1 / 27

The Nixon Years

The Nixon Years. Vietnam – 1969 Operation Breakfast. Secret Bombing of Cambodia -target supply routes through Cambodia, lasts for 14months. Cambodia supposed to be neutral. Some bombing in Laos as well.

jereni
Download Presentation

The Nixon Years

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Nixon Years

  2. Vietnam – 1969 Operation Breakfast • Secret Bombing of Cambodia-target supply routes through Cambodia, lasts for 14months. • Cambodia supposed to be neutral. Some bombing in Laos as well. • Nixon announces “Vietnamization”-pull out U.S. troops, continue to support Vietnamese soldiers. “let them fight own war.” • Ho Chi Minh dies at age 79. • Public finds out about Mi Lai-Lt. Calley, commanding officer, already charged w/murder by Army. • Massive anti-war demonstration in D.C.

  3. Aug. 15-17, 1969 Woodstock • epitome of 60’s hippie culture.

  4. Dec. 6, 1969 - Altamont • Rolling Stones U.S. tour • Hell’s Angels as security • paid them in beer • 4 died: Angel’s beat one to death, 2 others trampled, 1 drowned. • seen as antithesis of Woodstock • “death of the 60s,” 2 concerts 110 days apart.

  5. Invasion of Cambodia, 1970 • withdraw in June • achieved none of the goals. • 1970: beginning of 5 years of civil war in Cambodia. • Congress Withdraws the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution • Vietnam at home: • 26th amendment: 18 year olds get the vote • Draft-ends college deferments.

  6. Kent State • May 4, 1970 -students protest Cambodian invasion • National Guard called in, protestors start throwing rocks, bottles at guard, who opened fire • four killed, more wounded. No one punished.

  7. Jackson State • May 14-15, 1970 • students protesting war, racism, and Kent state shooting • National guard and police opened fire • 2 dead, 12 injured. • 406 rounds struck one dorm

  8. Nixon’s Foreign Policy • Secretary of State Henry Kissinger • 1971-Intervention in Laos, South loses, televised. • 1972-U.S. opens diplomatic relations with China. Nixon visits Feb-March. • 1972-Easter Offensive • U.S. launches a massive bombing campaign • Vietcong offensive stalls by June.

  9. Nixon’s Foreign Policy • May 1972-Nixon travels to Moscow, signs SALT I with Leonid Brezhnev • Froze ICBM deployment, limit of 200 ABM, 2 ABM systems, over a five years period. Didn’t address MIRV’s-Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles. • Détente: thawing of foreign relations • USSR bought $750 mil worth of grain over the next three yrs • exchange of athletes, artists, dancers, etc… (will lead to some defections, especially in the 80s)

  10. Vietnam Peace Negotiations • Oct 1972-“Peace is at Hand” • Re-election in November 1972 • South Vietnamese President Thieu rejects deal • Christmas bombings of Hanoi: eleven days-2000 civilians dead, hospital, large parts of the city, leveled • Massive public reaction • U.S. gives Thieu an ultimatum • Peace settlement-Jan. 23, 1973-“Peace with honor” LBJ died the day before • 1973-War Powers Act: 60day limit on presidential commitment of troops to foreign campaigns, unless Congress voted approval • Fighting resumes b/t united Viet Minh/Viet Cong forces and S. Vietnamese army (Pres. Thieu resumes war) • Communist forces take Mekong Delta

  11. Vietnam • According to the United States Army, it killed 1 million Vietnamese directly in combat. That does not count the effects of bombing. • According to the Finnish Inquiry Commission, the United States' war also killed 600,000 in Cambodia. • Took $150 billion, 58,000 U.S. lives • Returning Vets neglected or worse. Post traumatic Stress disorder

  12. Disintegrating Counterculture • 1969-Black Panthers Fred Hampton and Mark Clark die in a Chicago police raid. The Weathermen form. • 1970-Weather Underground go into hiding • June: New York City police headquarters bombed. • July: 13 Weathermen indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to engage in acts of terrorism. A New York bank is bombed in retaliation. • Key members surrender to police in ’77 &’80, official end in ’81 • COINTELPRO evidence surfaces starting March 8, 1971

  13. Economic Effect of Vietnam • Inflation, stagflation • U.S. Oil dependence: fueling automobiles and homes in a country increasingly dominated by suburbs, became an economic and political tool for Third World nations to begin fighting for their concerns. • OPEC-Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries begins using its leverage. • Following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, (Syria and Egypt w/Soviet backing, against Israel, w/ U.S. backing.) Arab members of OPEC announced they would no longer ship petroleum to nations supporting Israel (United States and Western Europe) (1967-6 days war b/t Israel and Egypt-Israel victorious, PLO forms in response) • At the same time, other OPEC nations agreed to raise their prices 400 percent.

  14. The 1973 World Oil Shock • Oil Embargo: Oct 1973-March 1974 • Gas rationing, lines • Public and private facilities closed down to save on heating oil, factories cut production and laid off workers

  15. Nixon’s Domestic Policy • New Federalism, Federal Liberalism • continue liberal ideology, welfare, govt responsibility, but put $ and decision-making into state and local hands. • Family Assistance Plan-first tinkering w/ welfare. • Democratic Congress • Environmental Legislation • OSHA-Occupational Safety and Health Administration • EPA-Environmental Protection Agency • Clean Air Act • Clean Water Act • Pesticide Control Act

  16. Watergate • Nixon’s Personality • CREEP • Woodward & Bernstein • Deep Throat (Mark Felt) • The Tapes • Aug, 8, 1974-Nixon Resigns • Shatters the Public’s trust in Govt

  17. Gerald Ford becomes President • A “nice guy but played too much football w/o a helmet”-LBJ • Never elected as VP or Pres. (Agnew resigns in 1973) • Pardons Nixon-good for country, bad for Ford’s popularity • Betty Ford-outspoken, issues of alcoholism, says she supports abortion rights. • Two different women try to kill him on two different occasions • Clumsy-tripped &/or fell down numerous times, kept hitting head on Air force One, fell out of a boat while fishing, attacked by a rabbit.

  18. During Ford’s term, Saigon falls to Viet Minh, country reunited under Northern leadership. Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi capital (N). Last Americans evacuated from Saigon embassy via helicopters. • Begin waves of “boat people,” many were pro-U.S. or deemed enemies of the state in one way or another.

  19. April 1974-Cambodia falls to Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot • Capital, Phnom Penh emptied, conservative est. 1.4 million out of 7-8 mil died. • 1978/79-Vietnam invades Cambodia, seeking to overthrow Khmer Rouge regime. • U.S. supports Khmer Rouge. • 1985-Vietnamese forces defeat Khmer Rouge rebels in battles spilling over into Thailand. • 1989-last Vietnamese troops leave Cambodia. UN aid. • 1993-UN sponsored election-coalition govt

  20. U.S. Economic Slide • Eco. problems continue, meanwhile Japan is booming • shift from industry to service and technology jobs • urban business flight, resulting in ghettos, high urban unemployment • prices go up, pay doesn’t, layoffs, factory closings,

More Related