The Beginning of the End

 Richard Nixon wants to get rid of nightmares  Begins to pull troops out of Vietnam in 1969, but STILL fights war  Vietnamization  Gradual withdrawal in order for the S. Viet to take a more active role in the war

 By 1972 there were only 25,000 troops left  Nixon called this “peace with honor”

Massacre shocks nation  NY Times report on My Lai Massacre  Shot more than 200 civs  Troops claim they were only following Lt. Calley’s orders  “Kill anything that breathed”

 Home front was calming down however in 1970, even after My Lai, but not protest free  1.5 million students went on strike  Kent State saw burning of ROTC building  May 4, National Guard opened fire, killing four

More lies…  Pentagon Papers  Plans for entering war, even as LBJ promised not to  Supported anti-war sentiments and a distrust of govt-although Nixon won’t feel sting  War Powers Act  Limits war making ability of President

Nixon Policies-Good President or Bad?  Positives  Aids Medicare/Medicaid and Family Assistance Plan  Peaceful Foreign policy of détente and China/USSR trips  SALT

 Negatives  Stagflation- unemployment AND price rise  Civil Rights  Slowed integration for votes

 Watergate  Ordered “plumbers” to break into the Democratic National Committee and “bug” their phone lines  They get caught  After the election it is discovered that they were paid by Nixon

 Nixon denies involvement  Nixon fires many employees involved  Nixon withholds tapes and information from the Senate investigating committee  Finally hands over edited copies

 Nixon resigns  V.P. Gerald Ford becomes President  First act  Pardons Richard Nixon of all crimes  Public outraged; destroyed any chance of being elected

 Jackson State sees 2 shot  Many supported the National Guard  “Got what they were asking for”