Nixon and the End of the War

1. Nixon and the End of the War

2. The Election of 1968 • LBJ announces he will not seek reelection for president • Democratic candidates • Hubert Humphrey • Eugene McCarthy • Robert Kennedy

3. Election of 1968 • What happened to Robert Kennedy? • Shot & killed by SirhanSirhan • Who wins the nomination? • Hubert Humphrey

5. Election of 1968 • Republican Candidate: Richard Nixon • Independent Candidate: George C. Wallace; The “great governor from the state of Alabama”

6. Election of 1968 • Who wins the election? • Richard Nixon • Won easily in electoral vote • Popular vote was very close

9. Silent Majority • “Middle America” who disapproved of the anti-war protestors and supported the Vietnam War • This group would become what was known as the “New Right” who would be largely responsible for the conservative movement in the 1980s

10. “Peace with Honor” • Pledged to pull troops out of war • 1969: 540,000 troops • 1972: 24,000 troops • Vietnamization: Turning over more of the fighting in Vietnam to the South Vietnamese while gradually bringing troops home

12. Laos and Cambodia • Nixon secretly ordered bombing campaigns and sent troops into both of these countries in 1969 and 1970 “I want the North Vietnamese to believe that I’ve reached the point where I might do anything to stop the war”

14. Kent State Shootings – May 4, 1970

15. 4 killed, 9 injured

18. Credibility Gap Widens • America learns of My Lai Massacre in 1969 • 1971 the Pentagon Papers were leaked to the New York Times • Secret government documents about the war which proved government was misleading Americans about the war

21. 1972 Election • Despite anti-war protestors, Nixon able to beat… • George McGovern • Received almost 18 million more popular votes than McGovern—the widest margin of any U.S. presidential election

23. Watergate Scandal • Jun 17, 1972 Five men broke into offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel Office Complex in D.C. • Installing or repairing advanced eavesdropping equipment and had cameras taking photographs of contents of filing cabinets

25. Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP) • Pulled off many “Dirty Tricks” for Nixon while in office • Wire-Tap Devices in the Oval Office recorded every conversation • Ever since the Pentagon Papers were leaked, Nixon put into place the Plumbers to plug these leaks

28. The Washington Post • Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein were the investigative reporters in charge of investigating Watergate • Deep Throat (Mark Felt) • Secret informant who provided the journalists with info. that Nixon was directly involved • Why was Nixon involved???

30. Nixon’s last days Three articles of impeachment (what is it?) • Obstructing the Watergate investigation • Misuse of power and violating his oath of office • Failure to comply with House subpoenas

31. Impeachment Process • House impeaches (charges with a formal accusation) • Senate decides guilt or innocence

33. “Always give your best, never get discouraged, never get petty; always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.” -Richard Nixon August 8, 1974

35. The War Ends • 1973: Paris Peace Accords • Removal of all U.S. troops and military advisers but allowed North to remain in place

36. Both sides agreed to return P.O.W.s including over 600 Americans • North and South would remain split and this meant that U.S. could withdraw keeping its promiseof not allowing Communism to spread – aka the Domino Theory

38. South Vietnam Falls • 1975 North Vietnam launched New offensive in the South • Achieved victory in just 5 months • May 1, 1975, Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City • Last workers at embassy are pulled out in 1975

41. Vietnam by the Numbers • 185,000 South Vietnamese soldiers and 450,000 civilians died • 58,000 Americans dead, 300,000 wounded, and 2,500 missing • Over 1,000,000 NVA and Vietcong were dead • 1,500,000 refugees fled after Saigon was captured

42. Effects on Veterans • Large number paralyzed & disabled returned home because of advanced medical conditions • Lieutenant Dan from Forest Gump • Veterans were targets of anger or shame, verbal abuse, and even of people spitting on them • Also, they suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

43. Political Impact • More than $150 Billion spent on the Vietnam War • Wars Powers Act 1973: Sets a 60-day limit on the presidential commitment of U.S. troops to foreign conflicts without specific Congressional authorization or declaration of war • Distrust of Government

47. Other Foreign Policies • Realpolitik • Base foreign policies on national interest

48. Detente • Ease tensions with Cold War enemies • SALT I: agreement to slow the building of offensive weapons “Just easin’ the tensions baby. Just easin’ the tensions”

49. Ping Pong Diplomacy