Iran Paper

US & Iran Relations

The United States has had long standing tensions with Iran that have been present since the Islamic Republic was claimed in 1979. The Iranian hostage crisis began in November of 1979, but there were many events that were leading to the crisis that took 52 Americans hostage for 444 continuous days. Iran has been attracting many countries from the west since the discovery of oil in 1908, it became an international hub for oil drilling and trading. Until 1953, the US mostly stayed among the sidelines, while advocating for an independent Iran under ruling of the Shah. Throughout our standing among the sidelines and silently cheering for an independent Iran, we were supplying Iran with military equipment in exchange for oil and Iran was immensely prospering, all was right between the US and Iran.

The British oil company AIOC controlled Iran’s oil fields and the Iranian people believed AIOC was purely benefitting their company and the British people instead of the Iranian people. They felt as if they were being robbed of something that was rightfully theirs, after all it was their land and they were the ones who lived upon it. The Iranian people were led by the Shah and he was failing to stand for the rights of his people. This sense of wrong-doing created political controversy within the land and people of Iran. Mohammed Mossadeq, who was a strong political leader at the time,demanded renegotiation of the standing oil agreement and all Iranian people agreed. The Iranian people backed him and rallied behind him to make him their honorable leader, setting people against the Shah. Becoming the honorable leader of all of Iran, Mossadeq became the first democratic leader of Iran. The Iranian people rallying up against the Shah however, was very bad news for the United States because if Mossadeq was successful in renegotiating oil terms, the US would take a major hit in losing their source of oil.

However, Mossadeq was successful. "Oil revenues decreased, there was a boycott of Iranian oil and the economy declined" (New York Times). Mossadeq, having been a high strung independent leader of Iran, refused to work with the US. The US now began to fear that Mossadeq would soon join forces with America’s enemy, the Soviet Union. And because of America’s fear for alliances that would negatively affect them, they decide to take it upon themselves to “fix” Iran. The CIA staged a coup d’etat in Iran, headed by FDR’s grandson, Kermit Roosevelt. The CIA’s goal was to return the Shah to power through engineered protests and bribery of Iranian officials and officers.

Phase 1 of the CIA’s coup d’etat was declared unsuccessful and they had to brainstorm on a plan B to restore the Shah to power. The CIA’s first attempt caused riots in the streets of Iran and further boycotts of the Shah that led the Shah to feel as if his life was in danger in Tehran, for participating in the attempted overthrow of Mossadeq. The Shah was so afraid for his life that he fled Iran and requested entry into the United States for medical treatment to treat his Lymphoma. The Shah believed that entry into the US would give him protection against Iran where he now feared his life, but President Carter was reluctant to grant him entry into the US. President Carter feared that if he allowed the Shah to enter the US, that Americans and Iran would be punished for interfering with Iranian relations. Vice President Walter Mondale says, “Carter relented on humanitarian grounds. He went around the room and most of us said ‘Let him in.’” and President Carter replied, “And if [the Iranians] take our employees in our embassy hostage, then what would be your advice?” VP Walter Mondale recalls that, “The room fell dead. No one had an answer to that. Turns out we never did.” After further consideration, Carter granted the Shah entry into the US and like Carter predicted, the hostage did occur.

Because of the anger Iranians had towards the US for the allowing of the recently "deposed" (Pbs) Shah into the US, an angry group of students who called themselves, “Imam’s Disciples,” kidnapped 52 American hostages from the embassy. The American hostages were held for 444 days from November 4, 1979 until January 20, 1981. The US attempted many rescue missions for their American people, but failed time and time again. One attempted mission, Operation Eagle Claw, resulted in 8 American servicemen deaths and one Iranian civilian. Throughout the time of the hostage crisis, 2 presidents were seated in office, Carter and then Reagan. Both of these presidents wrote many ‘secret letters’ to Iranian leaders to plea for the freeing of their people. And the crisis finally concluded 444 days later with the signing of the Algiers Accords in Algeria on January 19, 1981.

In April of 1981, the US ended all diplomatic relations with Iran, which have still not been restored to this day. Iran and the US have had many long standing issues including the crisis along with multiple attempted terrorist attacks against the US. The Iranian Revolution included multiple terrorist attacks against the US including a US embassy bombing in Beirut, Lebanon that killed 17 Americans and bombings on Beirut barracks killed 241 American peacekeepers. According to the New York times, in 1986 the US was exchanging weapons to Iran to fund anti-communist contras militants in Nicaragua to help free US hostages held by Hezbollah in Lebanon. In 1988, and Iranian Airbus was shot down by the US Navy, killing 290 civilians from 6 nations including 66 children. The US claims that this Airbus was mistaken for a fighter jet outside the civilian air corridor and was not responding to radio calls. In January of 2002, Iran, North Korea, and Iraq formed the “Axis of Evil” and spoke about a long range missile that they would fire to the US as a terrorist attack.

The US and Iran have had interesting events take place between them and will probably never get along because of the tension between from past situations and events. Many events even occurred after 2002, including tension over atomic energy, denying solving of tension between the two countries and the comment by Ahmadinejad that 9/11 was conspired by the US. Obama in 2014 decided he wanted nuclear agreement with Iran and sent yet another secret letter to try and resolve the tensions between the two countries. Throughout the many attempts to solve problems with Iran such as secret letters and supplying weapons for their military, the tension has never decreased and probably never will because our two countries want completely different things and are run in different manners. Iran and the US are just two countries that will never completely click.

I never really understood the relationship the US has with Iran and I never understood why there has always been so much tension between our two countries. Throughout learning about this topic it was hard for me to understand why the US got so involved with something that really wasn’t their place to intervene with. The US has always been a country that has seemed to me to get involved with things that do not pertain to them but after further researching this topic I have understood that the US does what is for the good of the people of our country and that they will not cut corners when it comes to the safety of our people.

This is a powerful image because it shows the headlines in the papers when the hostage crisis occurred.

This picture shows the actual hostages taken in the crisis and the way they were treated in the 444 days they were held.

This is a picture of Reagan when he was first sworn into office right before the hostage crisis began and his face explains his nervousness for the hostages.

This is a powerful photo because it shows the disdain Americans had against Iranians because of the hostage crisis.

This is an extremely power picture because it shows the other end of the spectrum on how the Iranians attained hostility towards Americans because they were so involved in Iranian relations.

Primary Sources:

The National Security Archive- The National Security Archives was a helpful because it showed me CIA documents from the Iranian hostage crisis and their view on the hostage crisis and their role. This is a credible source because the National Security Archives is a national organization that documents the security of the country and the events that unfold.

Secondary Sources:

New York times Timeline- This credible source gave me insight on what the order of events were in the relations with Iran and when things happened so I could further understand why. This is a credible source because the New York Times is a national newspaper that releases all credible news to the public.

PBS- I used this source to gather insight on the broad aspects of the relationship between the US and Iran. This source is a credible source because PBS is known for having credible information on a variety of topics.

History Britannica- I used this source to understand the details of the crisis and the background of the situation and the ways they handled the crisis. This is a credible source because scholars created this website for useful research material.

History Online- I used this source to learn about the role Reagan played in getting the hostages back and the reason why the hostages were taken in the first place. History online is a credible source because it is related to the history channel and it is known as credible information.

Cold War Museum- I used this source to gain insight on Operation Ajax and what the reasoning behind Operation Ajax was and why the government was including themselves in Iranian affairs. This is a credible source because the Cold War Museum is a national museum and they are known for credible information pertaining to the Cold War.

Cinderella Man Essay

   During the commencement of my junior year at Randolph, my history teacher taught me early on that there was a lot to be learned throughout movies, other than the fairy tale of a historical being and the miracle that was their life. In history, I learned that historical truths are found all throughout historical films such as 12 Years a Slave and Glory, and now we have found some of the same truths in the film "Cinderella Man" directed by Ron Howard. This nail biting extraordinary fight of a man, is the story of James J. Braddock and his come back story in the midst of the worst economic times in US history; the Great Depression.
    Throughout the film there were little moments where major historical truths were revealed, but you had to see them with a watchful eye or you would simply miss them. As Braddock is wandering back and forth to the docks day in and day out, Ron Howard revealed the truth of just how hard it was to find work. Day after day Braddock found himself hopelessly aiming to find work on the docks, but days would pass where he wasn't chosen to work and he would return home empty handed to his wife; ashamed. Throughout the entire country, men, women and children of all ages were unable to find work and would continuously come up short to provide for their families, and eventually striking rock bottom with nothing to fall back on at all. The need for work for Braddock to provide for his family in the film was all together accurate to how families lived in the Great Depression in the 30s.
    In the film, when all hope was beginning to be lost for Braddock and his family, the camera moved to a newspaper lying in the street, dirty and crumpled that read "15 Million Americans: 1/4 of the Labor Force Unemployed." I believe Ron Howard chose to reveal this historical truth this way because he wanted to give a fact without it being outspoken by a character in the film. And with this truth being kind of an unimportant fact within the film, it really ended up giving light to just how serious the Great Depression was. According to US History in Film, 600,000 people in New Jersey, where Braddock and his family lived, were forced to fall into the government relief line to provide simply enough food to put on the table.
    As a woman in the Great Depression times, Braddock's wife Mae was very accurately depicted, and represented the women's role in the Great Depression times. In times of inner struggle within families, women were forced to stay at home to tend to the children. As depicted in the movie, children were sent away to stay with family members who were more financially stable in the times of the Great Depression. Women were forced to make decisions regarding their families putting aside the pride of their husbands. In the film "Cinderella Man," James Braddock was ashamed and embarrassed that time and time again he was unable to provide for his family and being prideful, he promised that he would never send his children away because he would feel ashamed. When sickness struck and turmoil began to boil between James and Mae, Mae had to step up to make decisions regarding her children's well being, even if she did it without the support of her husband. I believe that during the Great Depression, men and women in marriage became more equal because one was not more dominant than the other and that was definitely revealed in this film. Without James bringing home the money and being able to dictate what was to be done with the money, he became more equal to his wife because they endured their hard times together.
    Throughout this film I didn't only learn about the life and the story of James Braddock, but I learned a deep level of information regarding the Great Depression such as unemployment rates and the difficulty there was to find a job. Another less important, but interesting thing that was revealed in the movie, was a little glimpse into the life of Max Baer, who lost to Braddock in the championship fight. Max Baer was depicted in the film as a ruthless fighter in and out of the ring, and although this was true, according to US History in Film, after the championship fight Baer was on record saying, "Im glad and really happy to see Jimmy happy..after all he's got a family...I might have a family around the country too, but I don't know it!" And although this seems irrelevant, it gave me insite on the way people reacted to such speech. For the time period, people did not speak loosely or carelessly as Baer did, and this was taken in to account and noticed by all, and they were stunned. The way Baer acted carelessly in his speech was referred to as "saucy outbursts" or "loose talk" in his time period and I found that really interesting because not a days that is not so out of the norm but rather norman for idols to speak this way.
   The film "Cinderella Man," revealed historical accuracies throughout the film that gave me a great bit of knowledge into life during the Great Depression. This film showed the life of a common family in the US during these hard times. This film revealed the pattern of building hope during the Great Depression and the hard times of the economy being able to tear them down easily, so it was important for neighbors and friends to work together in these hard times.

James Braddock was viewed as not only a heroic fighter,

but as a fighter for the average man in Great Depression times.

A Great Day in Birmingham

    On this field trip, I learned that discovering what happened so close to where I live really wasn't boring at all. I've never been one to love museums or like to read all the billions of words plastered on the wall, but I thought this museum was really cool. I discovered the difference between white and colored people in a way that I've never seen before, and I also learned that when I turn 20 I should be moved out of my parents house in 30 days. Visiting the church where four precious girls were killed by a bomb, made it easier to realize how real all of this was. Visiting the park where riots took place, and walking down streets that were once segregated, not only did I hear about it, but I saw it. Being able to stand in the places where all of these things unfolded gave me chills. I learned that white southerners are somewhat ashamed of what happened in Birmingham. I remember when looking at the costume of a KKK member, the card below read that the costume had been given anonymously. When seeing this, I could only think that maybe the person who donated that wanted to remain anonymous because they were ashamed of what they or their family members had done.
      I have never been one to think that the Civil Rights movement affected my family at all, but after visiting this museum, I realized that my grandparents and father were living in Birmingham in this time period. That's crazy to me!!! I know that my grandfather was unbelievably racist in his younger years, but I never understood why, but now i do. The time in which he grew up, was an awful time and a time where he had been taught nothing else. It's weird to even think that my dad was alive for some of this movement.
     I think this trip to Birmingham was very important and helpful in understanding perspectives from both sides of the civil rights movement. It was interesting the see the reasoning behind the harsh actions of the whites, but I understand that they thought they were justified back then, but that doesnt make it right. After this trip, I sympathize more with the black community in this time period than I ever have, and I owe that to this trip to Birmingham. I understand things can easily be googled or seen on the internet, but its nothing like seeing it in color and in person. To see where a bomb had once taken four lives, and to see a place where hundreds of people were drenched with fire hoses in the most painful way. This trip was awesome and very useful in learning more about this Civil Rights Movement.

WWI

1.    World War I began on June 28, 1914 after a Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, Bosnia, which began the war. The war was fought between the Central Powers of Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary, and the Allied Powers of Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Japan, and three years later, the United States.

2.     The US entered the war in February of 1917 due to German submarine aggression in the Atlantic. After the sinking of the British ship Lusitania in May of 1915, American public opinion turned against Germany. Congress passed an appropriation to prepare for the war and following, Germany sunk four more US merchant ships on their way to Britain.

3.     The war ended because central powers began losing battles on the two fronts. Ottoman land was destroyed by war and they were forced to sign an armistice in October 1918. In 1918, Austrian-Hungary signed an armistice on November 4 because of growing national movements within the border of their land. Following, Germany signed an armistice on November 11, which ended the war. The German ceased supporting the war and the loss of all allies left German with no choice but to give up and lose.

4.     Following signed armistices, the Versailles Treaty was what officially ended the war on June 28, 1919, under terms that Germany give back all lands it took from Russia and the land they divided up including France, Belgium, Poland, Denmark and Czechoslovakia. Germany had to take full responsibility for the war and had to pay tons of money to their former allies. Woodrow Wilson negotiated the treaty and the League of Nations was to be formed with all allies, except Germany. The US did not join the league of nations because it would result in giving up a considerable amount of power that they did not want to lose.

5. Because of the way Germany was treated in the Versailles treaty, at the ceasing of WWI, led to hatred and problems with Germany that would lead to creating the second world war.

Third Quarter Research: Eugenics

According to the Harvard Law review, eugenics in the progressive era, were viewed by people as “A cure for mediocrity.” You may wonder, “what are eugenics and how did they play a key role in the progressive era?” This quarter in History, I dove deeper into the study of eugenics in America and the role they played in 1880’s-1920’s. Although most originally relate eugenics to Nazis, Germany and the atrocities that occurred in that time period, many people are unaware of the Eugenics Movement in America. I was not aware of the fact that Eugenic ideals originated in the United States, set forth by Francis Galton.

Eugenic ideas date back centuries, and scientists have proved that these ideals first elaborated during the Darwinian Revolution of the late 19^th century. Charles Darwin, as studied previously this year, was the father of the theory of evolution based on the “natural selection of the fittest organisms through their greater reproductive success (Harvard Law Review)” or their ability to simply “exist (Harvard Law Review).” Darwin was also the founder of the idea that selective breeding of human beings could be applied, to create more intelligent or successful future generations. But this is where his cousin, Francis Galton comes into the picture. After introducing this idea of selective breeding, Darwin simply did not act upon it, but Galton did.

Galton saw an opportunity to change the future, and to rid them of people who did not offer anything “positive” to his community, or at least this is how he saw it. Francis Galton then became the true father of eugenics and brought forth this idea, urging human beings to deliberately attempt to create a superior genetic makeup for their offspring and future generations. One of Galton’s most famous quotes, proves his views and ideas towards the creation of eugenics; “I conclude that each generation has enormous power over the natural gifts of those that follow and maintain that is a duty we owe to humanity to investigate the range of that power, and to exercise it in a way that, without being unwise towards ourselves, shall be most advantageous to future inhabitants of the Earth (Harvard Law Review).” Galton communicated the ideas of eugenics as a positive step for the future of mankind, although the circumstances of eugenics were harsh and harmful to humans, who were not genetically perfect. 

The definition of eugenics is, “the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics. Developed largely by Francis Galton as a method of improving the human race, it fell into disfavor only after the perversion of its doctrines by the Nazis (Wikipedia).” In the beginning, eugenics were warmly welcomed by Americans who had previously been influenced by the Social Darwinist ideas of Herbert Spencer. Welcoming eugenic ideas was also welcomed by wealthier American citizens because they feared that the lower class was reproducing faster than the rest of the population, and the lower class citizens were viewed as “undesirable.” Lower class citizens were viewed as “undesirable” citizens and “mutations” to mankind because they did not specifically bring anything positive and helpful to the community.

Eventually, the government ruled the citizens they believed to be undesirable, such as lower class citizens, mentally handicapped or people different in any way than the “norms,” and sterilized them or forbade “undesirables from marrying.” The “Eugenical Sterilization Law,” came into play during the eugenics movement in America. American citizens, those who were not considered “undesirable,” looked at the eugenic laws of sterilization and the forbadement of undesirables marrying as an optimistic hope for the future of the United States. America citizens and government viewed Eugenic laws as hope for the future generations of the US, ideas that were put forth by Galton. These ideas being so optimistically communicated, overlooked one small problem, what about the people who were viewed as “undesirable”? They were human too, but they were being treated as animals that the government would run tests on, and viewed as people with “mutations” of the human race. Harvard Law Review, described the opinion of the American people as “an intelligent and enlightened public opinion.”

I think the way that eugenics was originally communicated as an idea, had a major effect on the way American citizens viewed the Eugenics movement. Galton’s persuasion of his view and explanation of eugenics, gave it a positive view until the improper way the Nazis used eugenics. If the American people wouldn’t have cooperated with the eugenic ideals, the American Eugenic movement wouldn’t have had as big of an impact on the United States. The new ideas introduced by Galton, were an innovation in itself in the late 19^th century, the basis of al American Eugenic movements. Persuasion, communication, collaboration and innovation all played a key role in the way eugenics were viewed in the late 19th century.

Secondary sources:

Eugenics: Compulsory Sterilization in 50 American States

·      This source gave me a broad idea and look into what eugenics were on the surface, teaching me how many states adopted these laws, and how these practices came to be.

Written by: Lutz Kaelber, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Vermont

History News Network: Roots of Eugenics

·      This source gave me valuable information in understanding why eugenics became such a huge and controversial thing in the United States, as well as the knowledge that eugenics did not begin in Nazi Germany in the holocaust, but here in the United States. Eugenic views and ideas began in the United States.

Written by: Edwin Black; he is the author of “IBM and the Holocaust” and “War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America’s Campaign to Create a Master Race,” from which the following article is drawn.

Eugenics Popularization

·      This source gave me an interesting and knowledgeable timeline into the events of the American Eugenics Movement, creating more understanding of how and why things happened when they did.

Written by: Steve Selden, University of Maryland; Professor

PBS- Eugenics movement reaches its height

·      This source gave me many names to place along with Eugenic Movements and dove deeper into the eugenics within specific areas of the United States. Learning names of people involved was very useful so I could research them to learn more. 

Provided by: This article was provided by PBS which is a very credible history website.

Primary sources:

Eugenic Artificial Insemination: A Cure for Mediocrity?

·      This source provided complex and deep information into the formation of the American Eugenics movement, providing names, supporters and the view of the American people.

The Day Book; Chicago Illinois 1911-1917

·      This source provided me with a first hand Chicago newspaper from the American Eugenics Movement, with first hand knowledge of the way Americans viewed the movement and its circumstances.

This board found in the United States, proves the view that American eugenists have towards unique people, who are not seen or viewed as normal. These people in America were viewed as burdens and an embarrassment for the United States to have in our country.

This picture of a newspaper in times of American Eugenics shows that eugenics were an experimentation to create perfect families that were not ethnic or had any type of family “mutation,” such as down syndrome or mental diseases.

This is a cartoon from the eugenic movement in America and the thought and vision that eugenics was simply “self direction of human evolution.”

This photograph shows protestors against the sterilization of mothers, which prevented the reproduction of people who are viewed as “mutations” such as, mental diseases and handicaps as well as ethnic appearances.

In the 1920’s, state fairs were often used as recreational places to educate people on eugenics and their importance. This photo shows men, women, and children gathering around to learn more about eugenics.