Module 1: Iranian Revolution and the 1980 Election

The Iranian Revolution and Hostrage Crisis

Since the early-1950s, the United States government supported the Shah of Iran's dictatorship.  The Shah was known for his brutality and decadence.  However, the Shah was anti-communist, maintained the flow of Iranian oil to America's allies, and purchased expensive American weapons.  

The Iranian population widely hated the Shah and in 1977 rose up in a revolution against him.  The Sha was forced to flee the country, remaining on the run until his death from cancer in 1979.  In response to American support for the Shah, Iranians stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran (Iran's capital) and seized 52 hostages from the embassy's staff.  

President Carter worked to get the hostages back, first through a military venture known as Operation Eagle Claw.  Technical problems with the American helicopters sent to re-take the embassy meant that the mission failed, further exacerbating the situation.  Carter then turned to negotiations to try and get the hostages released.  

The 1980 Presidential Election

However, at the same time as these events were occurring, the 1980 Presidential Election was heating up.  Democratic President Jimmy Carter was running against challenger Republican Ronald Reagan, the former Governor of California.  There is considerable evidence that the Reagan campaign reached out the Iranians to illegally convince the Iranians not to release the hostages, no matter what Carter offered.  This appears to have been done to make Carter look "weak" and harm his chances of being re-elected.  Reagan's campaign offered the Iranians a better deal if they held onto the hostages until after the election.

The on-going crisis hurt Carter badly, who eventually lost to Reagan.  Many Americans saw Carter as "weak" for his handling of the hostage crisis.  As such, the hostages were released just after Reagan took office, allowing him to take credit for the success.