Richard Nixon Vietnam to Resignation Foreign Policy Vietnam

Richard Nixon Vietnam to Resignation

Foreign Policy Vietnam n Feb 1972 > Nixon visits China - showed signs of the easing of tensions in the Cold War - 1 st President to visit a Communist country n

Foreign Policy Détente > a relaxation of tension between US and USSR n Nixon visits the Soviet Union in May 1972 n SALT Agreements n – Strategic Arms Limitations Act – Restricted the types and numbers of nuclear weapons that each country could deploy

Domestic policy July 1969 > Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon n Walking on the Moon n “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” n

The Warren Court n n n n Chief Justice Earl Warren Handed down several rulings protecting the rights of the accused Gideon vs. Wainwright (rights to a lawyer) Mapp vs. Ohio (illegal search and seizures) Miranda vs. Arizona (Miranda Rights) Very liberal court Nixon nominated four justices to make the Supreme Court more conservative (checks and balances) – Upheld previous decisions

Domestic Policy Nixon limits governments role in civil rights/desegragation n Economy n – Stagflation: stagnant economy – Inflation leads to less buying and rising unemployment – Nixon puts a hold on prices and wages (can’t rise) – Gets the FED to lower interest rates to encourage spending – Increases government spending

Election of 1972 Nixon vs. George Mc. Govern n Nixon won in a landslide n Watergate Scandal n – The republicans were worried about the election – Planted listening devices in the Democratic Party National Headquarters located in the Watergate Towers Apartment Building

Watergate 5 Men get caught and charged with the break-in n Nixon didn’t know of the break-in n After the election when Nixon found out he ordered a cover-up n

Watergate n n n n n During several meetings with key advisors and White House Staff, Nixon had conversations recorded Many of the meetings involved the Watergate Scandal At first Nixon denied, then refused to hand over recordings Nixon vs. US > Supreme Court ruled recorded conversations weren’t executive priviledge Nixon had to hand over tapes Smoking Gun Tape > Nixon wanted to go to CIA and FBI and ask them to stop the investigation into the scandal (COVER-UP) Congress was going to bring up impeachment charges but Nixon resigns Nixon claimed that he did nothing wrong Nixon's Resignation Speech