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Nixon and Vietnam. Henry Kissinger- Nixon’s National Security advisor Vietnamization: Gradual withdraw of U.S. troops = increased efforts of the South Vietnamese to fight the war. Continued to bomb N.Vietnam as well as Laos & Cambodia. Nixon & Foreign Policy.
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Nixon and Vietnam • Henry Kissinger- Nixon’s National Security advisor • Vietnamization: Gradual withdraw of U.S. troops = increased efforts of the South Vietnamese to fight the war. • Continued to bomb N.Vietnam as well as Laos & Cambodia
Nixon & Foreign Policy • New Federalism- Distribute a portion of Fed. power to state and local Gov. • Détente: easing Cold War tensions • Nixon opened foreign policy with China and Soviet Union by visiting them
Nixon’s Southern Strategy • Tried to appeal to Southern Democrats who were unhappy w/federal desegregation and liberal Supreme Court • Tried to slow down school deseg., voting rights and school busing • Shot down by Congress / Supreme Court
Nixon • “Silent Majority:” middle class Americans who wanted order restored in the U.S. • Wiretapping of Dem. party officials and Dem. party headquarters at the Watergate office building in D.C. • Tax audits of antiwar and civil rights activists.
Watergate: The President’s Men • H.R. Haldeman: Chief of Staff • John Ehrlichman: Chief Domestic Adv. • John Mitchell: Attorney General • John W. Dean III: Presidential Counsel
Watergate • Spying on the Democratic National Party • Cover-up in destroying all evidence of the break-in • Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post • Received little American interest.
Watergate • Senate investigation • Nixon dismissed his “inner circle” • John Dean testified that Nixon was “heavily involved in the cover-up” • Presidential aide Alexander Butterfield: Nixon taped all conversations • Tapes were key in revealing what Nixon actually knew
Watergate • Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned • Nixon appointed House Minority Leader Gerald Ford as the V.P. • House Judiciary Committee began looking into impeachment • Nixon agreed to release “edited tapes” • Court wanted unedited tapes = Nixon refused • Court had enough evidence for impeachment • Tapes finally released on Aug. 5, 1974 / resigned Aug. 8th
Gerald Ford • President Nixon resigned, then Vice President Spirow Agnew resigned. • Pardoned Nixon: cost him public support • Continued discussions with the Soviet Union • South Vietnam surrendered to the North in 1975 • Communist take-over of Cambodia
Jimmy Carter • Camp David Accords-Israel/Egypt • Carter calmed the tension between Egypt & Israel. Won Nobel Peace Prize. • Ayatollah Khomeini • Muslim leader in Iran that led rebels to overthrow the shah, & follow strict obedience of Qur’an- Islam’s holy book. • Iran Hostage Crisis • Proved that Carter didn’t have enough experience in dealing with foreign policy.
Ronald Reagan • FDR was Reagan’s idol • Reagan reduced welfare, fought affirmative action programs. • Big government was bad. • Military = good • Purpose of foreign policy = defeat communism • Slash taxes • $$ to freedom fighters in 3rd world countries fighting communism • 41% increase in defense spending • Pledged to build 17,000 new nukes
Reagan: Iran Contra • Spring 1985 • Israel give Iran American weapons in exchange for American hostages in Lebanon • U.S. would then resupply Israel • ***Trading weapons for hostages • NSC Staffer: Oliver North
Russian Relations • Mikhail Gorbachev: Soviet President • Wanted to greatly improve Soviet relations w/the rest of the world • Transform the economy • INF Treaty: Agreement that the U.S. and Soviets would destroy 4% of their nuclear arsenal • 1st time ever that a treaty of this magnitude has been put into place • Allowed monitoring of the destruction of the nukes • Not a Reagan victory but a gift by Gorbachev
Ronald Reagan • Reanganomics- strategy to give federal money to big business in hopes that it would trickle down to society. • Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars)- a strategy Reagan wanted to develop to keep Americans safe from enemy missiles. • Sandra Day O’Connor- first woman appointed into Supreme Court. • Mikhail Gorbachev- Gen. Secretary of Communist Party in S.U. • Glasnost- Openness • Perestrokia- gov. restructuring
George H. Bush • Bush built on Reagan’s legacy and promised “Read my lips: no new taxes” in his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention. • Saddam Hussein- Iraqi dictator • Norman Schwarzkopf- commander in chief during Desert Storms.
Slick Willy • Health Care Reform: Hillary Clinton • Reduced Federal deficit • Why? = booming economy • Reformed welfare • Impeached but served the rest of his term. • NAFTA • Internet • Contract w/America
“Rocky IV” Questions • How is Apollo symbolic of the U.S. after WWII? • Apollo’s death is a representation of what? • How is Drago’s training a representation of the advancement in Soviet technology? Rocky’s training is an example that in order for the U.S. to overcome the Soviet Union, what did we have to do? • How is the size/age of Rocky and size / age of Drago a representation of the U.S. and Soviet Union?