Jimmy Carter, U. S. president (1977-1981) - a true human rights supporter to make the world a better place:

 

Jimmy Carter - a true human rights supporter: President Jimmy Carter was born on October 1, 1924, and died at 100, on December 29, 2024. He was a member of the Democratic party and the 39th president of the U.S. He served as U.S. president from 1977 to 1981. He was the first U.S. president to reach 100 years of age. Before becoming the U.S. president, he also served for one term as governor of Georgia. He tried to find solutions to various international problems with true support for human rights, to reduce the dominant role of the USA in the world, and normalization of relations with rival communist countries like China & USSR. In this blog, it is attempted to summarize the efforts made by Jimmy Carter during his regime for international peace and make the world a better place.

Key International events during the presidency of Jimmy Carter: (January 20, 1977 to January 20, 1981)
Event date	Event
January 20, 1977	He is inaugurated as the 39th president of the U.S.
January 21, 1977	He pardoned the Vietnam War draft evaders.
February 15, 1977	Secretary of State Cyrus Vance traveled to the Middle East in an attempt to reconvene the 1973 Geneva Conference. It was a good attempt to end the three-decade-old war between Egypt and Israel.
February 17, 1977	Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov received a written letter of support from President Carter.
May 22, 1977	Carter spoke at Notre Dame University, presenting a new direction in foreign policy that took the focus off anti-communism and emphasized support for fundamental human rights.
June 20, 1977	Carter opposed the production of the B-1 strategic bomber.
July 19,  1977	Newly elected Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin met with Carter in Washington.
December 29,  1977	Carter met with Polish First Secretary Gierek in Warsaw.
December 31, 1977	Carter visited the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, in Tehran, calling Iran “an island of stability” in the Middle East.
1978
January 01 to 06, 1978	Carter traveled to India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, and Belgium.
March 17, 1978	Carter warned of the potential Soviet threat in a foreign policy address at Wake Forest University.
June 7, 1978	Carter's graduation speech at Annapolis emphasized the importance of human rights in foreign policy.
September 5, 1978	Carter mediated talks between Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel and President Anwar Sadat of Egypt at Camp David, resulting in a peace treaty between the two nations. On September 17, 1978, President Jimmy Carter oversaw an agreement between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat that called for Israel’s gradual withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Camp David Accords are often considered the most significant foreign policy achievement of Carter’s administration. Both countries (Egypt and Israel) pledged to end the three decades of war.
December 15, 1978 - January 1979	Restored U.S. ties with China. The Carter administration granted full diplomatic status to the People's Republic of China, after thirty years of mutual estrangement.
1979
June 18, 1979	Carter signed the second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT II) with the USSR. The U.S. Senate never ratified the controversial treaty, although both nations voluntarily complied with its terms.
November 4, 1979	Americans were taken hostage in Tehran: In the longest hostage situation in recorded history, Iranian students took fifty-two American diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days at the American embassy in Tehran. The students were supporters of the Iranian Revolution and took the hostages in protest of the United States’ harboring of the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi who was accused of numerous violent crimes against Iranian citizens. After several failed rescue attempts, the death of Pahlavi in Egypt, and Iraq’s invasion of Iran (beginning the Iran-Iraq War) Iran was forced to negotiate a release; the crisis ended with the signing of the Algiers Accords on January 20, 1981.
1980
January 3, 1980	Due to the invasion of Afghanistan, Carter asked the Senate to table its consideration of SALT II. He also placed an embargo on grain sales to the Soviet Union and suggested the possibility of boycotting the Summer Olympics in Moscow.
January 23, 1980	Carter announced the “Carter Doctrine” in his State of the Union address, asserting that threats to the Persian Gulf region would be viewed as “an assault on the vital interests of the United States.” Intervention in the Gulf area by an outside power “will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force”, a statement from Carter was dubbed the Carter Doctrine.
April 22, 1980	The U.S. Olympic Committee votes to boycott the Moscow Summer Olympics, supporting Carter in protesting the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
April 25, 1980	Carter announced the failure of “Desert One,” the mission to rescue the Iranian-held hostages, and that several American military personnel had been killed.
July 25, 1980	Carter signs Presidential Directive 59 advocating a strategy for fighting a “limited” nuclear war.
January 20, 1981	Ronald Reagan was inaugurated President, and Carter left  Washington, D.C.

International Presidential trips made by the Jimmy Carter: As per the data collected from the open source, Jimmy Carter made 12 international trips to 25 countries during his presidency from January 20, 1977, to January 20, 1981.  Such trips are summarized below:
Jimmy Carter visited five continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America during his presidency.
He was the first U.S. president to visit Nigeria (a sub-Saharan African country) in 1978.
He made five trips to Europe and three trips to Asia.
He made several trips to the Middle East to broker peace negotiations.
A list of countries visited by Jimmy Carter during his presidency is given below:
Austria (one visit)	Belgium (one visit)
Brazil  (one visit)	India (one visit)
Iran  (one visit)	Israel (one visit)
Italy  (one visit)	Liberia (one visit)
Mexico (one visit)	Nigeria (one visit)
Panama (one visit)	Poland (one visit)
Portugal (one visit)	Saudi Arabi (one visit)
South Korea (one visit)	Spain (one visit)
Switzerland (one visit)	The UK (one visit)
Vatican City (one visit)	Venezuela (one visit)
West Germany (one visit)	Yugoslavia (one visit)
France (two visits)	Japan (two visits)
Egypt (three visits)
International presidential trips in chronicle orders, made by Jimmy Carter during his tenure from 1977 to 1981:
The UK: (May 05 to 11, 1977) Attended the 3rd G7 summit, and met with the following leaders: The Heads of State and Government of Canada, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Prime Ministers of Greece, Belgium, Turkey, Norway, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. President of Portugal. He also addressed the NATO Minister's meeting on May 10. Switzerland: (May 09, 1977) During the official visit, he met with Switzerland's president (Kurt Furglar) and Syrian president (Hafez-Al-Asad). Polish People’s Republic: (December 29 to 31, 1977) He met with the First Secretary (Edward Gierek) during the official visit. His goodwill speech remained controversial in subsequent years.
Iran: (December 31, 1777 to January 01, 1978) During the official visit, he met with Iran’s Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi and King Hussein of Jorden. He also delivered the speech: “Island of Stability”.
India: (January 01 to 03, 1978) Jimmy Carter met with Indian President Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy and Prime Minister Morarji Desai. He also addressed the Indian Parliament.  Saudi Arabia: (January 03 to 04, 1978) He met with King Khalid and Crown Prince Fahd. Egypt: (January 04, 1978) He met with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. France: (January 04 to 06, 1978) He met with president Valery Giscard Destaing, and Prime Minister Raymond Barre. Belgium: (January, 6, 1978) He met with King Baudouin, and Prime Minister Leo Tindemans. He also attended meetings of the Commission of European Communities and the North Atlantic Council. Venezuela: (March 28-29, 1978) He met with the President (Carlos Andres Perez) and addressed the Congress. He also signed a maritime boundary agreement. Brazil:  (March 29 to 31, 1978) During the official visit, he met with the president (Ernesto Geisel) and addressed the Brazilian Congress. Nigeria: (March 31 to April 03, 1978) During the state visit, he met with President Olusegun Obasanjo. It was the first state visit of a U.S. president to the Sub-Saharan country of Africa. Liberia: (April 03, 1978) During the visit, he met with President William R. Tolbert, Jr. Panama: (June 16-17, 1978): He visited to sign a protocol confirming the exchange of documents ratifying Panama Canal treaties as invited by President Demetrio B. Lakas and General Omar Torrijo. During the visit, he also met (informally) with the following leaders: Venezuelan President Carlos Andrés Pérez. Colombian President Alfonso López Michelsen. Mexican President José López Portillo. Costa Rican Rodrigo Carazo Odio. Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley. West Germany: (July 14 to 17, 1978) During the state visit, he met with President Walter Scheel and Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. He addressed the U.S. and German military personnel. He spoke at the Berlin Airlift Memorial. He also attended the 4th G7 summit and met with the state leaders of France, Germany, Canada Italy, Japan, and the UK.
France: (January 04 to 09, 1979) He met informally with President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, and British Prime Minister James Callaghan. Mexico: (February 14 to 16, 1979) During the state visit, he met with President José López Portillo and addressed the Mexican Congress. Portugal: (March 08, 1979) Stopped en route to Egypt. Egypt: (March 08 to 10, 1979) During the state visit, he met with President Anwar Sadat and addressed the People's Assembly of Egypt. Israel: (March 10 to 13, 1979) During the state visit, he met with President Yitzhak Navon and Prime Minister Menachem Begin. He also addressed the Knesset. Egypt: (March 13, 1979) He met with President Anwar Sadat. Portugal: (March 13, 1979) He stopped during his return to Washington D.C. Austria: (June 14 to 18, 1979) During the state visit, he met with President Rudolf Kirchschläger and Chancellor Bruno Kreisky. He also met with Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev to sign the SALT II Treaty. Japan: (June 25 to 29, 1979) He attended the 5th G7 summit and met with Emperor Hirohito and Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira. During the state visit, he also met with state leaders of the following countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. South Korea: (June 29 to July 01, 1979) During the state visit, he met with President Park Chung-hee and Prime Minister Choi Kyu-hah.
Italy: (June 19 to 24, 1980) During the state visit, he attended the attended the 6th G7 summit and met with President Sandro Pertini. He also met with the state leaders of the following countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Vatican City: (June21, 1980) Audience with Pope John Paul II. Yugoslavia: (June 24 to 25, 1980) During the official visit, he met with President Cvijetin Mijatović. Spain: (June 25-26, 1980) During the official visit, he met with King Juan Carlos I and Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez. Portugal: (June 26 to 30, 1980) During the official visit, he met with President António Ramalho Eanes and Prime Minister Francisco de Sá Carneiro. Japan: (July 9-10, 1980) During the official visit, he attended memorial services for former Prime Minister Masayoshi Ōhira. He also met with the following leaders: Emperor Hirohito. Bangla President Ziaur Rahman. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser. Thai Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda. Chinese Premier Hua Guofeng.

Multilateral meetings: Multilateral meetings of the following intergovernmental organizations were held during the presidency of Jimmy Carter (1977 to 1981):

Group G-7 1977 London (May 07 to 08). 1978 Bonn (July 16 to 17). 1979 Tokyo ( June 28 to 29). 1980 Venice (June 22 to 23).

NATO: 1977 London (May 10 to 11). 1978 Washington D.C. (May 30 to 31).

Final words:

Jimmy Carter who died on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100, initiated an ambitious and challenging foreign policy during his single term (1977 to 1981) as U.S. president.

During his regime, it tried to reduce the tensions with communist countries, lower the profile of America’s dominance, find solutions to international disputes, and promote human rights at the global level.

He had the opinion that the U.S. should downplay its preoccupation with the Cold War. Instead, it should address the issues of the world's common concern. Such issues were identified as global poverty, racial inequality, environmental problems, and nuclear proliferation.

He was against the human rights abuses by U.S. allies.

He pardoned the Vietnam War draft evaders.

He was adamant on South Korea, Iran, Argentina, South Africa, and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).

He discontinued the political and military support to President Somoza of Nicaragua. Mr Somaza was one of the most abusive leaders in Latin America, and he has been getting support from the U.S. for more than 30 years.

He worked for the release of political prisoners, and civic freedom in Latin America.

His administration opposed the minority white rule in South Africa.

He worked for the rule of the majority in Rhodesia With his efforts,  Rhodesia got the new name Jimbawe in 1979-80.

He signed a maritime boundary agreement with Venezuela.

He hardly tried for military intervention in any international dispute and no U.S. soldier died in combat.

1977 - Panama Canal Treaty: To improve the relations with Central and South American countries, he persuaded the Senate to consent to a treaty promising to return the Panama Canal to Panamanian full control by 1999. On the Panama Canal, the U.S. had control for six decades. In 1978, Jimmy Carter visited Panama City to sign a protocol confirming the exchange of documents ratifying the Panama Canal treaties.

1978 - Camp David Accords: Middle East policy for regional settlement: He facilitated the Camp David Peace Accord between Israel and Egypt.

1979 - Restored U.S. ties with China. The U.S. also officially acknowledged the PRC’s position that there is “one China” that includes Taiwan.

In 1979, a follow-on nuclear arms control agreement called the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty - second (SALT II) was signed between President Jimmy Carter and Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev. It was aimed to cap the stockpiles of nuclear arms in both countries.

The 1979 Iranian Revolution and Hostage Crisis: The U.S. supported Iran’s shah (Mohd. Raza Pahlavi) who was heading the Iranian regime till 1978. In 1979, he was ousted by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a leading Shiite Muslim cleric exiled by the Shah nearly two decades earlier. In November 1979, students protesting against the U.S. stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 42 hostages.

1979 - The US supported Mujahideen against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan: Jimmy Carter authorized the transfer of lethal military aid to anti-Soviet Islamic fighters known as  Mujahideen using the Pakistani intelligence agency (Inter-Services Intelligence, short form ISI) as an immediateary. He also asked to Senate to halt its ratification of SALT II. In this way, Jimmy Carter's slogan “fairness, not force” shifted to a new “Carter Doctrine” an aggressive national security strategy. He also called for a boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

He was awarded the 2002 Noble Peace Prize for his peacemaking efforts.

Disclaimer: The best efforts are made to provide updated and authentic information through this blog. However, the author does not take any responsibility (legal or otherwise) for its correctness and completeness. In case of any doubt, please contact us or cross-check from reliable sources. The data is collected from various sources, and the author is not responsible for any differences or discrepancies in the data. This blog is not AI-generated and typed manually, therefore any typographical error is regretted. https://history.state.gov https://www.cfr.org https://en.wikipedia.org/ https://millercenter.org https://www.lowyinstitute.org https://www.pbs.org https://www.brookings.edu https://www.whitehouse.gov https://www.nytimes.com

“To err is human”, and “to forgive is divine”. What was the result? It was immaterial. His intention was always in support of human rights. We can consider him a true hero for a better world. = The end=