Iranian Hostage Crisis

The politics of an era are shaped by the changes made throughout history leading up to that time. Policies and ideals reflect the era in which they were conceived, and world events put pressure on the political leaders to adjust their strategies. During the late seventies and early eighties, the Carter Administration was forced to deal with the Iranian hostage crisis. Their choices during the predicament illustrated American politics during that time period. The political issues of the time are presented in the secret negotiations to free the hostages, American nationalism during the negotiations, and the perception of the events from an Iranian perspective.
First, in order to secure the safe release of the American hostages taken in Iran, President Jimmy Carter had to enter into an exchange of secret negotiations with Iran, with the help of Panama, Switzerland and Algeria. Carter’s Administration was dealing with a revolutionary government who had recently overthrown the forme...