The initial nations targeted were canada, japan, the netherlands, the united kingdom and the united states with the embargo also later extended to portugal. Refer to the figure above the arab oil embargo of 1973 1975 is best described from ecn 211 at arizona state university. Nixons administration to end the embargo signaled a complex shift in the global financial balance of power to oilproducing states and triggered a slew of u. First, in october 1973, the arabisraeli conflict prompted a group of arab oil producers the organization of arab petroleum exporting countries to institute a selective embargo on oil exports. Opec has the strength to raise prices, but it doesnt have the capacity to lower them at present, he says.
Time to lay the 1973 oil embargo to rest cato institute. But the oil embargo did concentrate the mind wonderfully. The energy crisis that ensued brought an end to the era of cheap gasoline and other. On november 5, arab oil ministers announced a cut in production of 25 % below the. What are the standards that ought to be considered by policymakers, and, under such standards, what is the nature and. Problems involving vietnam, watergate and inflation were looming, but the most significant long term obstacle is described in the oil crisis of 19731974 by karen r. And wed be doing it even if the 1973 oil embargo hadnt happened, because the energy systems other existential threats, from climate change a known threat even in the late 1960s to nuclear proliferation, compel the same actions. This led to an american embargo initially of airplanes, parts, machine tools, and aviation gasoline. The united states public debt, 1791 to 2010 historical gas prices in the united states gold still well off of its inflationadjusted alltime high. Moreover, the nixon administrations efforts to address the effects of the embargo ultimately presented. Both the oil embargo of 1973 and the oil shock of 1979.
After the 1973 yom kippur war, arab states used oil supply as a weapon against the west, leading to the british oil crisis and the threeday week. All crude oil and refined petroleum products are exempted from the price and allocation controls adopted pursuant to the emergency petroleum allocation act of 1973, as amended. Nara aad series description central foreign policy. The 1973 oil crisis began in october 1973 when the members of the organization of arab petroleum exporting countries proclaimed an oil embargo. Secondly, what was distinctive about japans reaction to the oil crisis as compared with the reactions of other countries. The price per barrel rose % by december the price per barrel rose % by december 1973. Sharing americas concerns, great britain and the netherlands joined in the economic embargo. Part 3 addresses the relationship between oil imports and national security. As there was very little spare capacity production in the. Lately, weve been doing a lot of research on the early to midseventies luxury cars for the automotive mileposts site. The 1973 oil crisis by sarah horton in october of 1973 middleeastern opec nations stopped exports to the us and other western nations. Both the oil embargo of 1973 and the oil shock of 1979 showed the united states that the government needed to be less dependent on foreign oil production. Pdf the organization of arab petroleum exporting countries oapeq stated that the 19731974 oil embargo was designed to force israel to. October 1973 opec issues an embargo that halts exports of oil to the united states.
The story of the 1973 oil embargo from memories in the bp archive. With the recent turmoil in the middle east, there has been increased talk of the possibility for an arab oil embargo against the u. As a result of the arabisraeli war of 1973, opec imposed an embargo on oil shipments to the united states and other industrial nations in the winter of 1973 and 1974. In october 1973, the arab members of opec pointed at the united states and fired. The object of this dissertation is to investigate japans reaction to the 1973 oil crisis in order to answer two major questions. A relic of the 1970s lifting it would help keep rigs running and workers workingand it would even lower gas prices at the pump. Reviewed by gregory hilton 1973 was not a good year for americas prestige and psyche. A lot of them are the same people and they dont want a repeat of the oil crisis.
A number of factors combined in 1973, however, to change this picture dramatically. The 1973 oil crisis by sarah horton pennsylvania envirothon. David falconer epa us national archives as new york city faces gas rationing, shortages, and lines in the wake of hurricane sandy, we cant stop thinking of the oil crisis of 19731974. Refer to the figure above the arab oil embargo of 1973. The two worst crises of this period were the 1973 oil crisis and the 1979 energy crisis, when the yom kippur war and the iranian revolution triggered interruptions in. The source of the shahs newfound wealth was the skyrocketing of oil prices, which started in november 1973 with the opec oil embargo and production cuts. The 1973 oil crisis started in october 1973, when the members of organization of arab petroleum exporting countries or the oapec consisting of the arab members of opec, plus egypt, syria and tunisia proclaimed an oil embargo in response to the u. One of the continuing themes that we keep coming across was the oil embargo and resultant gas crisis of 19731974. During the 1973 arab israeli war, arab members of the organization of petroleum exporting countries opec imposed an embargo against the united states in retaliation for the u. Americans experience long lines at gas stations and at times cannot find gasoline at all. The cabinet papers the energy crisis the national archives.
By the second world war, oil discoveries in texas and arabia had raised the number of majors to seven adding gulf, texaco, socal, and mobileight, if the compagnie franqaise des petroles is included. Here we look at the history of the oil market under each us president since that year. Oil record book, part ii cargoballast operations oil tankers the following pages of this section show a comprehensive list of items of cargo and ballast operations which are, when appropriate, to be recorded in the oil record book part ii in accordance with regulation 36 of annex i of the. The most obvious of those factors was a decision made by the arab members of the organization of petroleum exporting countries. On november 25, 1973, the arab countries of opec placed an embargo on the united states and other western countries in retaliation for their support of israel during the yom kippur war. Although this series was created between july 1973 and december 1979, some documents dated prior to july 1, 1973 are also included. Second arab oil embargo, 19731974 the second arab oil embargo, which lasted from october 1973 to march 1974, posed a major threat to the u.
September 1973 to 5 million in subsequent september 1973 to 5 million in subsequent months. A key turning point occurred 37 years ago today when president richard nixon. It was only in the third year after the oil embargo that the world economy returned to its normal rate of growth. Oil pricesand gasoline pricesincreased fourfold in a few months, while supplies ran low. They meant to punish the western nations that supported israel, their foe, in the yom kippur war, but they also realized the strong influence that they had on the world through oil. In 2004, declassified documents revealed that the us was so distraught by the rise in oil prices and being challenged by underdeveloped. The initial nations targeted were canada, japan, the netherlands, the united kingdom and the united states with the embargo also later extended to. The arab oil embargo caused gas shortages nationwide and shaped u. However, the world energy market has changed dramatically over the past four decades, and the u.
Immediately download the 1973 oil crisis summary, chapterbychapter analysis, book notes, essays, quotes, character descriptions, lesson plans, and more everything you need for. The nixon administration also grappled with the consequences of the arabisraeli war of october 1973, namely the energy crisis precipitated by the organization of arab petroleum exporting countries oapec oil embargo against the united states. Between october 1973 and january 1974 world oil prices quadrupled. The 1973 oil embargo arab oil diplomacy scholarworks at wmu. Yet theres a case that this, too, is apocalyptic, given the huge changes in world oil production since the 1973 oil embargo.
The increases in the price of oil in 197374 were sudden and dramatic. The arab nations in the organization of the petroleum exporting countries imposed an. In the face of increasing world oil prices, big oil did the only sensible thing. The 1973 oil crisis began in october 1973 when the members of the organization of arab. The embargo was targeted at nations perceived as supporting israel during the yom kippur war.
While for various reasons i dont currently believe this will come to pass, it is a good time. Several middle eastern countries eventually limited their oil shipments, some embargoing only the united states and the united kingdom, while others placed a total ban on oil exports. How the 1973 oil embargo still affects us energy agenda. Year or month cost of crude oil of gasoliniea dealer margins 1973 n. Digging deeper, we find two major factors involved in making this crisis as important as it was and still is.
The second part deals with the impact of the opec oil embargo of 1973. The arab members of opec responded by halting oil exports to the united states and other israeli allies. Gasoline and price control university of california. Lawrence eagles, oil analyst for gni brokers, says the opec members have little room to manoeuvre on prices. The 1967 oil embargo began on june 6, 1967, the second day of the sixday war, with a joint arab decision to deter any countries from supporting israel militarily.
This was meant to punish the western states that had supplies weapons and aid to israel the arab oil embargo of 197374. Black gold the end of bretton woods and the oilprice shocks of the 1970s pdf. The 1970s energy crisis occurred when the western world, particularly the united states, canada, western europe, australia, and new zealand, faced substantial petroleum shortages, real and perceived, as well as elevated prices. The embargo was a response to american involvement in the 1973 yom kippur war. By putting an end to decades of cheap energy, the 197374 oil crisis, which was led by arab members of the organization of petroleum exporting countries opec, exacerbated the economic difficulties facing many industrialized nations, forced developing countries to finance their energy imports. The embargo was expanded in 1940 to include oil, iron and steel scrap, and other commodities. Between 1960 and 1971 international oil prices, posted by the oil companies, were held. Parallels the embargo led to long gas lines and shaped u. There were a series of energy crises between 1967 and 1979 caused by problems in the middle east but the most significant started in 1973 when arab oil producers imposed an embargo. On march 18, 1974, the so called arab oil embargo came to an end, but any celebrations were certainly premature digging deeper. Oil embargo definition and meaning collins english. Worldwide growth suffered a severe blow during this first oil price shock.
The 1973 oil crisis and after draw up the as is agreement regulating world markets outside the united states and the soviet union. The accepted wisdom the dominant view of scholars and professionals is to consider the 1967 arab oil episode ineffective, costly, and thus unsuccessful. The arab oil embargo and united states pressure against chile. Egypt, syria, and israel declared a truce on october 25, 1973.