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American Foreign Policy Since 1972. Unit 11 chapters 23, 24 , 25, and 26 Gateway Chapter 16 Part 1. I. The Cold War in the 70s Nixon made approaches to the Soviet Union and China to pressure North Vietnam.
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American Foreign Policy Since 1972 Unit 11 chapters 23, 24, 25, and 26 Gateway Chapter 16 Part 1
I. The Cold War in the 70s • Nixon made approaches to the Soviet Union and China to pressure North Vietnam. • Nixon sought détente – an easing of tensions – with the Soviet Union and signed SALT to limit the arms race.
Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China to establish diplomatic relations. • Many see Nixon’s opening of relations with Communist China as his greatest accomplishment. • This opened trade and eased China’s entry to the U.N.
The CIA helped General Pinochet overthrew socialist Salvador Allende in Chile. • Pinochet then established a brutal dictatorship.
Watergate Scandal • former CIA agents broke into Democratic headquarters. • Nixon tried to cover up the burglary • He was forced by the Supreme Court to hand over his tapes of White House conversations. • These showed that Nixon had lied about the cover-up. • Nixon resigned from office rather than be impeached and removed from office.
II. The Ford Presidency (1974 – 1977) • Gerald Ford came to power when Vice President Spiro Agnew and the President Nixon resigned.
Ford pardoned Nixon, kept Dr. Henry Kissinger as Secretary of State, and continued détente. • Problems arose in the Middle East during the Arab-Israeli War • Arab OPEC members boycotted the U.S. and oil prices soared. • Fuel shortages and gas lines worried Americans about the limits of world oil reserves. • More Americans bought smaller Japanese and European cars.
Inflation and unemployment were high. • In 1975, South Vietnam fell to Communist North Vietnam. • Ford’s greatest success was with the Helsinki Accords which recognized European boundaries and pledged respect for human rights.
III. The Carter Presidency (1977 – 1981) • Jimmy Carter was elected as a Washington outsider, who pledged honest and moral policies.
Carter refused to back dictators just to stop Communism. • He wanted to bring morality back into foreign affairs. • Carter signed the Panama Canal Treaty promising to return the canal to Panama.
Carter helped negotiate the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel. • Egypt recognized Israel. • Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.
Relations with the Soviet Union deteriorated when it invaded Afghanistan. • Carter stopped grain sales to the USSR • Carter refused U.S. participation in the Moscow Olympics.
In 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Shah of Iran. • Established the Islamic Republic of Iran • When the Shah fled to the U.S., Iranian rebels took U.S. Embassy workers hostages. • The hostages were held for over a year. • Carter was unable to free them.