THE FO

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N1974-1976

CONTEXT: 1974-1980POLITICAL• Watergate• Nixon’s resignation• Fall of Saigon• Election of 1976• Iran, Afghanistan – “FREEZE” in Cold War• OPEC• Helsinki AccordsECONOMIC• Energy Crisis• Double-digit inflation• RecessionSOCIAL• Olympic Boycotts• Iran Hostage Crisis• Bi-centennial Year

THE UNELECTED PRESIDENT• Ford replaces Agnew, then

Nixon• Chosen by Congress

according to 25th amendment• Ford grants complete

pardon to Nixon• Pardon is very unpopular• Ford suffers from bad press• Image of a “bumbler”

FORD STUMBLES

http://www.cah.utexas.edu/photojournalism/detail.php?nickname=ford&picid=10

FORD’s FOREIGN POLICY• Helsinki Accords – July 1975

– US/NATO recognize USSR’s satellites/empire

– USSR pledges to respect human rights• Fall of Saigon – April 1975

– 500,000 refugees

IMPACT:Ford and Americans lose trust in USSR and Détente b/c USSR fails to respect dissident movement and continue to foment revolution abroad. America “loses face.”

Fall of Saigon – April 29, 1975

http://www.npr.org/news/images/2005/apr/29/corbis/saigon_helicopter200.jpg

Helsinki Accords: Success? Failure?

ELECTION OF 1976America’s Bicentennial

CANDIDATES:Ford for RepublicansCarter for Democrats

ISSUES:Trust in government

RESULT:Narrow victory (51% / 297 to 240) for CarterCarter sweeps the South; 97% of Af.-American vote

http://www.debates.org/media/his76.jpg

http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/elections/maps/1976ec.gif

CARTER: 1976-1980• Carter seen as Washington “Outsider”

- Advantage at first, then liability• Focus on human rights and diplomacy in

foreign policy• Idealistic• May have been seen as “weak” by Soviets• SALT II fails• Fails to work with/win over Congress

What president does he remind you of most?

CARTER’S HUMANITARIAN DIPLOMACY

• Response to Helsinki Accords• Carter pushes Human Rights• Causes rift in State Department

over support for less than democratic “allies”

• W/draws support for Somoza in Nicaragua

• Negotiates return of Panama Canal

Camp David Accords (1978-1979)• Brokered by Carter at Camp David• Menachem Begin (Israel) and Anwar Sedat

(Egypt)• First peace settlement between Israel and an

Arab State

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/middle_east/israel_and_the_palestinians/key_documents/1632849.stm

IRAN FIASCO• Shah deposed by

fundamentalist revolution

• Iran in turmoil• Students storm

embassy and hold 53 US Diplomats hostage

• Carter seems stymied• Delta Force rescue

operation fails• 8 servicemen die

Current Pres. of Iran Ahmadinejad was one of the student leaders of the hostage takeover.

http://www.fightingterror.org/images/iran_pres1979.jpg

AFGHANISTAN

• Soviets invade to gain access to Middle-East/oil

• Carter cries foul – boycotts Olympics

• Creation of “Rapid Deployment Force”

• US supports muhajediin fighters• Becomes Soviet’s “Vietnam”

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CARTER’s DOMESTIC WOES• OPEC continues to control production• Iran crisis further hurts oil production• US in double-digit inflation• Carter creates Dept. of Energy• Carter urges conservation and blames

consumerism/over-consumption• US begins posting trade deficits• Real income falling• Fuel shortages becoming commonplace• Fires four cabinet members

http://www.worldenergy.org/wec-geis/images/speeches/spc050303jm_fig3.gif