Iranian Hostage Crisis
What was the cause?
Ashlynn, Wyatt
Fifty-two American citizens were took and held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979, to January 20, 1981. A group of Iranian students supporting the Iranian Revolution and took over the US Embassy in Tehran. The reason behind this was that there had been tension between Iran and the U.S. for along time over oil. Muhammad Mossadegh became new prime minister of Iran in 1951 and announced he had a plan to nationalize the country’s oil industry. So as a result the American C.I.A. and the British intelligence service came up with a secret plan to overthrow Mossadegh and replace him with someone who would be more open to Western interests. Later on in 1953 in exchange for tens of millions of dollars in foreign aid, shah would return 80 percent of Iran’s oil reserves to the Americans and the British. On November 4, just after the Shah arrived in new york and a group of pro-Ayatollah students attacked the American embassy in Tehran. 66 hostages were taken but a little while later 13 were released. None of the hostages were ever injured but they were blindfolded and paraded in front of TV cameras and crowds. Carter decided to do a military rescue mission known as Operation Eagle Claw. But on that day a bad sandstorm took place and the mission failed by the time the hostages were rescued 51 men died so more lives were lost than saved. http://www.history.com/topics/iran-hostage-crisis http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/history/iran-hostage-crisis.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/carter-hostage-crisis/ http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/documents/hostages.phtml
Hostages that were paraded around on t.v. for crowds.
Students attack U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
After 100 days passing and president carter still could not get the hostages home it led to him not being reelected.
When president Reagan takes office beating former president carter the hostages are freed.