Nixon and the Cold War

1. Nixon and the Cold War Chapter 25, Section 5

2. Changes in Foreign Policy • Nixon and Kissinger (his most trusted advisor) believed in the idea of realpolitik. • This focused on concrete national goals as opposed to political ideologies. • Clearly define the goals and the U.S. would not be involved in affairs which it shouldn’t be. • Nixon also began U.S. recognition of communist China, specifically to further trade agreements. • It would also benefit the U.S. in driving a wedge between China and the Soviet Union and • Possibly influence the North Vietnamese to accept peace. • The U.S. formally recognized China in 1979.

3. Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) • After Nixon journeyed to China, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev began to fear Russian isolation. So he too invited Nixon to visit. • In 1972, Brezhnev and Nixon signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I). • It froze the deployment of ICBMs; • Placed limits on ABMs • It did not end the arms race, but it was a step in the right direction. • This went along with Nixon’s policy of détente– reducing Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

4. Nixon and the Watergate Scandal Chapter 27, Section 1

5. Nixon Targets Middle America • During his campaign, Nixon sought to be the spokesman for the ‘silent majority’ that was Middle America. • Nixon proposed the idea of a ‘New Federalism’, backing off the influence of the federal government in everyday affairs, and returning some power to the states. • He hoped to do this through revenue sharing: federal government shared revenue with the states to fund social programs. • These ideas benefitted Middle America– the key Republican demographic.

6. Nixon and the Economy • After many years of strong growth and low inflation, the economy experienced both a recession and high inflation at the same time. • Though it began under Johnson, stagflation (the term coined) grew more troublesome under Nixon. • Causes included: expanding federal budget (due to Vietnam); rising foreign competition; increase in the price of oil. • Oil prices rose due to OPEC’s embargo on Israel and their Allies.

7. Nixon’s Southern Strategy • Because Nixon had narrowly won the presidency in 1968, he hoped to increase his support for his 1972 bid. • To do this, he targeted blue-collar workers and southern whites, individuals who had traditionally voted Democratic. • This became known as Nixon’s Southern Strategy. It centered around being seen as a moderate. • So, on civil rights issues, such as busing, Nixon sided with those he was trying to win the support of.

9. The Watergate Scandal • A break-in at the Democratic National Convention at the Watergate hotel gained national attention. • Nixon denied wrongdoing, but from an informant known as ‘Deep Throat’ doomed Nixon. • Although Nixon’s top aides resigned in November, 1973, Nixon still claimed that “I am not a crook.” • With the discovery of secret Oval Office tapes, Nixon was forced to turn them over, possibly implicating himself in Watergate. • Though portions of the tapes were erased, they did implicate Nixon. The House impeached him, and Nixon soon resigned.

10. The Ford and Carter Years Chapter 27, Section 2

11. Ford’s WIN program • Gerald Ford had become Nixon’s vice president when he was chosen to fulfill the spot vacated by Spiro Agnew. • The American people viewed Ford as honest, but soon grew to distrust him when he pardoned Nixon– officially forgiving him of any crimes he committed. • The economy continued to plague Ford, as it had Nixon. • Ford implemented a policy known as WIN (Whip Inflation Now). It encouraged personal saving and disciplined spending. • Because it was a voluntary program, however, it was not successful in helping the economy. (Sound familiar?)

12. Carter Becomes President • In 1976, a Washington “outsider” made a bid for the office. His name was Jimmy Carter, governor of Georgia. • He narrowly defeated Gerald Ford, but because many people distrusted professional politicians, it was enough to get him elected. • The support of the Christian fundamentalists helped propel Carter to the presidency. • They believed in a strict, literal interpretation of the Bible. • They had become a larger, more united voting bloc in the 1970s.

13. Challenges for Carter • Carter was soon criticized for granting amnesty (political pardon) to those who had evaded the Vietnam War draft. • Carter also faced an energy crisis and severe inflation. • Between 1973 and 1979, the price of gas rose from 40 cents to $1.20. • This stemmed from the OPEC embargo on Israel and its allies. • The growing export of Japanese cars to the United States also harmed the one-solid US automobile industry.

14. Changes to Society • Throughout the 1970s, US society underwent many cultural and social changes. • The demographics of the population changed: more people moved to the South and there was an increase in immigrants from Latin America and SE Asia; • The divorce rate increased; • Out of wedlock births increased; • Traditional values were reaffirmed and expanded with a rise in televangelists.

15. Foreign Policy Troubles Chapter 27, Section 3

16. Ford Continues Nixon’s Détente • Ford continued meeting with the Soviet Union’s Leonid Brezhnev to continue the détente policy begun under Nixon. • The two leaders worked together to endorse the Helsinki Accords, which promoted human rights within Europe, and around the world. • Ford also worked to sign the SALT II agreement, further limiting the nuclear arms production between the two countries.

17. Carter’s Approach • Carter took a step further away from Cold War tensions by focusing the goal of Soviet relations from fighting communism to promoting human rights. • Instead of continuing détente, he imposed sanctions, or penalties on the Soviets. • This included the US boycott of the 1980 summer Olympics in Moscow. • Carter’s other foreign policy endeavors included: • Expanding human rights in developing nations; • Improved relations with Cuba; • Began the process of returning the Panama Canal Zone to Panama.

18. Carter Brokers Peace • Carter also turned his attention to the Middle East. • Ever since Israel was founded in 1948, tensions between Egypt and Israel had been high. • The two countries met to broker a peace in Jerusalem in 1977, and to continue the peace negotiations, Carter invited both leaders to Camp David. • In two weeks of negotiations, the three leaders came to agree on the Camp David Accords– Egypt would formally recognize Israel, and Israel would withdraw troops from the Sinai Peninsula.

19. The Iran Hostage Crisis • With peace between Israel ad Egypt, Carter hoped it would spread to the rest of the Middle East. • However, Carter would soon face his biggest crisis in office. • When the CIA had overthrown the Iranian government in the 1950s and installed a pro-American Shah, many Iranians were angered. • Opposition grew, and when the Shah fled to seek cancer treatment, rebels led by Ayatollah Khomeini seized power. • Angered over the US’ acceptance of the Shah, Iranian radical students took control of the embassy and took the workers hostage, some for over a year. This was the Iran Hostage Crisis. • The 52 hostages were held for a total of 444 days, and the crisis doomed Carter’s presidency.