▁Carter ' s ▁president ial ▁ten ure ▁were ▁marked ▁by ▁several ▁major ▁cr ises , ▁including ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁oil ▁crisis , ▁the ▁Iran ▁host age ▁crisis , ▁and ▁the ▁subsequent ▁failed ▁Operation ▁E agle ▁Cla w . ▁These ▁cr ises ▁contributed ▁to ▁Carter ' s ▁lands lide ▁defeat ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁president ial ▁election . ▁ ▁Le ad ership ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁positions ▁of ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁and ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Def ense , ▁Carter ▁selected ▁C yrus ▁V ance ▁and ▁Harold ▁Brown , ▁both ▁of ▁whom ▁had ▁been ▁high - ran king ▁officials ▁in ▁the ▁Kennedy ▁and ▁Johnson ▁administr ations . ▁National ▁Security ▁Ad vis er ▁Z b ign iew ▁Br ze zin ski ▁emer ged ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁Carter ' s ▁closest ▁advis ers , ▁and ▁Carter ▁made ▁use ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁National ▁Security ▁Council ▁and ▁V ance ' s ▁State ▁Department ▁in ▁developing ▁and ▁implementing ▁foreign ▁policy . ▁Vice ▁President ▁Walter ▁Mond ale ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁key ▁advis er ▁on ▁foreign ▁policy ▁issues . ▁ ▁V ance ▁pushed ▁for ▁det ente ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁and ▁cl ashed ▁frequently ▁with ▁the ▁ha w k ish ▁Br ze zin ski . ▁V ance ▁tried ▁to ▁advance ▁arms ▁limitations ▁by ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁S AL T ▁II ▁agreement ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁which ▁he ▁saw ▁as ▁the ▁central ▁diplom atic ▁issue ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁but ▁Br ze zin ski ▁lo bb ied ▁for ▁a ▁t ough er ▁more ▁assert ive ▁policy