Nixon: Détente to Watergate APUSH
Détente Nixon and Kissinger believed in realpolitik Realpolitik Realpolitik basing politics and foreign policy on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations Nixon and Kissinger had more interested in power and international stability than relentless conflict
Détente Nixon realized that the Soviet Union and China could not be clumped into a communist bloc China had its own interests that were different form the U.S.S.R.’s interests Nixon believed that China was destined to become a major player on the world stage Nixon travels to China in February of 1972 and recognized China’s government* *F ULL DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WERE NOT ESTABLISHED UNTIL 1979, BUT THERE WAS A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN TRADE BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS AFTER N IXON ’ S VISIT
“Only Nixon could go to China.”
Détente Three months after visiting China, Nixon became the first American president to visit the Soviet Union Nixon believed improved relations with the Soviets might cause the Russians to influence the North Vietnamese to end the war on terms acceptable to the United States
Détente Nixon and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev negotiated in Moscow Agreements Increased trade Two arms control treaties Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) The two sides agreed to freeze their arsenals of intercontinental missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty Banned the development of systems designed to intercept incoming missiles Reagan would in essence violate the treaty with the Star Wars missile defense program G.W. Bush withdrew the U.S. from the treaty in 2001
Détente Nixon and Brezhnev declared a new era of “peaceful coexistence” Détente an easing of hostilities and strained relations between two countries
Watergate Nixon was reelected in a landslide victory over George McGovern in 1972
Watergate Nixon had difficulty with criticism and people of differing opinions Viewed every critic as a threat to national security Nixon developed an “enemies list” that contained journalists, politicians and celebrities
Watergate After the Pentagon Papers were printed in the New York Times, Nixon created an investigative unit known as the “plumbers” to gather information on Daniel Ellsberg, who had leaked the papers to the press. In June of 1972, five burglars break into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Complex in D.C. Burglars are caught by a security guard White House denies involvement in the burglary attempt Two members of the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP), who were former CIA and FBI orchestrated the break-in. Nixon paid off the burglars and ordered the CIA to stop the FBI from investigating the case THIS IS OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE
Watergate Washington Post reporters, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward investigate and discover that CREEP was involved in the burglary. It was discovered that Nixon had tape recordings of conversations in the Oval office The special prosecutor subpoenaed the tapes The House Judiciary Committee recommends the impeachment of Nixon Instead of facing impeachment, Nixon resigns
Watergate Shortly after Nixon’s resignation, Sen. Frank Church (D-ID) leads senate hearings into government abuses The Church Committee Discovered that every administration since the beginning of the Cold War had abused power and misled the citizens of the U.S. FBI spied on millions FBI attempted to disrupt the civil rights movement CIA had conducted covert operations to overthrow foreign governments and assassinate leaders
Legacy Watergate, the Pentagon Papers, Vietnam, and the Church Committee undermined America’s confidence in its government Despite being a conservative, Nixon’s action led to the downfall of New Deal/Great Society liberalism Liberals believed government can solve social problems and promote freedom How can the government promote freedom when its misconduct violated civil liberties? Americans need to be protected from government, not saved by it.