The Times They Are A’ Changing’ Part II Richard Nixon to Watergate 1968-1974
Nixon's Rise to Power (1968)
Nixon's election was heavily influenced by the social and political turmoil of the Johnson years, especially 1968.
He capitalized on public dissatisfaction with:
The counterculture and perceived moral decay.
Political assassinations.
Drug use.
The Vietnam War and the perceived ineffectiveness of the military.
Nixon ran as a "hawk" on Vietnam, promising "peace with honor."
He also emphasized:
A return to law and order.
Appealing to conservative Southern Democrats (Dixiecrats).
The election marked a turning point: Americans associated Democrats with Vietnam, protests, and violence.
Nixon's victory signaled a Conservative Resurgence, a rejection of New Deal liberalism.
Nixon's Foreign Policy
Nixon, a Cold Warrior, aimed to reduce tensions through strength and diplomacy.
He appointed Henry Kissinger as National Security Advisor to implement his foreign policy.
Key goals included direct engagement with the Soviets, Chinese, and North Vietnamese.
Nixon's approach was characterized by pragmatism and a focus on national interests.
Vietnamization
Nixon inherited a war with over 500,000 US troops in Vietnam.
His challenge was to withdraw troops while avoiding the appearance of defeat, seeking "peace through honor."
Vietnamization: A program to gradually withdraw US forces and transfer the burden of fighting to the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN).
The US provided ARVN with funding, weapons, and training but reduced direct combat involvement.
Nixon Doctrine: US allies in Asia would receive support but not direct US ground forces.
Troop withdrawals were slow, but by 1972, US troop commitment decreased dramatically.
All U.S. forces would be gone by 1973
Opposition and Expansion of the War
Troop withdrawals initially reduced antiwar opposition.
Nixon aimed to win the war and authorized covert attacks on Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) supply routes in neutral Laos and Cambodia in April 1970.
US troops were frustrated by their inability to pursue the enemy into Cambodia, where they could regroup and resupply.
Nixon violated the Tonkin Agreement by secretly expanding the war into Cambodia.
When the invasion was announced, college campuses erupted in protest.
Kent State University (May 4, 1970): National Guard troops killed four antiwar protestors.
Jackson State University: Two protestors were killed by National Guard troops.
My Lai Massacre and Pentagon Papers
My Lai Massacre (1968): US soldiers killed unarmed Vietnamese civilians, sparking outrage in the US.
The New York Times published the Pentagon Papers in 1971 which outlined the CIA’s secret history of American involvement in Indochina from 1945-1967.
The Pentagon Papers revealed:
The Kennedy administration's involvement in the assassination of President Diem.
The Johnson administration's deception regarding the war.
As a result, Congress repealed the Tonkin Resolution, limiting the president's power in Vietnam.
Paris Peace Accords (1973)
Nixon and Kissinger engaged in secret negotiations with North Vietnamese foreign minister Le Duc Tho.
Kissinger prematurely announced "peace is at hand."
After Tho refused to negotiate the removal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam, Nixon ordered intensive bombing, known as "Linebacker II" or the "Christmas Bombings."
The Paris Accords of 1973 ended US involvement:
The US agreed to remove all troops from South Vietnam and have 500 prisoners of war (POWs) returned to US custody.
North Vietnam promised free elections in South Vietnam but was allowed to keep troops in the South.
The war continued for the South Vietnamese.
The US war cost was upwards of Billion dollars and American lives.
In 1975, North Vietnam launched a successful offensive, toppling the South Vietnamese government.
Relations with the Soviet Union (USSR)
Leonid Brezhnev was the Soviet premier during Nixon’s administration.
The Soviets sought a hard-liner after Khrushchev was perceived as weak during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Relations with China (PRC)
Mao Zedong led the Chinese Communist Party and supported North Vietnam.
Mao's primary animosity was towards the Soviets, creating an opportunity for Nixon.
Nixon believed that only a strong critic of communism could establish détente with China, whose existence the US had refused to formally recognize since their formation in 1947.
Nixon shocked the world by visiting Beijing and meeting Mao in 1972, leading to US recognition of the PRC in 1979.
SALT I
Nixon used Soviet fears of US-China relations to pressure them into arms talks.
The US and USSR were concerned about the development of antiballistic missiles (ABMs).
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks arheads(SALT I): Both countries agreed to freeze the number of ballistic missiles carrying nuclear w.
Conservative Resurgence
Nixon laid the groundwork for the Conservative Resurgence by appealing to the "Silent Majority" (Americans who were tired of antiwar protests, African American militancy and the excesses of the counterculture).
Nixon realized that many Americans, whom he labeled the “Silent Majority,” were tiring of antiwar protests, African American militancy, and the excesses of the counterculture; many of these people were moderate Democrats who disagreed with the liberal drift of their party.
New Federalism
The centerpiece of Nixon’s domestic agenda was the New Federalism.
This shifted responsibility for social programs from the federal government back to the states.
Congress agreed to award billion in block grants to the states with less federal oversight.
Stagflation
Stagflation characterized the Nixon years, with a stagnant economy and rising inflation.
Nixon's attempts to cut federal spending led to recession and unemployment.
He resorted to deficit spending, stating, "We’re all Keynesians now."
In 1971, he implemented a 90-day price and wage freeze, took the US off the gold standard, and raised tariffs.
These policies halted the recession and slowed inflation by 1972.
Stagflation occurs when American economic growth stalls or drops while inflation increases.
Social Initiatives
Nixon approved automatic increases in Social Security to reflect the rising cost of living in 1972.
Title IX: Ended sex discrimination in institutions receiving federal funding, most notably in athletics.
Burger Court
Nixon appointed Warren Burger as Chief Justice, expecting a conservative court.
Roe v. Wade (1973): The Court ruled that state laws prohibiting abortion violated a woman's right to privacy.
United States v. Nixon (1974): The Court ruled against Nixon's claim of executive privilege, forcing him to release evidence in the Watergate investigation.
Election of 1972
Nixon was in a strong position due to:
Vietnamization.
Détente with China and the USSR.
Easing of stagflation.
The Cambodian Invasion did not significantly harm his popularity.
He ran against George McGovern, a liberal antiwar senator.
George Wallace’s third party run posed a threat to Nixon so Wallace hoped to force the election into the House of Representatives.
Wallace was shot in 1972, removing the threat.
Nixon won an historic victory, leaving questions as to why he had anything to worry about.
War Powers Act (1973)
Prompted by the Cambodian invasion, Congress passed the War Powers Act over Nixon's veto.
The act limited the president's power over the military:
Required the president to report to Congress within 48 hours of ordering military action.
Military actions lasting over 60 days required Congressional approval.
Yom Kippur War and Oil Embargo
Egyptian and Syrian troops invaded Israel on Yom Kippur in 1973.
Nixon pledged full US support to Israel.
OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) imposed an oil embargo on supporters of Israel, including the US.
The embargo caused:
Oil shortages in the US.
Gasoline rationing and long lines at gas stations.
Rising gas prices.
A shift towards fuel-efficient Japanese cars, hurting the American auto industry; over 225,000 jobs lost by 1974.
The government lowered the speed limit to 55 mph to conserve gas.
Watergate
Nixon feared Edward Kennedy, leading him to order aides to investigate Democratic plans for 1972.
Five men were caught burglarizing the Democratic National Party headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in June 1972.
The burglars were:
Placing wiretaps and eavesdropping devices.
Rifling through files.
Linked to Haldeman and Erlichman, Nixon's top aides.
Connected to the CIA and Bay of Pigs veterans.
Investigation and Cover-Up
Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein led the investigation.
They uncovered illegal activities and "dirty tricks" funded by the Campaign to Re-Elect the President (CREEP).
CREEP money was used to buy the silence of the Watergate burglars.
White House advisor John Dean testified that Nixon was involved in the cover-up and obstruction of justice.
The Senate Investigating Committee demanded tapes from the Oval Office, but Nixon refused, citing “executive privilege”.
The Supreme Court, in United States vs Nixon, ruled against Nixon, so he had to hand over the tapes.
Nixon handed over transcripts, not tapes, and claimed, "I’m not a crook."
Impeachment and Resignation
The Supreme Court ordered Nixon to hand over all the tapes.
An 18 ½ minute gap on a tape from June 20, 1972, was discovered, indicating tampering with evidence.
The House of Representatives filed three articles of impeachment against Nixon in February 1974:
Obstruction of Justice.
Abuse of Power.
Contempt of Congress.
Senate Republicans, led by Barry Goldwater, informed Nixon he would not be supported.
Nixon resigned in August 1974, before being removed from office.
Aftermath
Woodward and Bernstein's source, "Deep Throat," was revealed to be FBI associate director Mark Felt.
Nixon ordered the CIA to halt the Watergate investigation, an obstruction of justice.
Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon, generating controversy.
Americans lost faith in government.
After Watergate, Americans needed a change, a hint of a fresh start so what they got was Jimmy Carter.