broken down, as the two countries agreed to peace.

• Many historians say that the Camp David Accords were President Carter’s greatest achievement.

The Iran Hostage CrisisBackground:• In the 1950s, the United States

helped bring the shah of Iran to power.

• Over the next 20 years, he had supported US interests in the region.

• In the late 1970s, Islamic fundamentalists began to challenge his power, and called for a strict return to Islamic teachings and to end cooperation with the United States

The Iran Hostage Crisis• In February 1979, followers of

the religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the shah and set up a dictatorship under him.

• This new government did not like the US.

• In October US officials allowed the shah into the country for medical treatment. This angered the Iranians.

The Iran Hostage Crisis• In response to the US’s

treatment towards the shah, Iranian revolutionaries staged massive protests.

• They also attacked the US embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

• On November 4th, they seized 54 American hostages whom they abused and tortured. One was released, but 53 were still kept in captivity.

The Iran Hostage Crisis• The Iran Hostage Crisis dragged on

for months. There was no solution in sight.

• The crisis horrified Americans and many saw it as evidence that our strength as a country was declining.

• In April of 1980, a rescue attempt by the US military went wrong and many Americans blamed Carter.

• On January 20, 1981, the day that

the new president Ronald Reagan was inaugurated, the hostages (after 444 days) were finally released.

Your turn

• You are President Carter/Nixon during this time. Come up with ways to end the Energy Crisis. They can be changes to domestic policy or foreign policy. Come up with a list in your group for at least 5 things you could do.

Exit Slip

• Fold your paper in half. On one side write how the Arab-Israeli tension led to the U.S. energy crisis, the resolution of the Iran Hostage crisis or the importance of the Camp David Accords and on the other side draw an image to demonstrate the same thing.