Carter Doctrine facts for kids
The Carter Doctrine was a big policy announced by President of the United States Jimmy Carter. He shared it in a speech on January 23, 1980. This policy said that the United States would use its military, if needed, to protect its important interests in the Persian Gulf region.
This decision came after the Soviet Union sent its army into Afghanistan in 1979. The Carter Doctrine aimed to stop the Soviet Union, which was America's rival during the Cold War, from gaining too much power in the Persian Gulf area.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was President Carter's top security advisor, wrote a very important sentence for the speech:
Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.
Brzezinski wanted this sentence in the speech to make it very clear that the Soviets should stay away from the Persian Gulf. He based the words on an older policy called the Truman Doctrine.
Author Daniel Yergin noted that the Carter Doctrine was quite similar to a statement made by Britain in 1903. Back then, British Foreign Secretary Lord Lansdowne warned Russia and Germany. He said that if any other country tried to build a naval base or a fortified port in the Persian Gulf, Britain would see it as a serious threat and would fight back.
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Why the Carter Doctrine Was Needed
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The Persian Gulf region became very important to the United States during World War II. This was because oil is essential for modern armies. The US was the world's top oil producer then. It supplied most of the oil for the Allied armies.
Many American planners worried that the war would greatly reduce the US's oil supply. So, they wanted to build good relationships with Saudi Arabia, a kingdom with huge oil reserves. On February 16, 1943, President Franklin Roosevelt said that protecting Saudi Arabia was "vital to the defense of the United States."
On February 14, 1945, President Roosevelt met with Saudi Arabian King Ibn Saud. This meeting happened on the Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal after Roosevelt returned from the Yalta Conference. It was the first time a US president had visited the Persian Gulf region. Later, in 1990, during Operation Desert Shield, US Defense Secretary Dick Cheney used this meeting as a reason to send troops to protect Saudi Arabia.
During World War II, Britain and the Soviet Union had invaded and divided Iran in 1941. This was supposed to end when the war did. However, groups supported by the Soviets caused trouble in Iran. This led to the Iran crisis of 1946, which was one of the first conflicts of the Cold War. The US put pressure on the Soviets to leave Iran. This was one of the first major disagreements between the two superpowers after the war.
The Persian Gulf region remained very important to the US throughout the Cold War. Three earlier US policies, known as presidential doctrines, helped shape the Carter Doctrine.
Earlier US Policies
- The Truman Doctrine said the US would send military help to countries threatened by Soviet communism. This was used to make Iran and Saudi Arabia safer. In 1950, President Truman wrote to King Ibn Saud that the US cared about Saudi Arabia's independence. He said any threat to the kingdom would immediately concern the US.
- The Eisenhower Doctrine allowed US troops to be sent to the Middle East. This was to defend US allies against their enemies who were backed by the Soviets.
- The Nixon Doctrine provided military help to Iran and Saudi Arabia. The idea was that these US allies could then keep peace and stability in the region themselves.
In 1979, two big events happened: the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. These events made the US state its interests in the region again, leading to the Carter Doctrine. The Yemenite War of 1979, where the Soviets supported South Yemen, also added to the problems that year.
In July 1979, President Carter gave his "Crisis of Confidence" speech. This was during a national energy crisis caused by the Iranian Revolution. He asked Americans to use less energy. This would help the US rely less on foreign oil. Some experts later said that if Carter's energy plan had been fully put in place, it could have prevented some money problems caused by America's reliance on foreign oil.
The 1979 oil crisis also meant the oil-rich Soviet Union got a lot more money. Some people think this made the Soviet leaders bolder, leading them to invade Afghanistan. Before this, the Soviet Union's strategy was usually more careful. But the invasion of Afghanistan showed that Soviet policy had become more direct and aggressive. This was seen as a step toward a long-term Soviet goal: getting a stronger presence near the Indian Ocean.
Because of the Afghan invasion, President Carter took several actions in January 1980. He stopped the SALT II treaty from being approved by the Senate. He also called back the US Ambassador from Moscow. He stopped selling grain to the Soviet Union and ended high-tech exports to them.
What the Doctrine Said
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In his State of the Union Address on January 23, 1980, President Carter said that Soviet troops in Afghanistan were "a grave threat to the free movement of Middle East oil." He then announced:
- The area now threatened by Soviet troops in Afghanistan is very important. It has more than two-thirds of the world's oil that is sold to other countries. The Soviet effort to control Afghanistan has brought Soviet military forces within 300 miles of the Indian Ocean. They are also close to the Straits of Hormuz, a narrow waterway where most of the world's oil must pass. The Soviet Union is now trying to get a strong position. This creates a serious threat to the free flow of Middle East oil.
- This situation needs careful thought, calm minds, and strong action. Not just for this year, but for many years to come. It needs everyone to work together to face this new threat to safety in the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia. It needs all countries that depend on oil from the Middle East to help. It also needs talking and working closely with countries in the area that might be threatened.
- Meeting this challenge will require national will, smart diplomacy, some money sacrifices, and, of course, military power. We must use our best efforts to keep this very important region safe.
- Let our position be absolutely clear: If any outside force tries to take control of the Persian Gulf region, it will be seen as an attack on the vital interests of the United States of America. And such an attack will be stopped by any means necessary, including military force.
What Happened After
The Carter administration started to build up a special military team called the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force. This team later became known as CENTCOM. At the same time, the government asked Congress to restart Selective Service registration. This meant young men would have to sign up for a possible military draft. Carter also suggested increasing military spending by five percent each year for the next five years. He also made the US navy presence stronger in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.
Some people did not agree with the doctrine. Retired strategist George F. Kennan was one. United States Senator Edward Kennedy said that Carter had overreacted. He felt Carter had made the Soviet threat seem bigger than it was and had not tried hard enough to solve things through talking. Kennedy repeated these ideas when he ran against Carter in the 1980 Democratic presidential primary, but he lost.
Carter's successor, Ronald Reagan, expanded the policy in October 1981. This is sometimes called the "Reagan Corollary to the Carter Doctrine." It said that the United States would step in to protect Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's safety was thought to be at risk during the Iran–Iraq War. So, while the Carter Doctrine warned outside forces to stay away, the Reagan Corollary promised to keep things stable inside the region. According to diplomat Howard Teicher, this policy helped set the stage for Operation Desert Storm later on.
See also
- Iran–United States relations
- Reagan Doctrine
Images for kids
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A document related to the Carter Doctrine
