The Presidency of Richard M. Nixon

(1969-1974)

Biographical Information:Party: RepublicanYears in Office: 1969-1974President Before: JohnsonPresident After: FordImportant Bio Information: Raised as a Quaker in S. California Whittier College & Duke Law School WWII Vet – Naval Air Transport Worked briefly for the WPA 1946-50 US House of Representatives

where he served on HUAC (Hiss) 1950-53 US Senate 1953-61 Vice President of the US 1962 Unsuccessful bid for Governor of

California 1964-68 Campaigns across the country

for GOP candidates hoping to resurrect his political career.

America: Coming Apart in 1968Tensions over Civil Rights: Court ordered bussing to achieve integration

– nation wide Black Power movement Black Panthers – Black Nationalism Race Riots across the nation 1968 assassination of MLKAnti-War Protests: Focus of protests: draft, US Foreign Policy,

free speech, civil rights Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)

radicals of which will become a domestic terrorist group called “The Weathermen Underground”

Challenges to Tradition: Rise of Feminism – Betty Friedan’s Feminine

Mystique, NOW & ERA Counter Culture: “Hippies”, sex, drugs, and

rock & roll Sexual Revolution*Tet Offensive in Vietnam

Election of 1968THE DEMOCRATS:After a poor showing in New Hampshire Primary to anti-war candidate, Sen. Eugene McCarthy, LBJ withdraws from the race. The party divides into 4 factions:1. Labor Unions & Big City Party Bosses that had

historically controlled the party and moderate southerners supported VP Hubert H. Humphrey

2. Anti-War activists, college students, intellectuals, and upper-middle-class whites who had been the early activists against the war in Vietnam supported Sen. Eugene McCarthy

3. Catholics, blacks and other minorities as well as several antiwar groups rallied behind Sen. Robert F. Kennedy

4. Many would rally behind the third-party campaign of Alabama Governor George Wallace as a "law and order" candidate.

*In June 5, 1968, RFK won the California Primary. After delivering his victory speech, he was assassinated.

*Humphrey will be the nominee.

The Democratic ConventionChicago 1968

• While the Democratic Party was split on Vietnam, the protestors in the street were more united in their opposition to the war with over 100 different anti-war groups protesting.

• Chicago mayor, Richard Daley, denied the protestors permits and aggressively used law enforcement to prevent a march on the convention hall.

• After a week of street “battles”, there were almost 600 arrests.

• All of which was captured on television.

The violence associated with the Democratic Convention became another symbol to many Americans of the growing lawlessness in the country.

The Election of 1968

Pledged to continue the “War on Poverty” and expand LBJ’s Great Society welfare programs After Labor Unions launched an internal campaign to win back members who were supporting Wallace, Labor became the base of the campaign For most of the campaign was cautious about being too outspoken about the Vietnam War

Developed the “Southern Strategy” of appealing to the racial concerns of white southerners Refused repeated requests for televised debates Made “Law & Order” a major theme of the campaign While calling himself a supporter of civil rights, Nixon opposed bussing to desegregate schools Opposed the decisions of the Warren Court Pledged to end the draft “Peace with Honor” in Vietnam

Election Results

Nixon’s Foreign PolicyVietnam: Objective – reduce US involvement

without the appearance of defeat (Peace with Honor)

Policy of “Vietnamization”, where American forces would draw down, while continuing to support the South Vietnamese

Nixon Doctrine – the US would continue support Asian allies without US “boots on the ground”

1970 Nixon orders the expansion of the war into Cambodia to deny the enemy bases of operation against the South

Anti-war protests, which had dramatically declined, were renewed with a vengeance. (Kent State shooting)

Nixon appeals to the “Silent Majority”

Nixon & Détente China:Nixon’s goals for détente with China1. Wanted China to put pressure on the

North Vietnamese to end the war2. Wanted to pit the 2 giants of the

communist world against each other (USSR vs. PRC)

*In 1972, Nixon made historic trip to China USSR: Not to be outdone, the USSR invites

Nixon to Moscow Nixon puts pressure on the Soviets to

sign a treaty limiting antiballistic missiles The resulting Strategic Arms Limitations

Talks (SALT I) Treaty limited the number of ICBMs each side would build and prevented the deployment of antiballistic missiles

End Game in Vietnam• By 1972, most US troops were out of

Vietnam. South Vietnamese troops were unable to stop the communists.

• Spring 1972, NVA forces equipped with foreign tanks attack south from the DMZ

• Nixon orders massive bombing of the North and mining of its harbors (Neither the USSR nor PRC retaliate)

• Oct 1972 Paris Peace Talks reopen with Nixon eager for results with reelection in Nov (Kissinger prematurely announces “Peace is at hand”)

• Settlement falls apart, Nixon orders “Christmas Bombing” campaign – heaviest of the war.

• Vietnamese return to the negotiating table. North Vietnam to keep control of parts of the South, US POWs to be released. Nixon declares “Peace with Honor”

• March 29, 1973, last US troops leave Vietnam• April 1975, Saigon falls to the communists• 58,000 US dead, 2 million Vietnamese dead

The Legislative Branch Restrains the Executive

The War Powers Act:• Congressional reaction to the

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which expanded the powers of the president to deploy US forces.

• The WPA required the president to get authorization from Congress before any deployment of US forces.

• All presidents since then have called the WPA unconstitutional and it has been a point of contention ever since.

Nixon’s Domestic Record“New Federalism” While politically unable & unwilling to rollback parts of the Great Society welfare state,

Nixon was successful at shifting some of the administration to the states (revenue sharing). In doing so, Nixon hoped to check the power of the federal government.

Economic Policies: The 1970 recession produced “stagflation” = high unemployment + economic

slowdown + inflation Nixon initially tried to slow inflation by cutting federal spending and raised taxes,

which encouraged the FED to raise interest rates 1971 Nixon announced a 90-day price and wage freeze and took the US off the gold

standard. While the combination of policies helped to end the recession, the deficit spending

required to do so contributed to budgetary problems for years to come.Nixon & White Backlash: Nixon appealed to the “Silent Majority” who were upset by the anti-war protests, civil

rights movement – especially its growing militancy, and federal orders to desegregate schools.

To ensure the loyalty of this bloc, he (1) asked federal courts to delay integration plans and busing orders; and (2) nominated two southern conservatives to the US Supreme Court. Clement Haynsworth of South Carolina and Harold Carswell of Florida. All of his efforts were rejected by the Congress and courts, but his strategy had played well with voters.

The Energy CrisisYom Kippur War 1973: US supported Israel during the Yom

Kippur War against its Arab neighbors

In retaliation, Arab states establish an oil boycott to force an Israeli withdraw

Henry Kissinger negotiates an Israeli withdraw to lift the boycott

OPEC permanently raises prices from $3 per barrel to $11.65 and ushers in the use of oil as a economic tool and political weapon.

US gas prices double contributing to double digit inflation.

Nixon refused to ration gas and acute shortages were felt nation wide.

The Downfall of Nixon - WATERGATE• Nixon was an isolated and paranoid president by 1972. He and his inner circle created an

“Enemies List” and directed the FBI to keep them under surveillance and the IRS to harass them with audits.

• To avoid the close elections of the past, the Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP) was created to engage in “dirty tricks” against political opponents. One special group were called the “Plumbers” whose task was to stop leaks to the press. (Ellsberg & the Pentagon Papers)

• Summer 1972, CREEP hired a team to break into the Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate Building to bug the telephones. They were caught. In the ensuing investigation, evidence began to link the break-in to the White House. Nixon and staff denied involvement and began a massive effort to cover up their role.

• During the Congressional investigation, Nixon was asked to turn over secret tapes that had recorded possible evidence to WH participation and cover up. Nixon refused, citing executive privilege. Nixon fires the federal prosecutor.

• VP Spiro Agnew resigns facing charges of income tax evasion and accepting bribes while governor of Maryland. Nixon nominated Congressman Gerald R. Ford to be VP.

• Nixon surrenders the Oval Office recordings, but with an 18 minute gap.• SCOTUS orders Nixon to turn over the tapes• House votes 9 articles of impeachment. The GOP informs Nixon that they will not defend him. • On August 7, 1974, Nixon becomes the first president to resign. VP Ford is sworn in as the first

non-elected president in history.