1. The Presidency ofRichard Nixon1968-1973 Essential Question: Do the negative effects of the Watergatescandal truly deserve to overshadow thepositive foreign policy accomplishmentsof Richard Nixon?

2. Nixon was the first candidate to appreciate theThe Republican Resurgencenew importance of the Sunbelt:military bases, high-tech industries,In 1968, Republicans benefitedfrom the Vietnam disaster &division in the Democratic party:Richard Nixon (R) ran as theNixon claimed to represent the silent majorityretirement who worked, communities, paid taxes, anti-& did segregationistsnot protestmade the South more conservative than beforeone candidate who could restoreorder in AmericaHumphrey (D) was plagued byanti-war protestersGeorge Wallace (3rd) attackedblacks & liberals 3. The End of an EraThe presidential election of 1968ended 30 years of:Liberal reformAmericansbegan to favor conservativepolitical leadersActivist foreign policyVietnamproved that Containment failedto be applied to global scaleA silent majority seemed fed upwith protest, violence, long hair,drug use, & sexual promiscuity 4. Foreign PolicyNixon Nixon proved hoped for to be a relaxingan effectiveforeign-of Cold policy War president:tensionsMost foreign policy decisionswere made by Nixon & NationalSecurity Advisor Henry KissingerDeveloped a plan for dtente: An honorable exit from Vietnam PEACE WITH HONOR Using U.S. trade to induce cooperationfrom the USSR Improved relations with China 5. Nixon on Vietnam Nixons 1968 Campaign promised anend to the war: Peace with Honor Appealed to the greatSilent Majority Vietnamization- turning war overto the Vietnamese Expansion of theconflict The Secret War Cambodia Laos Agent Orange(chemical defoliant) 6. Ending the Vietnam WarIn 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Actrequiring Congress approval to send U.S.forces into combat for more than 90 days &must inform Congress within 48 hours as toThese bombings were conducted without Nixons plan for an honorable peacethe consent or approval of Congresswas Vietnamization:Gradual withdraw of U.S. troopsHanding over the fighting to SouthVietnamese troopsthe reasons for military interventionProtests at Kent State & Jackson Stateresulted in bloody confrontationsbetween students & National Guard Privately, Nixon hoped for a knockoutblow & ordered U.S. troops intoCambodia & LaosSECRET WAR The effect was the largest series ofprotests in American history 7. FALL OF SAIGONIn January 1973 cease fireagreement was reachedBy March 1973, U.S. troopswere withdrawnBy 1975, the South Vietnamesecapital of Saigon fell & S.Vietnam fell to Communism.Vietnam proved Containmentcould not be sustained 8. The Fall of SaigonSouth VietnameseAttempt to Flee the Country 9. America Abandons Its Embassy 10. A United COMMUNIST VietnamFormerly Saigon 11. Vietnam: The Costs1. 3 Million Vietnamese killed2. 58,000 Americans killed;300,000 wounded3. Under-funding of Great Societyprograms4. $150 Billion in U.S. spending5. U.S. morale, self-confidence,trust of government, decimated 12. The Impact26th Amendment: 18-year-oldsvote Restricted media access tobattlefields. Nixon abolished the draftall-volunteer armyWAR POWERS ACT limitsexecutive power for WAR 13. The Vietnam Memorial, Washington, D.C. 14. In Search of DtenteIn Feb 1972, Nixon became 1stU.S. president to visit & recognizethe Peoples Republic of China:These improved Sino-Americanrelations helped eased Cold Wartensions & forced the USSR toconsider diplomacy with the U.S.Presented the U.S. with its 1steconomic access to China 15. In Search of DtenteNixon traveled to Moscow to meetwith NEW Soviet leader Brezhnev:The U.S. agreed to sell the USSR$1 billion worth of grainUSSR agreed to Strategic ArmsLimitation Talks (SALT), the 1stCold War nuclear arms treatyKissinger negotiated an end to theYom Kippur War in 1973 betweenIsrael & Egypt 16. Nixons Covert OperationsDespite Nixons public dtentewith the USSR & China, mostforeign policy was covert:CIA funded the leaders of brutalgovts in Iran, South Africa, thePhilippines, & NicaraguaCIA assassinated Chileanpresident Salvador Allende 17. Nixons Domestic PolicyNixon Replaced entered retiring office chief as justiceamoderate Earl Warren who with kept Warren LBJs BurgerGreatSociety Nominated in placeHarry Blackmun,But, Lewis Nixon Powell, shifted & William responsibilityRehnquistfor social problems to state &local governmentsNixon reshaped the SupremeCourt along conservative lineswhen 4 justices retired 18. Roe v. Wade (1973) Woman in TX (alias JaneRoe) attempted to obtainan abortion through legalmeans and was deniedbecause she had notbeen a victim ofrape/incest Sued claiming thisviolated her right toPRIVACY WON Abortion becameLEGAL in U.S. 19. WOODSTOCK-1969-*nuff said* 20. Nixons Domestic PolicyNixon oversaw the creation of:EPA (Environmental ProtectionAgency)Rachel Carson- Silent Spring Earth DayEndangered Species ActA failed plan to replace welfarebenefits with a minimum incomeEnded the gold standard in 1971 21. NixonomicsThe economy Democrats coined was a Nixonomicschallenge:Nixon to describe inherited Nixons inflation failed & plandeficitspending from the Vietnam WarNixons decrease in governmentspending & increase in interestrates led to the 1st Americanrecession since 1958In 1971, Nixon responded with a90-day freeze on wages & prices& imposed a 10% tax on importsThis Great Nixon Turnaroundended the recession 22. The 1972 election saw a shift in voting patterns:The Election of 1972Only blacks, Jews, & the poor votedIn 1972, Nixon ran for re-electionDemocrat Georgeoverwhelmingly Democratic while the GOPcontinued its dominance in the SunbeltMcGovern waslabeled an outsiderwho supported acid,abortion, & amnestyNixon won in the 4th largestmargin of victory in historyButthe Watergate scandalended the Nixon presidency 23. Watergate:A Crisis of Democracy 24. The Watergate Scandal1972, a break-in at Democraticcandidate George McGovernsheadquarters revealed a well-fundedplan of espionage &sabotage by the Committee toRe-Elect the President (CREEP)Wiretappings ordered by Nixonrevealed his involvement Pentagon Papers leaked revealedGovts planning of Vietnam in 60 25. The Watergate Complex 26. Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein of theWashington Post broke the Watergate storyTheir investigation revealed 27. Daniel Ellsbergs Pentagon Papers 28. The Watergate Scandal The Watergate scandal began tounravel in 1973:The discovery that Nixon recordedconversations proved mostdamningU.S. vs. Nixon: Obstruction SCOTUS of justiceorderedAbuse Nixon of to power turn over Contempt all tapes of Congressto aSenate investigative committeeThe House brought 3 articles ofimpeachment against president 29. Stonewalling 30. The Watergate Scandal 31. Effects of The Watergate ScandalImpact of the Watergate scandal:26 members of NixonsTeddy Roosevelt began the trend of a strongerpresident than Congress; a trend that continuedadministration were sent to jailthroughout the 20th century until Nixonchanged American perception ofthe govt & the role of the mediabecame that of a watchdogPower shifted from the presidentto Congress 32. The Ford AdministrationGerald Ford failed to restorepublic confidence after Watergate:Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimeshe may have committed saying thatthe US did not need to focus on thetrail of Nixon because it had morepressing issuesappointed George H.W Bush toreorganize the CIAVetoed 39 Great Society-style bills