Nixon’s Plan • “Peace with Honor” – wanted to pull U.S. out of

war without conceding defeat or allowing South Vietnam to fall

Vietnamization- Gradually remove US troops and replace them with SV troops. Increase bombing too!• Fewer soldiers, but increased attacks • Led to more protests, more problems– My Lai Massacre – US troops kill over 200 women

and children, shocks Americans

My Lai Massacre

Bombing Cambodia- Cambodia had been neutral,

but Communists used the land to access SV

- Huge public outcry, increased protests

- Kent State, Jackson State shootings

Kent State

End of War

• Talks broke off around December 16th and Nixon began “Christmas bombing”-Planes dropped more than 100,000 bombs for 11 days, only pause was Christmas Day

• January 1973 Kissinger negotiates, US signs an agreement

• March 1973 last troops come home• War continued between the North and South

with the U.S. only sending economic aid– Our part in the fighting is over. 58,000 dead

Evacuating the US embassy during the fall of Saigon

End of the War?• March of 1975 North ordered large scale war against the

South; • April 30, 1975 Saigon fell and South surrendered to the

North-Many South Vietnamese killed-Many sent to “reeducation” camps-Many discriminated against, even today

• Led to war in Cambodia – brutal civil war Communist group known as Khmer Rouge in 1975; believed to have killed 2 million Cambodians-Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge

Lessons Learned• Living Room War – 1st war played out on TV• Credibility gap between Govt version of war

and what was really happening • Govt continued to tell Americans war would

be won, fighting going well-but TV and news media showed another side

• Fueled protests• TV changes the way we view war – US will

know this in future conflicts

Major Policy Changes

• U.S. ended the draft• November 1973 Congress passed the War

Powers Act • Americans more cautious toward foreign affairs

and more cynical toward government–makes us pause and consider risks before

deciding to intervene

FOREIGN POLICYRealpolitik – realistic politics

-Dealing with countries in a flexible and practical manner-Ignore weaker countries-Negotiate with others

Détente – Easing of Cold Wartensions

Foreign PolicyVisited Communist China February 1972Rift between Soviet Union and China – broke relations

in 1960-Agreed neither would dominate the Pacific -Both would cooperate in settling disputes-Exchange science and culture

FOREIGN POLICYVisited Soviet Union in May of 1972 –Leonid Brezhnev

-Free access to West Berlin; recognize East GermanySALT I - 5 year agreement to limit the number of

intercontinental ballistic missilesTrips and media coverage helped Nixon win a second

term in 1972

Middle East

• Oil embargo- high prices, low supply– Devastating effect on US economy– Causes multi-year pattern of ruinous inflation

Nixon’s Tricks

• Used wiretapping of left-wing individuals and organizations

• Compiled documents on American dissidents• Used IRS to examine tax returns of anti-war

and civil rights activists• Enemies List• VP Spiro Agnew toured country to attack the

opposition (He will later be forced to resign for illegal activities unrelated to Watergate)

Watergate

Criminal Actions of Watergate-Watergate Scandal named after Watergate Hotel where

Democrats had their headquarters for the 1972 election

-After election (Nixon won his second term), reports came out that Nixon’s aides had bugged the Democrats’ offices during the campaign, and that they had illegally collected and used campaign funds

Watergate • Cover-Up- uncovered by Bob Woodward and Carl

Bernstein of the Washington Post• Senate begins hearings (televised), discovers

existence of audio tapes Nixon refused to release tapes of conversations

regarding the charges Claimed “executive privilege” protected him Supreme Court rules he must turn over tapes – U.S. v. Nixon

– Support from his own party wanes

Watergate Resignation

-Knowing he would be impeached, Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974

-Gerald Ford became President the next day

Gerald Ford• Only Pres never elected.• Only a 2 year term- honest and hardworking but

tied to Nixon -Can do little about inflation and oil crisis -He destroys much of his support base by

pardoning Nixon

Jimmy CarterSymbolizes voter’s distrust of DC politics• Seen as an outsider; straight forward

personality and sense of morality• Peanut farmer, naval officer, nuclear

technician• “I will never tell a lie to the American people.”• Born-again Christian, pro-civil rightsDemocrats surge into power in Congress, but

Carter still struggles.

• Accident at 3 Mile Island 1979 – hampers pursuit of non-fossil fuel energy

• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7360952n

Hostage Crisis in Iran 1979

• 54 American embassy workers taken hostage by fundamental Muslims

• Carter unable to free them = doomed politically• Hostage crisis continues and Carter’s approval

plummets going into the election

Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel is a bright spot

Election of 1980

• Democrats stuck with Carter… hostage crisis continues throughout entire campaign-he looks helpless, nation appears weak

• Republicans run Ronald Reagan – he stresses to return nation to greatness

• Reagan is a natural campaigner (had been an actor and Gov of CA)…easily defeats Carter -In some ways, Carter’s career after being president is more notable.

Carter after presidency• Carter Center -addresses public policy issues, works to

resolve conflicts, promote democracy and protect human rights

• Habitat for Humanity• 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for “his decades of untiring

effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy, and human rights and to promote economic and social development.”

Iranian Hostage Crisis• Hostages held 444 days (1979-81)• After failed negotiations, US military attempts a

rescue and fails – 8 servicemen die• Peace agreement finally signed and hostages are

released the next day (…what day?)