1970s 34555 225020445 2008-07-11T14:22:40Z 204.96.6.7 add {{Decadebox|197}} The '''1970s''' [[decade]] refers to the years from 1970 to 1979; it is commonly called '''The Seventies'''. The seventies were considered by [[Tom Wolfe]] as the "Me Decade." A notable exception was the tremendous growth in [[environmentalism]], home computers, cinema, and music. The 1970s gave rise to home personal computers which Apple and Microsoft corporations had its start. Cinema saw the emergence of great directors like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Music shifted away from the tired standards of the early seventies to New Wave music. The perception of the established institutions of [[nuclear family]], [[religion]] and trust in one's government continued to lose ground during this time. Major developments of the [[sexual revolution]] included the awareness of the [[Combined oral contraceptive pill#Social and cultural impact|impact of contraceptive pills]] on social-interactional relationships, and an increase in [[divorce]] rates, [[Single parent|single parent households]], and [[unprotected sex]]. By the end of the decade, the [[feminist movement]] had helped change women's working conditions. The [[hippie]] culture, which started in the 1960s, peaked in the early 1970s and carried on through the end of the decade. The United States' withdrawal from its extensive military involvement in [[Vietnam]] and the resignation of [[Richard Nixon]] helped bring about a sense of malaise which continued through the [[Jimmy Carter]] Presidency and mistrust in political authority. The [[United States]] experienced an [[economic recession]], but the economy of [[Japan]] prospered. The economies of many [[third world]] countries continued to make steady progress in the early 1970s, because of the [[green revolution]]. They might have thrived and become stable in the way that [[Europe]] recovered after the war through the [[Marshall Plan]]; however, their economic growth was slowed by the [[1973 oil crisis|oil crisis]]. ==Worldwide trends== The first [[ethos]] of the 1970s emerged from a transition of the global social structure. It reflected the transition from the decline of [[Colonialism|colonial imperialism]] since the end of [[World War II]] to [[globalization]] and the rise of a new middle class in the developing world. Globally, the 1970s had several features that were similar and definitive across economic levels and regions. Some defining points of the 1970s were the [[Yom Kippur War|Arab-Israeli war of 1973]] and the subsequent [[1973 oil crisis|oil shock of 1973]], the economic strain caused by the rapid increase in the price of oil and its influence on the [[Bretton Woods system]] of international economic stabilisation, and the effect of the [[combined oral contraceptive pill|contraceptive pill]] on social dynamics. Developing nations that were rich in oil experienced economic growth; others, not so endowed, saw the economic strain of oil price hikes lead to economic decline, particularly in [[Africa]] where a number of moderately democratic states became dictatorial regimes. Many [[Middle Eastern]] democracies crumbled into chaotic regimes with pseudo-democratic governments. Several Asian countries also saw the rise of dictators, including South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia. As well, people were influenced by the rapid pace of societal change and the aspiration for a more egalitarian society in cultures that were long colonised and have an even longer history of hierarchical [[social structure]]. The first [[Rhytidectomy|face lifts]] were attempted in the 1970s. The [[green revolution]] of the late 1960s brought about self sufficiency in food in many developing economies. At the same time an increasing number of people began to seek urban prosperity over [[agrarian]] life. This consequently saw the duality of transition of diverse interaction across social [[communities]] amid increasing [[information blockade]] across [[social class]]. Other common global ethos of the seventies world include: increasingly flexible and varied gender roles for women in industrialised societies. More women could enter the work force. However, the gender role of men remained as that of a bread-winner. The period also saw the socioeconomic effect of an ever-increasing number of women entering the non-agrarian economic workforce. The [[Iranian revolution]] also affected global attitudes to and among those of the Muslim faith toward the end of the 1970s. The global experience of the cultural transition of the 1970s and an experience of a global [[zeitgeist]] revealed the interdependence of economies since World War II, in a world increasingly polarised between the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]]. == Economy == The 1970s were perhaps the worst decade of [[Western World|Western]] and American economic performance since the [[Great Depression]]. Although there was no severe [[economic depression]] as witnessed in the 1930s, economic growth rates were considerably lower than previous decades. As a result, the 1970s adversely distinguished itself from the prosperous postwar period between 1945 and 1973. Then, the world economy was buoyed by the [[Marshall Plan]] and the robust American economy. However, the high standing enjoyed by the American economy gradually became discomposed by years of loose domestic spending (particularly the [[Great Society]] campaign) and funding for the [[Vietnam war]]. The [[oil shock]]s [[Arab Oil Embargo|of 1973]] and [[1979 energy crisis|1979]] added to the existing ailments and conjured high inflation throughout much of the world for the rest of the decade. Soaring oil prices compelled most American businesses to raise their prices as well, with inflationary results. The average annual inflation rate from 1900 to 1970 was approximately 2.5 percent. From 1970, however, the average rate hit about 6 percent, topping out at 13.3 percent by 1979. This period is also known for "[[stagflation]]", a phenomenon in which inflation and unemployment steadily increased, therefore leading to double-digit interest rates that rose to unprecedented levels (above 12% per year). The prime rate hit 21.5 in December 1980, the highest in history. By the time of 1980, when U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]] was running for re-election against [[Ronald Reagan]], the [[Misery index (economics)|misery index]] (the [[sum]] of the unemployment rate and the inflation rate) had reached an all-time high of 21.98 percent. In Eastern Europe, Soviet-style command economies began showing signs of stagnation, in which successes were persistently dogged by setbacks. The oil shock increased East European, particularly Soviet, exports, but a growing inability to increase agricultural output caused growing concern to the governments of the [[COMECON]] block, and a growing dependence on food imported from Western nations. === Oil crisis === <!-- image doesn't seem to exist in Wikipedia or Commons [[Image:Energy crisis - oil sold out.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Scenes like]] station in 1973, were common throughout the Western world. Also common were long lines to receive rationed petrol products.]]--> Economically, the seventies were marked by the energy crisis which peaked in 1973 and 1979 (see [[1973 oil crisis]] and [[1979 oil crisis]]). After the first oil shock in 1973, [[gasoline]] was rationed in many countries. Europe particularly depended on the Middle East for oil; the U.S. was also affected even though it had its own oil reserves. Many European countries introduced car-free days and weekends. In the U.S., customers with a license plate ending in an odd number were only allowed to buy gasoline on odd-numbered days, while even-numbered plate-holders could only purchase gasoline on even-numbered days. The experience that oil reserves were not endless and technological development was not [[sustainable development|sustainable]] without harming the environment ended the age of [[modernism]]. As a result, [[environmentalism|ecological awareness]] rose substantially. == Social movements == === Environmentalism === The 1970s started a mainstream affirmation of the [[environmentalism|environmental issues]] early activists from the 1960s, such as [[Rachel Carson]] and [[Murray Bookchin]] had warned of. The [[moon landing]] that had occurred at the end of the previous decade transmitted back concrete images of the Earth as an integrated, life-supporting system and shaped a public willingness to preserve nature. On [[April 22]], [[1970]], the [[United States]] celebrated its first [[Earth Day]] in which over two thousand colleges and universities and roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools participated. === Feminism === {{main|Second-wave feminism}} Feminism in the United States got its start in the 1960s, but began to take flight starting in 1970, with the fiftieth anniversary of the passage of the [[Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]] (which legalized female suffrage). With the anthology ''[[Sisterhood is Powerful]]'' and other works being published at the start of the decade, feminism started to reach a larger audience than ever before. [[No-Fault divorce]] laws paved the way for increased divorce rates, as depicted in the movie [[Irreconcilable Differences]], and divorce became widely acceptable in western countries. == Science and technology == {{main|1970s in science|1970s in technology}} [[Image:Voyager spacecraft (big).jpg|thumbnail|right|Voyager spacecraft and space explorations]] The 1970s witnessed an explosion in the understanding of solid-state physics, driven by the development of the [[integrated circuit]], and the [[laser]]. The [[CERN]] super-collider was constructed, and [[Stephen Hawking]] developed his theories of [[black holes]] and the boundary-condition of the universe at this period. The biological sciences greatly advanced, with molecular biology, bacteriology, virology, and genetics achieving their modern forms in this decade. Biodiversity became a cause of major concern as habitat destruction, and [[Stephen Jay Gould]]'s theory of [[punctuated equilibrium]] revolutionized evolutionary thought. Space exploration reached its zenith in the 1970s with the ambitious [[Voyager program]] aimed at outer planets in the [[solar system]], though [[Apollo space program|Apollo]] lunar flights terminated in 1972. The Soviet Union developed vital involving long-term human life in free-fall on the [[Salyut]] and later [[Mir]] space stations. The birth of modern computing was in the 1970s, which saw the development of [[Intel 4004|the world's first general microprocessor]], the [[C (programming language)|C programming language]], rudimentary [[personal computer]]s, [[pocket calculator]]s, [[Cray-1|the first supercomputer]], and consumer [[video games]]. The 1970s were also the start of [[fiber optics]], which transformed the communications industry. In automotive technology, United States and especially Europe turned toward more lightweight, fuel efficient vehicles. Automotive historians have also described the period as 'the era of poor quality control', though the integration of the computer and robot, particularly in Japan, allowed unprecedented improvements in mass production. In consumer goods, [[microwave oven]]s and [[compact audio cassette|Cassette]] tapes surged in popularity, and the first consumer [[videocassette recorder]]s became available. Genetic engineering became a commercially viable technology. == Culture == In North America especially, [[Universities]] became friendlier and less authoritarian towards students. This was part of a broader change in social hierarchy that was also reflected in the [[corporate culture]] of the 1970s, where the [[hierarchy]] between [[supervisor]] and [[subordinate]]s became increasingly flattened. This influenced social interaction and [[family]] relationships as well. The [[nuclear family]] began to lose its prominence in the industrialised world, and the role of [[women]] in families took radical shift from those of earlier generations. In particular, the easing of laws regarding divorce led to the rise of new family structures. With the changing family structures and liberal attitudes towards social structures came new perspectives to child rearing and education. The '70s saw a decline in attendance at private [[boarding school]]s and a rise of privately-owned local [[day school]]s, as well as the creation of large consolidated schools in rural areas, and in the USA, the integration of black and white students in schools. Social norms and laws were increasingly framed in favour of women. === Music === {{main|1970s in music}} The early 1970s saw the rise of popular [[soft rock]] music, with such legendary recording artists as [[Elton John]], [[James Taylor]], [[John Denver]], [[The Eagles]], [[America (band)|America]], [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]], and [[The Doobie Brothers]] as well as the further rise of such popular, influential [[rhythm and blues]] (R&B) artists as multi-instrumentalist [[Stevie Wonder]] and the popular quintet [[The Jackson 5]]. The mid-1970s besides the ever present [[Grateful Dead]] , also saw the rise of [[disco]] music, which dominated popular music during the last half of the decade. In response to this, rock music became increasingly hard edged with artists such as [[Led Zeppelin]]. [[Minimalism]] also emerged, lead by composers such as [[Philip Glass]], [[Steve Reich]] and [[Michael Nyman]]. This was a break from the intellectual serial music of the tradition of [[Arnold Schoenberg|Schoenberg]] which lasted from the early 1900s to 1960s. Experimental classical music influenced both [[art rock]] and [[progressive rock]] as well as the [[punk rock]] and [[New Wave (music)|New Wave]] genres. [[Hard rock]] also emerged among British bands [[Deep Purple]], [[Uriah Heep]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Judas Priest]] and [[Black Sabbath]]. In [[Europe]], there was a surge of popularity in the early decade for [[glam rock]]. The mid-seventies saw the rise of [[punk music]] from its [[protopunk]]/[[garage band]] roots in the 1960s and early 1970s. Major acts include the [[Ramones]], [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]], [[Patti Smith]], the [[Sex Pistols]], and [[The Clash]]. The highest-selling album was Pink Floyd's [[Dark Side of The Moon]] (1973). It remained on the [[Billboard Top 200]] Albums Chart for 741 weeks. The rise of [[Disco]] music occurred in the late 1970s; however, the first half of the 1970s saw many jazz musicians from the [[Miles Davis]] school achieve cross-over success through [[jazz fusion|jazz-rock fusion]]. In Germany, [[Manfred Eicher]] started the [[ECM (record label)|ECM]] label, which quickly made a name for 'chamber jazz'. Towards the end of the decade, [[Jamaica]]n reggae music, already popular in the [[Caribbean]] and [[Africa]] since the early 1970s, became very popular in the [[United States|U.S.]] and in [[Europe]], mostly because of reggae superstar and legend [[Bob Marley]]. The late '70s also saw the beginning of hip hop music with the song "Rapper's Delight" by [[Sugarhill Gang]]. [[Country music]] remained very popular in the U.S. In 1977 it became more mainstream after [[Kenny Rogers]] became a solo singer and scored many hits on both the country and pop charts. === Cinema === {{main|1970s in film}} In 1970s [[European cinema]], the failure of the [[Prague Spring]] brought about nostalgic motion pictures such as [[István Szabó]]'s ''[[Szerelmesfilm]]'' (1970). [[German New Wave]] and [[Rainer Fassbinder]]'s existential movies characterized film-making in Germany. The movies of the [[Sweden|Swedish]] director [[Ingmar Bergman]] reached a new level of expression in motion pictures like ''[[Cries and Whispers]]'' (1973). [[Asia]]n cinema of the 1970s catered to the rising middle class fantasies and struggles. In the [[Bollywood]] cinema of [[India]], this was epitomised by the movies of Bollywood superhero [[Amitabh Bachchan]]. Another Asian touchstone beginning in the early '70s was traditional [[Hong Kong martial arts film]] which sparked a greater interest in Chinese martial arts to the West. [[Martial arts film]] reached the peak of its popularity largely in part due to its greatest icon, [[Bruce Lee]]. Hollywood emerged from its early 1970s slump with young film-makers taking greater risks and exploring more adult subject matter in movies such as ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' and ''[[The Godfather]]''. The nostalgic ''[[Love Story (1970 film)|Love Story]]'' was a huge commercial and critical hit. The 1970s saw a rebirth of the action film with movies like ''[[The French Connection (film)|The French Connection]]''. ''[[Airport (film)|Airport]]'' was hugely successful and launched a series of [[disaster film|disaster]]-related films, such as ''[[Earthquake (film)|Earthquake]]''. Throughout the seventies, the horror film developed into a lucrative genre of film; notable examples include ''[[The Exorcist]]'', ''[[The Omen]]'', ''[[Halloween]]'', and ''[[The Texas Chain Saw Massacre]]''. [[Blaxploitation]] also emerged as a genre. Top-grossing ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]''(1975) ushered in the [[blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]] era of film-making, though it was eclipsed two years later by the science-fiction epic ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope]]'' (1977). === Television === {{main|1970s in television}} In the United Kingdom, color channels were now available; three stations had begun broadcasting in color between 1967 and 1969. Notable UK dramas included ''[[Play for Today]]'' and ''[[Pennies From Heaven (TV series)|Pennies From Heaven]]''. The [[science fiction]] show [[Doctor Who]] reached its peak. Many popular British [[situation comedy|situation comedies]] (sit-coms) were gentle, innocent, unchallenging comedies of middle-class life; typical examples were ''[[Terry and June]]'', ''[[Sykes]]'', and ''[[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|The Good Life]]''. A more diverse view of society was offered by series like ''[[Porridge (TV series)|Porridge]]'' and ''[[Rising Damp]]''. In police dramas there was a move towards increasing realism; popular shows included ''[[Dixon of Dock Green]]'', ''[[Softly, Softly (television series)|Softly, Softly]]'', and ''[[The Sweeney]]''. In the United States, long-standing trends were declining. ''[[The Red Skelton Show]]'' and ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'', long-revered American institutions, were canceled. The "family sitcom" saw its last breath at the start of the new decade with ''[[The Brady Bunch]]''. Television was transformed by what became termed as "social consciousness" programming such as ''[[All in the Family]]'', which broke down television barriers. The television [[western (genre)|western]], which had been very popular in the 1960s, died out during the 1970s, with ''[[The High Chaparral]]'', ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]'', and ''[[Gunsmoke]]'' ending their runs. By the mid- to late 1970s, "jiggle television"--programs centered around sexual gratification and bawdy humor and situations such as ''[[Charlie's Angels]]'' and ''[[Three's Company]]''--became popular. [[Soap opera]]s expanded their audience beyond [[housewives]] with the rise of ''[[All My Children]]'' and ''[[As the World Turns]]''. [[Game shows]] such as ''[[The Hollywood Squares]]'' and ''[[Family Feud]]'' were also popular daytime television. Another influential genre was the television newscast, which built on its initial widespread success in the 1960s. Finally, the [[variety show]] received its last hurrah during this decade, with shows such as ''[[The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour]]'' and ''[[Donny & Marie]]''. === Literature === {{main|1970s in literature}} Fiction in the early '70s brought a return to old-fashioned storytelling, especially with [[Erich Segal|Erich Segal's]] ''[[Love Story (1970 film)|Love Story]]''. The seventies also saw the decline of previously well-respected writers, such as [[Saul Bellow]] and [[Peter De Vries]], who both released poorly received novels at the start of the decade. Racism remained a key literary subject. [[John Updike]] emerged as a major literary figure. Reflections of the 1960s experience also found roots in the literature of the decade through the works of [[Joyce Carol Oates]] and [[Morris Wright]]. With the rising cost of hard-cover books and the increasing readership of "[[genre fiction]]," the [[paperback]] became a popular medium. Criminal non-fiction also became a popular topic. Irreverence and satire, typified in [[Kurt Vonnegut]]'s ''[[Breakfast of Champions]]'', were common literary elements. The horror genre also emerged, and by the late seventies [[Stephen King]] had become one of the most popular genre novelists. In nonfiction, several books related to Nixon and the [[Watergate scandal]] topped the best-selling lists. 1977 brought many high-profile biographical works of literary figures, such as those of [[Virginia Woolf]], [[Agatha Christie]], and [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. Books discussing sex such as ''[[Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex but Were Afraid to Ask]]'' were popular as authors took advantage of the lifted censorship laws on literature in the sixties. Exposés such as ''[[All the President's Men]]'' were also popular. Self-help and diet books replaced the cookbooks and home fix-it manuals that topped the sixties' charts. === Architecture === [[Image:Sears tower orthogonal.jpg|175px|right|thumb|The [[Sears Tower]] became the world's tallest building when completed in 1973.]] Architecture in the 1970s began as a the continuation of styles created by such architects as [[Frank Lloyd Wright]] and [[Ludwig Mies van der Rohe]]. Early in the decade, several architects competed to build the tallest building in the world. Of these buildings, the most notable are the [[John Hancock Center]] and [[Sears Tower]] in [[Chicago]], both designed by [[Bruce Graham]] and [[Fazlur Khan]] and the [[World Trade Center]] towers that were in New York by [[Japan]]ese architect [[Minoru Yamasaki]]. The decade also brought experimentation in geometric design, [[pop-art]], [[postmodernism]] and early [[deconstructivism]]. In 1974, [[Louis Kahn]]'s last and arguably most famous building, the National Assembly Building of [[Dhaka]], [[Bangladesh]] was completed. The building's use of open spaces and groundbreaking geometry brought rare attention to the small [[southeast Asia]]n country. [[Hugh Stubbins]]' [[Citicorp Center]] revolutionized the incorporation of solar panels in office buildings. The seventies brought further experimentation in glass and steel construction and geometric design. [[China|Chinese]] architect [[I. M. Pei]]'s [[John Hancock Tower]] in [[Boston, Massachusetts]] is an example, although like many buildings of the time, the experimentation was flawed and glass panes fell from the façade. In 1976, the completed [[CN Tower]] in [[Toronto]] was the world's tallest free-standing structure on land until 2007. The fact that no other tower built between the construction of the CN Tower and the [[Burj Dubai]] shows how innovative and unsurpassed the architecture and engineering of the structure truly was. But modern architecture was increasingly criticized, both from the point of view of postmodern architects such as [[Philip Johnson]], [[Charles Moore]] and [[Michael Graves]] who advocated a return to pre-modern styles of architecture and the incorporation of pop elements as a means of communicating with a broader public. Other architects, such as [[Peter Eisenman]] of the [[New York Five]] advocated the pursuit of form for the sake of form and drew on semiotics theory for support. "High Tech" architecture moved forward as [[Buckminster Fuller]] continued his experiments in [[geodesic domes]] while the [[Centre Georges Pompidou|George Pompidou Center]], designed by [[Renzo Piano]] and [[Richard Rogers]], which opened in 1977, was a prominent example. As the decade drew to a close, [[Frank Gehry]] broke out in new direction with his own house in Santa Monica, a highly complex structure half-excavated out of an existing bungalow and half cheaply-built construction using materials such as chicken wire fencing. === Social science === Social science intersected with hard science in the works in [[natural language processing]] by [[Terry Winograd]] (1973) and the establishment of the first [[cognitive sciences]] department in the world at [[MIT]] in 1979. The fields of [[generative linguistics]] and [[cognitive psychology]] went through a renewed vigour with symbolic modeling of semantic knowledge while the final devastation of the long standing tradition of [[behaviorism]] came about through the severe criticism of [[B.F. Skinner]]'s work in 1971 by the cognitive scientist [[Noam Chomsky]]. === Sports === {{main|1970s in sports}} In the 1970s, the renegade sports leagues of the [[American Basketball Association]] (founded in 1967), the [[World Hockey Association]] (lasting from 1972 through 1979), and the [[World Series Cricket]] (lasting from 1977 to 1979) challenged older, established organizations. The "Battle of the Sexes" [[tennis]] match between [[Billie Jean King]] and [[Bobby Riggs]], who proclaimed the women's game to be inferior, was a turning point in sports during the decade; after King's victory, the match was heralded as a major victory for women in athletics. Interest in exercise for health and appearance, independent of sports training, increased during the 1970s: there was a boom in the popularity of [[distance running]], especially in the [[United States]]. [[Bodybuilding]] also received mainstream attention after the release of the documentary [[Pumping Iron]]. The [[1972 Summer Olympics]] were marred by terrorism and [[Cold War]]-related international controversy. Among the competition's highlights was the performance of swimmer [[Mark Spitz]], who set seven World Records to win a record seven gold medals in one Olympics, bringing his total to nine. The [[1976 Summer Olympics]] were highlighted by the legendary performance of [[Romania]]n female gymnast [[Nadia Comaneci]] and the strong U.S. [[boxing]] team. == Regional issues == === Middle East === {{see|Yom Kippur War}}{{see|Camp David Accords}} Political [[authoritarianism]] in Arab and Middle Eastern states, combined with the occupation of the [[West Bank]] by [[Israel]] after a military victory in Israel's Six-Day-War war of 1967, led to a major increase in [[Palestinian]] [[suicide attack]]s against Israeli civilians. The Palestinian terror group [[Black September (group)|Black September]] was involved in [[aircraft hijacking]]s and a deadly [[hostage]] incident at the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] in [[Munich, Germany]]. On [[September 6]] [[1970]] the world witnessed the beginnings of modern rebellious fighting in what is today called as [[Dawson's Field hijackings|Skyjack Sunday]]. Palestinian terrorists hijacked four [[airliner]]s and took over 300 people on board as hostage. Later the hostages were released but the planes exploded in front of world wide media coverage. The relationship between Egypt and Israel changed dramatically throughout the 1970s. In 1975, tensions between [[Christian]] and [[Muslim]] factions in [[Lebanon]] brought that country to [[Lebanese Civil War|civil war]], which would continue sporadically for 20 years. The [[Iranian Revolution]] of 1979 transformed Iran from an autocratic pro-west monarchy under Shah [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]] to an [[Islam]]ic, [[theocracy|theocratic]] government under the leadership of [[Ayatollah Khomeini]]. Distrust between the revolutionaries and Western powers led to the [[Iran hostage crisis]] on [[November 4]], [[1979]] where 66 diplomats, mainly from the U.S., were held captive. In [[Iraq]], [[Saddam Hussein]] began to rise to power by helping to modernize the country. One major initiative was removing the western monopoly on [[Petroleum|oil]] which later during the high prices of [[1973 oil crisis]] would help Hussein's ambitious plans. On [[July 16]], [[1979]] he assumed the [[President of Iraq|presidency]] cementing his rise to power. His presidency led to the breaking off of a [[Syria]]n-Iraqi unification, which had been sought under [[Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr]] and would later lead to the [[Iran-Iraq War]] starting in the 1980s. === Africa === [[Idi Amin]] became infamous in the seventies for his brutal regime in [[Uganda]]. The seventies also witnessed the fall of [[Haile Selassie]] and [[Jean-Bedel Bokassa]], and the continuation of [[apartheid]] in [[South Africa]] (and the death of [[Steve Biko]]). === Asia === [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]/[[Bangladesh Liberation War]]/[[Concert for Bangladesh]] (relates back to culture), [[Indian Emergency]] 1975–1977 [[Martial law]] was declared in the [[Philippines]] on [[September 21]], [[1972]] by [[Philippine president|Pres.]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. The [[Vietnam War]] came to a close in the early Seventies with the [[Paris Peace Accords]]. Opposition had increased in the United States which led to U.S. withdrawal in the early part of 1973. However, in 1975 North Vietamese forces invaded the South and quickly took over the government breaking the treaty. In [[Cambodia]] the communist leader [[Pol Pot]] led a revolution against the American backed government of [[Lon Nol]]. On [[April 17]] 1975 his forces captured [[Phnom Penh]] the capitol, two years after America had halted the bombings of their positions. His communist government, the [[Khmer Rouge]], moved the citizens into communal housing which led to starvation. The estimated death toll in the [[genocide]] ranges between 800,000 and 2.3 million. Vietnam invaded the country in 1979 which led to a long ensuing war between the nations. [[Cultural Revolution]] also came to the end with the death of [[Mao Zedong]] and the arrest of [[Gang of Four]] in 1976 ==== Japan ==== [[Image:Taiyo no tou.jpg|left|thumb|The first [[World's Fair]] held in Japan, [[Expo '70]] in Osaka showcased the ideal of "progress and harmony for mankind".]] [[Japan]]'s economic growth surpassed the rest of the world in the Seventies. The country expanded on the economic growth it received from elaborate building and job growth as a result of the [[1964 Summer Olympics]], which were held in [[Tokyo]]. ''[[National Geographic]]'' profiled the Japanese work ethic in a March 1974 cover story entitled "Those Successful Japanese!" With a rise in technology and a more urgent need to commute for salaried jobs, the [[Shinkansen]] became an efficient tool for people to travel cross-country in a rather inexpensive and quick manner. The first "bullet train" was opened between [[Tokyo]] and [[Osaka]] in 1964, with further extension to [[Fukuoka, Fukuoka|Fukuoka]] in 1975. The Tokyo-Osaka line was key in transporting visitors to [[Expo '70]] in Osaka, where Japan showcased its newest technological achievements. In 1969, Prime Minister [[Eisaku Sato]] negotiated with President [[Richard Nixon]] to hand over the island of [[Okinawa]] on [[May 15]], [[1972]]. The compromise for the handover was that the [[United States Armed Forces]] were still allowed to maintain military bases on the island after Okinawa officially became part of Japan. To celebrate the handover, [[Expo '75]] was held at Okinawa, with an [[oceanography|oceanographic]] theme: "The Sea We Would Like to See". In 1972, Sato, who was Prime Minister since 1964, decided not to run for a fourth three-year term. He was succeeded by [[Kakuei Tanaka]], whose term as Prime Minister would become one of the most infamous in Japan's modern era. [[Image:Tanaka and Nixon 1973.gif|right|thumb|250px|Two embattled leaders: Kakuei Tanaka meets Richard Nixon in Washington, 1973.]] Just as Richard Nixon was resigning from office in the United States, Tanaka was facing a scandal of his own. The Diet was concerned about his business practices (specifically, he used the name of a [[geisha]] he frequented on land deeds). The first witness to be called was his secretary, with whom he had a romantic affair. To save face, he resigned his post late in 1974, and was replaced by [[Takeo Miki]]. When news of Tanaka's embezzlement of the [[Lockheed Corporation]]'s funds reached Japan in 1976, Prime Minister Miki pushed for Tanaka's arrest. Tanaka, who had become a Diet member, responded in kind by removing support from his government, causing him to lose his spot as Prime Minister. Tanaka would spend the rest of the decade endorsing and later removing support from Prime Ministers when he felt his best interests were not served. The [[Hirohito|emperor]] and the rest of his family were not well-received when they made public their intentions of their first ever state visit to Europe in the autumn of 1971. When he arrived in [[London]] in October, he was granted an audience with [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth]], and in a semi-public appearance, Hirohito stopped short of a full apology for Japan's role during [[World War II]]. Instead, he pledged solidarity with the [[United Kingdom]] in the new era. The reason Hirohito did not fully apologize was due to factions of opposition in Japan, who believed the nation should become [[feudalism|feudal]] once more and close its borders to the West. After the [[seppuku|ritual suicide]] of writer [[Yukio Mishima]] in November 1970, a vocal opposition emerged, shaking Japan's ruling post-war elite. Therefore, it was in Hirohito's best interests not to make a full apology, which would have been the only solution that would have appeased hostile opinion against Japan in [[Europe]]. Hirohito's statement was subsequently seen as a slap in the face by many war veterans. Hirohito received an equally unfavorable response when he visited [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Queen Juliana]] in [[Amsterdam]] in November. === Latin America=== {{Expand-section|date=June 2008}} === Soviet Union/ Eastern Bloc === The Seventies in the Soviet Union were in a distinct cultural and economic era known as the [[History of the Soviet Union (1953–1985)#The Brezhnev era|Brezhnev era]], named after the [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union|Communist Party Secretary]] at the time, [[Leonid Brezhnev]], who had been at the helm in the USSR since 1964. The Soviet Union became the world's leading producer in [[steel]], and [[Petroleum|oil]]. During this period wages were doubled which led to more focusing on personal lives rather than the traditional "Communist ideal". Despite this growth, inflation continued to grow for the second straight decade, and production consistently fell short of demand in agriculture and manufacturing. The USSR began to import grain from the United States, which expanded production "fence row to fence row". Consumer goods remained hard to get. In [[People's Republic of Poland]], the seventies were the [[Gierek decade]], when under the leadership of [[Edward Gierek]] massive loans were channeled into raising the people's standard of living. On [[16 October]] [[1978]] an event that would shape not only Poland's fate but that of the entire world took place: Karol Wojtyła, a Polish cardinal, was elected [[Pope]], becoming Pope [[Pope John Paul II|John Paul II]]. In 1971, [[Erich Honecker]] was chosen to lead the [[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]], a role he would fill for the whole of the 1970s and 1980s. The mid-1970s were a time of extreme recession for East Germany, and as a result of the country's higher debts, consumer goods became more and more scarce. If East Germans had enough money to procure a television set, a telephone, or a [[Trabant]] automobile, they were placed on waiting lists which caused them to wait as much as a decade for the item in question. [[Enver Hoxha]]'s rule in [[Albania]] was characterized in the 1970s by growing isolation, first from a very public schism with the Soviet Union the decade before, and then by a [[Sino-Albanian Split|split]] in friendly relations with [[China]] in 1978. Albania normalized relations with [[Josip Broz Tito|Marshal Tito's]] [[Yugoslavia]] in 1971, and attempted trade agreements with other European nations, but was met with vocal disapproval by the governments in [[Washington, D.C.]] and [[London]]. === United States === {{Inappropriate tone|date=July 2008}} {{Original research|date=July 2008}} [[Image:Richard Nixon greeted by children during campaign 1972.png|left|thumb|250px|Richard Nixon enjoyed high public support in the early Seventies. Nixon meets a highly receptive crowd during his reelection bid in 1972.]] At the start of the decade, President [[Richard Nixon]] proved to be popular with the American people, in that he sent the last American troops from Vietnam, and took the first steps to normalizing relations with [[China]] and the [[Soviet Union]], both of which he visited in 1972. Nixon started the process known as [[détente]] when he joined the [[SALT I]] talks and eventually signed the treaty with [[Leonid Brezhnev]].{{Fact|date=July 2008}} His high approval ratings led him to be overwhelmingly re-elected in the [[U.S. presidential election, 1972|1972 election]] against [[George McGovern]].{{Fact|date=July 2008}} However, the [[Watergate scandal]] erupted soon after which put the entire Nixon administration in jeopardy.{{Or|date=July 2008}} Nixon became the first President to resign his post,{{Fact|date=July 2008}} in 1974, and received a [[pardon]] for his involvement in the scandal by new President [[Gerald Ford]] later that year, a move which was seen by many as unfavorable.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} [[Image:Carter and Ford in a debate, September 23, 1976.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford in the infamous debate that may have very well cost Ford the election.]] Ford's pardoning of Nixon, coupled with economic troubles felt by nearly every segment of the American population, cost him the 1976 election,{{Fact|date=July 2008}} in which he was soundly beaten by [[Jimmy Carter]], a peanut farmer and former [[Governor of Georgia]].{{Fact|date=July 2008}} One of the key events that turned the tide in Carter's favor was an embarrassing blunder on Ford's part,{{Fact|date=July 2008}} in which he said during a live, televised [[U.S. presidential election debates|presidential debate]], that [[Eastern Europe]] was not under the domination of the [[Soviet Union]]. Carter's more personable style resonated with the majority of voters.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} Carter did not have any more luck than Ford had in curbing [[stagflation]].{{Fact|date=July 2008}} Carter tried to address the price of imported oil and the subsequent energy dilemmas by creating the [[United States Department of Energy]], but his efforts were largely unsuccessful,{{Fact|date=July 2008}} leading to the [[1979 energy crisis]],{{dubious}} which was also felt in other parts of the world. Carter's leadership was also challenged abroad, with the aforementioned Iran hostage crisis. The hostages were only released when [[Ronald Reagan]] took the oath of office on [[January 20]], [[1981]], succeeding Carter.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} As the economy slipped, the use of [[recreational drugs]] increased and mistrust in the [[American government]] among [[blue collar worker]]s grew.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} A number of [[List of purported cults|purported]] [[cult]]s attracted media attention, among them was the [[Children of God]]. === United Kingdom === [[Image:Margaret Thatcher 1983.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Margaret Thatcher's rise to the top of the Tories in 1975 was the first time a woman had been chosen to lead a political party in the [[United Kingdom]].]] In 1970, the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] was brought to power under the leadership of [[Edward Heath]]. Heath's term was plagued with a number of strikes by nearly every profession (in 1972 alone, nearly 24 million working days were lost due to strikes). His plan to ration electricity for businesses and factories to three days in the week, starting in January 1974, proved unpopular. In February, miners, with the support of the rail and power unions, went out on strike. Heath called a general election to gauge support, which led to his narrow defeat in a [[hung parliament]]. During Heath's administration, the UK had seen [[decimalisation]] of its currency finally take place (in February 1971) and an important change in economic relations begin with its entry to the [[European Economic Community]] ('Common Market') on 1 January 1973. [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] won most seats in the February election under [[Harold Wilson]], who had been Prime Minister from 1964 to 1970, but lacked a majority. Wilson led a minority administration for seven months before calling (and winning) a second general election in October. In early 1975 Heath was challenged, and unexpectedly defeated as leader, by [[Margaret Thatcher]], who became the first female [[leader of the opposition]]. 1975 also saw the the UK holding its only [[United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum, 1975|national referendum]] (to date) over its continued membership of the EEC; the result being a two-to-one 'yes' vote in favour of remaining a member. When Wilson retired, unexpectedly, from the post in 1976, former [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]] [[James Callaghan]] became Prime Minister. However, failure of an agreed social and [[incomes policy]] with unions to deal adequately with the twin inherited problems of inflation and unemployment, coupled with balance of payments difficulties leading to the reluctant adoption of [[monetarist]] policies, lead to unrest and subsequent [[Winter of Discontent|breakdown]] of relations with the unions, which paved the way for a Tory election win in 1979, under Margaret Thatcher. The world first took notice of Thatcher in 1975; she was subsequently featured on the cover of [[TIME]] magazine. Thatcher's rise to Prime Minister, at the tail end of the Seventies, ushered in a new era of change that would become the trademark of what the Eighties represented throughout the world. During the Seventies, support for the [[British royal family]] was thought to have dwindled, but the [[Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Silver Jubilee]] year of 1977 assuaged the family's fears of being irrelevant in a more modern Britain. Elaborate parades and street parties were thrown in the Queen's honour, and the Queen met with millions of her subjects on a tour throughout the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]]. In spite of such widespread support, an emerging class of people voiced opposition to the monarchy, epitomized in the [[Sex Pistols]]' song "[[God Save the Queen (Sex Pistols song)|God Save the Queen]]". Throughout the decade, the long-lasting [[The Troubles|Troubles]] in Northern Ireland were their most intense and violent, particularly in the first few years, and about two thousand people died as a result<ref>See http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/tables/Year.html</ref>. The overwhelming majority of those killed were in Northern Ireland itself, but significant casualties (and heightened public concern) were also caused by an [[Provisional_IRA_campaign_1969%E2%80%931997#Attacks_outside_Northern_Ireland|IRA campaign]] of pub bombings in [[Guildford]], [[Aldershot]] and [[Birmingham]] on the British mainland. ==== Commonwealth ==== [[Hong Kong]] stepped on its way to evolving into an international financial centre in the 1970s. During this period, the promotion of social welfare improved the living standard of Hong Kong people, at the same time attracting foreign investments into this city. In [[Australia]], the seventies was a defining decade. After 23 years of rule under various [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Ministers]], the Labor Party under [[Gough Whitlam]] was elected under the slogan "It's Time", a group of people singing for the end of the Coalition government. Whitlam brought sweeping education reforms including free University places, and [[Medibank]] (later Medicare), the first fully public hospital system. The Whitlam government was also pro-multicultural and supported greater immigration during their term. However, after all of Whitlam's social reforms, the government was nearly broke. The Coalition under [[Malcolm Fraser]] took advantage of a newly-acquired majority in the Senate and drove the public service to near bankruptcy by refusing to allow the passage of money bills through the Senate. In response, Whitlam was controversially dismissed as [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] by the [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]] Sir [[John Kerr (Governor-General)|John Kerr]] during the [[1975 Australian constitutional crisis]]. Despite these moves, Fraser toed a not too dissimilar line of politics, despite predictions of the conservative [[Rupert Murdoch|Murdoch]] press and his party. He did make cuts to public spending to reign in inflation and the deficits caused by the Whitlam government. He also formed [[Medibank Private]] to reduce the strain in the public hospital system. However, he introduced [[Special Broadcasting Service]] to ensure a multicultural representation on TV, and supported the end of Apartheid in South Africa. == Timeline of military invasions in the 1970s== {{incomplete}} *1974: [[Turkish invasion of Cyprus]]. *1978: Israel invades Lebanon to push PLO forces north of the Litani River. *1979: USSR invades Afghanistan == See also == * [[Decade nostalgia]] * [[I Love the '70s]] — A [[BBC]] (UK) and [[VH1]] (U.S.) [[Television program]] * [[Disco]] * [[Blaxploitation]] == References == {{reflist}} * Burrows, Terry. ITV's Visual History of the Twentieth Century. London: Carlton Books Ltd., 1999. 350–419. * Crosby, Alfred W. (1995). "The Past and Present of Environmental History". The American Historical Review 100 (4), 1177–1189 <!-- Do not add new links here unless they conform with WP:EL == External links ==--> {{DEFAULTSORT:1970s}} [[Category:1970s| ]] [[Category:20th century]] [[als:1970er]] [[ar:عقد 1970]] [[ast:Años 1970]] [[zh-min-nan:1970 nî-tāi]] [[be-x-old:1970-я]] [[bs:1970te]] [[br:Bloavezhioù 1970]] [[ca:Dècada del 1970]] [[cv:1970-мĕш çулсем]] [[cy:1970au]] [[da:1970'erne]] [[de:1970er]] [[et:1970. aastad]] [[el:Δεκαετία 1970]] [[es:Años 1970]] [[eo:1970-aj jaroj]] [[eu:1970eko hamarkada]] [[fr:Années 1970]] [[ga:1970idí]] [[gd:1970an]] [[gan:1970年代]] [[ko:1970년대]] [[hr:1970-ih]] [[io:1970a yari]] [[id:1970-an]] [[ia:1970s]] [[os:1970-тæ]] [[is:1971-1980]] [[it:Anni 1970]] [[he:שנות ה-70 של המאה ה-20]] [[jv:1970-an]] [[ka:1970-იანები]] [[kk:1970 жж.]] [[la:Decennium 198]] [[lt:XX amžiaus 8-as dešimtmetis]] [[hu:1970-es évek]] [[mr:इ.स.चे १९७० चे दशक]] [[ms:1970-an]] [[nah:1970s]] [[nl:1970-1979]] [[ja:1970年代]] [[no:1970-årene]] [[nn:1970-åra]] [[nrm:Annaées 1970]] [[uz:1970-lar]] [[pl:Lata 70. 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