President Richard Nixon

VIII. 1970s & 80s A. President Nixon 1. Paranoid, had an enemies list a. FBI spied on ppl b. IRS (Internal Revenue Service) audited them c. illegal wiretaps

2. Foreign Policy a. China: Nixon traveled to Beijing & established a diplomatic relationship w/communist China b. Soviet Union: Nixon traveled to Moscow & signed the SALT I treaty which limited intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) & sub missiles

c. Middle East 1. Yom Kippur War a. Egypt & Syria attack Israel on high holy day b. Israel wins & takes territory from both countries

2. OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) a. established by Arab nations to regulate the price of oil b. 1973: OPEC cut supply of oil to US after US supported Israel in their war against Egypt & Syria c. Arab oil embargo lifted in 1974, but prices remained high throughout 1970s

d. Domestic Policy 1. stagflation: inflation & unemployment 2. economic problems caused by war on poverty, international trading competition & dependency on oil 3. New Federalism: tried to reduce the size of the federal govt & return power to state & local govts 4. lowered voting age to Nixon tried to control wages & prices

Although this was lifted by 1974, the US faced an oil shortage throughout the 1970s. Oil Embargo

This 1973 conflict involved Egypt, Syria and Israel Yom Kippur War

President Nixon was the first to visit this country and open up diplomatic relations since it became communist in 1949 China

Nixon implemented wage and price controls which provided temporary relief from this economic problem the US experienced in the 1970s Stagflation

This was reduced to 18 during Nixon's presidency Voting age

If you were President Nixon's enemy, you could expect a tax audit, illegal wiretaps and might be investigated by this government organization FBI

This agreement limited the number of missile defense systems (ICBMs) in the United States and Soviet Union SALT I

This organization controlled the world's supply of oil OPEC

B. Watergate 1. The Break in a. June 17, 1972: 5 burglars break into Democratic National Committee Headquarters in Watergate building (Wash DC) b. Burglars carried LOTS of cash & worked for Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP)

Election a. Southern strategy: Opposed to civil rights which attracted to white Southern Democrats (majority) to Republican party & alienated Af Ams (minority) b. Nov 1972: Nixon re-elected

Victory in 72’

3. Feb 1973: Senate committee investigates a. Jan 1973: Burglar James McCord told Judge Sirica that the burglars had been told to plead guilty & remain silent b. April 30, 1973: Nixon’s chief of staff, domestic advisor (Haldeman & Erlichman) & White House counsel (John Dean) resign; but Ams still think Nixon was involved in cover-up c. White House aid tells of taped conversations

Burglar James McCord, Judge John Sirica

Palace Guard (President’s advisors) Chief of Staff: H. R. (Bob) Haldeman (L) John Erlichman (domestic advisor) (R)

4. Saturday Night Massacre a. Special prosecutor asks for tapes b. Nixon orders Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire the special prosecutor, Richardson resigns instead c. Deputy Attorney General also resigns d. Robert Bork fires special prosecutor

Saturday Night Massacre

Random & Useless Aug 1972: Nixon tells Americans that White House was not involved in H20 gate & authorizes $420,000 in “hush $” to burglars Dec 1973: Nixon had paid only $500/yr in federal taxes since 1969 April 1974: the president released edited transcripts of tapes July 1974: US vs. Nixon: Supreme Court says Nixon MUST give up tapes Tape of June released Called the “smoking gun” tape (Nixon tells FBI not to investigate) Richard Nixon

5. Other Problems (under Watergate) a. Oct 1973: Vice Pres Spiro Agnew: accused of taking bribes & tax evasion, resigns  Nixon appoints Gerald Ford VP b. Impoundment of federal funds: Nixon “impounded” (refused to use) federal money set aside for programs he did not agree with

Spiro Agnew & Gerald Ford

6. Aug 6, 1974: Congress signs Bill of Impeachment a. Aug 9, 1974: Nixon resigns b. Gerald Ford becomes Pres, pardons Nixon c. 40 ppl stand trial, many go to jail d. H2O gate-  public cynicism about govt

Random & Useless John Dean: Served 4 mos in prison. An investment banker & author, he lives in Beverly Hills. John Erlichman: Served 18mos in prison. Today he lives in New Mexico. He is an author, business consultant & artist Bob Haldeman: Served 18 mos in prison. Died of cancer in He was a real estate developer in Santa Barbara G. Gordon Liddy: Spent 4 ½ yrs in prison. Today he is a hosts a conservative radio show in Maryland & as also written 3 novels & acted in movies & tv Where are they now?

Random & Useless James McCord: retired from the CIA & started his own security business in Maryland John Mitchell: Spent 19 mos in prison. Died in Nov 1988 at age 75. Nixon led his funeral procession. A decorated Navy veteran, he is buried in Arlington Natl Cemetery E. Howard Hunt: Served 33 mos in prison. Wrote spy novels and moved to Florida after filing bankruptcy in Judge John Sirica: Retired in 1986, died in 1992 at age 88. Sam Ervin: died in 1985, age 88. Wrote 3 books about Watergate

In 1972, this president approved of the break-in at the Democrats' election headquarters in hopes that they would find information that could help him get elected President Nixon

After Haldeman, Erlichman and this White House counsel resigned, most Americans still believed Nixon had taken part in a cover up in the Watergate case John Dean

This president believed he could afford to alienate African Americans on civil rights issues during the 1972 campaign because there were more white voters in the South Richard Nixon

This event occurred when Nixon ordered the Attorney General Elliott Richardson to fire the special prosecutor. He resigned instead, and so did the Deputy Attorney General Saturday Night Massacre

President Nixon ignored checks on presidential power when he did this with money Congress had voted for programs Impounded

He was the first American president not elected by the people Gerald Ford

Public cynicism about government has been the most lasting effect of this scandal Watergate

1. governor of Georgia won 1976 election against Gerald Ford 2. Foreign Policy a. Commitment to human rights b. Returned Panama Canal to Panama (not popular) c. Sept 1978: Camp David Accords 1. Is returns Sinai Penin (captured in Yom Kippur War) 2. Egypt recognizes Is right to exist & lets Is use Suez Canal B. Jimmy Carter

Camp David Accords

Hostage Crisis (444 days) Feb 1979: After Shah is overthrown, Ayatollah Khomeini established a Muslim govt. Oct 1979: Shah comes to US for medical treatment, Iranians want him back. Nov 4, 1979: Iranians take 52 Ams hostage. April 1980: US sends marines to rescue hostages; attempt fails (8 die)

Malaise speech "The solution of our energy crisis can also help us to conquer the crisis of the spirit in our country,“ President Carter "In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self- indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does but by what one owns.“ President Carter July 15, 1979

3. Election of 1980 a. Hostage crisis & bad economy b. Malaise speech c. Jan 20, 1981: Reagan inaugurated, hostages released (Reagan had nothing to do with it, Iranians were trying to embarrass Carter)

The Iranian hostage crisis, the agreement to give up the Panama Canal and this speech led to President Carter's defeat in 1980 Malaise

President Carter's foreign policy was committed to this Human rights

These meetings between Egypt and Israel created the first major Middle East peace agreement Camp David Accords