The Brezhnev Era, 1972-1985: Around the World in Middle East: Iraq, Iran, Israel

Question 1

When was the Islamic Revolution in Iran?

Answer 1

1979

Question 2

WHo became the leader of the new government in Iran? What type of government was it?

Answer 2

Ruhollah Khomeini
A theocratic constitution

Question 3

When did the Iranian Hostage Crisis start?

Answer 3

November 4th, 1979

Question 4

What was was the Iranian Hostage Crisis?

Answer 4

USA were unpopular for supporting the Shah, who fled there for cancer treatment
November 4th, 1979, Iranian students seized the US embassy and detained more than 50 Americans
The Carter administration was unable to solve the crisis for 444 days - a major faliure, which undermined their foregn policy.
Same year, Soviet-supported troops in Ethiopia, Angola made progress, plus the USSR invaded Afganistan.
Operation Eagle Claw was a catastrophic faliure to save the hostages.

Question 5

How long was was the Iranian Hostage Crisis?

Answer 5

444 days

Question 6

When was Operation Operation Eagle Claw?

Answer 6

After Carter approved it on the 16th, it began April 24th, 1980

Question 7

What happened in Operation Eagle Claw?

Answer 7

Plan for 8 US helicopters to deploy troops in Oman and Saudi Arabia, to extract hostages in Iran
FAILED
2 of 8 helicopters experienced mechanical faliure and another was deemed unfit for service. With only 5 remaining the mission was aborted.
While leaving, one helicopter collided with another aircraft and exploded.

Question 8

What year did Iraq sign a Treaty of Friendship with the USSR?

Answer 8

1972

Question 9

What year did Saddam Hussein seize control in Iraq?

Answer 9

1979
Took control of the Ba’athist party, a pro-pan-arabist party

Question 10

What is pan-arabism?

Answer 10

Aim for unification of the Arab world
Nationalist, socialistm anti-imperial

Question 11

How did the religions of Iraq and Iran differ?

Answer 11

Iraq: socialist, pan-arabist, secular government under Hussein - Sunni Islam
Iran: Theocratic Islamic republic under Khomeini - Shi’a Islam

Question 12

Causes of the Iran-Iraq War?

Answer 12

Khomeini calls for Islamic, Shi’a, revolutions across Muslim world, including Iraq, when he takes power in 1979
Hussein, hoping to take advamtage of Iran’s likely weakened state amid revolutionary chaos, launches an invasion on 22nd Sept 1980

Question 13

When was the Iran-Iraq War?

Answer 13

1980 - 1988

Question 14

What happened in Iran-Iraq War?

Answer 14

Early advances for Iraq but Iran managed to drive them back by 1982.
UN ceasefire in 1988.
Little intervention - financial support form USA and USSR to Iraq.

Question 15

What was the Iran-Contra Affair?

Answer 15

In 1986, revealed the US were selling weapons to Iran via Israel to get funds to supply the Contras-Anti Sandinista rebesls in Nicaragua.
Reagan allegeddly didn’t know about it.

Question 16

When was the state of Israel proclaimed? What happened?

Answer 16

1948
Jews moved to Palestine after WWII

Question 17

What was the War of Independance (first Arab-Israeli War)?

Answer 17

UN agrees to partition Palestine in 1947 - gives more than 1/2 of land to Jews, despite them being less than 1/2 of the population.
Fighting broke out November 1947. By 1948, the Jews had secured control of their UN-allocated land.

Question 18

Context ofoctober war, yom kippur war, camp david accords

Question 19

What caused the Suez Crisis?

Answer 19

Soviets began supplying Egypt with military equipment from 1955.
Afterwards, the US and UK withdrew from financing Egypt’s High Aswan Dam.
Triggered the Crisis in 1956, when Egypt, with Soviet support, nationalised the Suez Canal which had been controlled by Britain and France. Created blockade of maritime trade.

Question 20

When was the Suez Crisis?

Answer 20

1956

Question 21

How was the Suez Crisis resolved?

Answer 21

UN agreement reached to resolve the situation
Israel agreed to return the territory it had captured and Egypt stopped the blockade.

Question 22

What was the Yom Kippur War?

Answer 22

Also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War,

Was an armed conflict between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria.

Question 23

When was the Yom Kippur War?

Answer 23

6th to 25th October 1973

Question 24

Consequences of the Yom Kippur War?

Answer 24

Arab states in OPEC, led by Saudi Arabia, declared an oil embargo, targeting the US for their support to Israel, causing energy prices to rise and shortages (stagflation)

Question 25

How much did oil production decrease after the 1973-4 oil embargo?

Answer 25

By 340 million barrels

Question 26

How much did oil price rise after the 1973-4 oil embargo?

Answer 26

$3 a barrel to $11

Question 27

When were the Camp David Accords?

Answer 27

17th Sept, 1978

Question 28

What happened at the Camp David Accords?

Answer 28

Between Carter, President Sadat of Egypt, and PM Begnin of Israel.
Peace agreement reached. Egypt became first Arab country to recognise Israel
Sadat and Begnin awarded Nobel Peace Prize as a result.
Big win for US.