Lecture 19-Wading through Watergate

Richard Nixon

• son of Southern CA grocer

• worked his way through Duke Law School (NC)

• CA Senator

• 1953-1961: VP of Eisenhower

• 1960: lost presidency of JFK

• 1962: lost CA governorship

• 1968-74: pres

• Henry Kissinger—Harvard Prof

  • Nixon’s right-hand foreign policy man

Vietnamization

• Nixon: “I’m going to end that war. Fast”

  • Hawks hopeful

• Kissinger’s “Jugular Diplomacy”

  • intensified bombing of N Viet

• Nixon/Kissinger Strategy

  • built up S Viet military toward goal of fighting alone

  • reduced US troop presence: 1968-543,000; 1971-140,000

  • started peace negotiations with N Viet and Soviets

End of Vietnam

• 1973 Paris Peace Accords: US, S Viet, N Viet, and Soviets ended war

  • US troops departed

  • Nixon “Peace w honor”

  • many thought not (Hawks didnt think it would last)

• 1975—N Viet invaded S Viet

  • April—Captured Saigon; created United Communist Viet

  • remaining US personnel and S Viet supporters crowded onto planes to leave

  • some S Viet left behind to enemy

Soviet Scene

• Nixon visited Moscow tice, met w Soviet dictator Brezhnev

  • called this Détente— “relaxing of tensions”

  • discussed formal agreements to mutually limit # of nuclear weapons

  • SALT I—US and Soviets agreed to limit # of nuclear weapons they possessed

  • fear—were soviets keeping bargain

• cold war still far from over, success elusive (hard to achieve) until 80s

Trip to China (1972)

• US hadnt recognized China since 50s

  • Nixon initiated diplomatic relations

  • Kissinger met secretly w Chinese officials

• Nixons visit

  • made good impression on Mao and admin

  • toured extensively w first lady

  • US avidly watched TV coverage of visit

Watergate

• 3 of Nixon’s associates burgled Democrat Party HQ in Watergate Complex DC to repair bugging device

  • caught and arrested

  • Nixon and aides covered up incident, later leaked

• Nixons responses

  • told public he hadnt known about break-in beforehand

  • cited executive privilege and refused when Supreme court subpoenaed Oval office tape recordings

  • fired scandal’s fed investigator

  • finally turned in edited tapes

Nixon’s Registration

• Congress moved to impeach Nixon for

  • obstruction of justice

  • abuse of power

  • contempt of congress

  • Nixon knew he’d be impeached due to low popularity and court evidence

• resigned Aug 9 1974

  • defended his record as pres

  • said he’d made bad judgements in Watergate

  • most ppl of time glad he resigned

  • some today feel he did no more than other presidents and was treated too harshly

Gerald Ford

• handpicked by Nixon

  • Nixon’s VP impeached in 1973

  • congress okayed Nixon’s choice of Ford as new VP

  • Ford president after Nixon resigned

• Ford returned to normalcy

  • former US rep from MI

  • pardoned Nixon to avoid scandalous trial that would hurt citizens and US gov

  • presided over 200th anniversary of US (1976)

  • lost 1976 election