Nixon Flashcards
What was the situation with Vietnam by 1968?
The war was costing $30bn a year and Americans were dying at a rate of 200 a week.
How did talks between Hanoi and LBJ go? When did they start?
LBJ announced in March that “America is prepared to move immediately toward peace through negotiation” and Hanoi also wanted talks as N.V was exhausted after Tet. The talks began in Paris in May 1968 but the North Vietnamese insisted on Communist influence in the Saigon government which created a standstill
What were Nixon’s aims for Vietnam?
- To achieve “peace with honour” - alowing Thieu to remain in power in an independent South Vietnam. But for the North Vietnamese to accept this it would likely need intervention from the USSR or PRC to persuade N.Vietnam to accept it.
- He also needed to defuse the anti-war protests at home by taking public opinion into account
Define Vietnamisation.
Nixon’s aim to help the South Vietnamese to fight the war and take over from the Americans, this would be a gradual process of handing over the main responsibility to the ARVN
Define Peace With Honour.
Nixon’s aim to achieve peace in an agreement that would allow Thieu’s South Vietnamese government to stay in power in a viable South Vietnamese state
Define the Madman theory.
The aim to convince the Nort Vietnamese that Nixon was so obsessed with Communism that he would do anything - showing that hes got his hand on the nuclear button
Define linkage
Linking the building up of improved Cold War relations with the USSR and China with their assisstance in ending the Vietnam War. Nixon wanted to make it attractive to the Communist powers to assist in achieving peace in Vietnam because it would be linked to positive developments like arms talks
Define realpolitik.
A realistic rather than a moralistic or legalistic approach to foreign policy. It was guided by the view that foreign policy should ne dictated by national interest. Nixon and Kissinger were both known for their hard headed realistic attitudes at the expense of moral considerations
What did Nixon say was “public enemy umber 1”
drug abuse
How did Nixon start a “war on drugs”?
He declared the war in 1971 and 40 years later, the incaceration rate had increased by almost 5 times.
In January 1972, he created the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE) and in July 1973 ODALE was consolidated into a “super agency” - the DEA - Drug Enforcement Agency
What did Erhlichmann reveal the aim was with the “war on drugs”?
He revealed the real enemy for the Nixon administration were the anti-left and black people. Erhlichmann said “We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or blacks….Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did”
How did Nixon try to reduce anti-war protests?
- Withdrawing troops
- Altering criteria for the draft
- Concealing the most damning realities of Vietnam
- Using speeches to question the patriotism of anti-war protests
Did Nixon’s efforts to reduce the anti-war protests work?
No, protests continued as celebrities like John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and Muhammad Ali condemned the war. There were 8.5 million students enrolled in college, giving them the freedom to get involved in activism
When did anti-war protests peak under Nixon and what happened?
1971-, on May 4th, the National Guard shot dead 4 students who were protesting and following that, on the 20th, 130,000 people marched through New York City
Why did Nixon fail to control the protests?
- They did have a strong case for what they were protesting, couldnt just say they were wrong
- Nixon’s strategies like repeatedly declaring the war was almost over and cancelling protestor’s permits failed
What was Henry Kissinger awarded with in 1973?
The Nobel Peace Prize, won it together with is North Vietnamese counterpart Le Duc Tho. The latter refused to accpet the prize, Kissinger accepted it but two members of the Nobel Committee actually left out of protest
What was Kissinger’s attitude to foreign policy?
Extremely pragmatic - not massively focussed on ideologies or morals, instead all about how the US can benefit most from each situation
What was the context to Kissinger using “shuttle diplomacy” in the Middle East?
The USA had supported Israel in the Cold War and the USSR had backed the Arab states. In October 1973, the Yom Kippur war broke out between Israel and an Arab coalition. Both superpowers supplied their respective ally but a ceasefire was agreed with Israel in Egyptian and Syrian land
What actually was “shuttle diplomacy”?
A term coined by the media who followed Kissinger on his various short fligths around Middle East capitals as he sought to deal with the fallout of the 1973 war
Why was it important to the USA to play a lead role in the disengagement of the armies?
- It would possibly lay the groundwork for further steps to peacefully resolve the long conflict
- There was an OPEC oil embargo in the immediate aftermaths of the War and it was affecting the USA sharply
Why couldn’t Nixon himself get involved in the Middle East situation?
The Watergate Scandal had erupted at home and he was not in a position to take direct action himself
What techniques did Kissinger use in his diplomacy efforts in the Middle East?
He made duplicitous promises to both sides in secret meetings, often contradicting one another
Was Kissinger successful in his “shuttle diplomacy”?
Yes, the decisions made met Kissinger’s aims for Israel’s borders, the embargo was called off and both Egypt and Isarel were brought closer to the USA
What was detente?
A relaxation of Cold War tensions
Why was Nixon in a position to pursue detente?
- Improving relations with the Soviets was seen as necessary following the 1960s
- Nixon was seen as strongly anti-communist so couldn’t be accused of being soft on communism
- Nixon saw the opportunity to play the PRC and USSR against each other
- Kissinger was very influential and key to detente
What was Triangular Diplomacy?
By 1968, Sino-Soviet relations had broken down and they had split off, Nixon recognised that if he were to strengthen relations with the PRC, then Brezhnev would be threatened and improve relations with the USA, Nixon wanted to play them against each other
What were economic motivations for detente?
The American economy had been drained by Vietnam and the USSR needed to cut military spending
When was the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signed?
July 1968
When did SALT talks finally begin?
Nov 1969
When did SALT 1 get signed?
May 1972
Where was SALT 1 signed?
Moscow
What did SALT 1 limit?
The number of ABMs and froze ICBMs
What did SALT I not mention?
MIRVs - Multiple Independent Re-Entry Vehicles, a new American technology
What did SALT allow to continue?
Mutually Assured Destruction - each superpowers had enough weapons to destroy each other. A MAD world was a safer world
Why did neither the USA or USSR agree to open inspections of each other’s military sites?
The military ran those sites and even if the President supported it, it never would have happenned
How significant were the SALT 1 talks and treaty?
Very - started process of slowing the Arms Race. There was significant symbolism of better relations, negotiations and the ability to get treaties signed. Paved the way for further arms limitation / reduction talks
When did Nixon visit China?
February 1972
Why did Nixon visit China?
- Detente with China would isolate the USSR and would add to “Triangular diplomacy” aims
- It would allow the USA to recover from a decade of conflict
- “we simply cannoy afford to leave China forever outside the family of nations”
How did better relations with the PRC come about?
- in 1971 Kissinger had secretly met with the Chinese premier Chou En-lai
- In April 1971, the US table tennis team had visited China while attending the world championships in Japan. Nicknamed pin pong diplomacy
What was the significance of the visit to China?
They still disagreed about the Taiwan situation but Nixon promised not to support it but not to suppress Taiwan either. But importantly it opened the world’s largest population to US trade and isolated the USSR
Who defeated Nixon in the 1960 presidential election?
John F. Kennedy
What did Nixon do when he lost the ’62 California gubernatorial election?
Left politics but campaigned for Barry Goldwater in the 1964 election.
Which two Democrats both stood for election in 1968?
Bobby Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey
How did Democrat Strom Thrumond help Nixon’s campaign?
He switcehd parties and helped Nixon win southern votes
How was Nixon portrayed in the run up to the 1968 election?
As a ‘safe pair of hands’
What key issue split the Democrats in the run up to the 1968 election?
The Vietnam War
Why did the Democrat candidates fail to be elected?
Kennedy was assassinated and Humphrey’s campaign was a disaster
Which Democrat left the party and stood as an independent in 1968?
George Wallace
Nixon won the 1968 election with what percent of public votes?
43%
Which houses of Congress did the Democrats keep control of in 1968?
The Senate and the House
What were the two biggest issues Nixon faced as president in 1968?
The Vietnam War and rising inflation
What name is given to Nixon’s proposed policy of transferring power from the federal to state governments?
‘New Federalism’
What 1972 act gave $4 billion a year to state governments?
The Local Assistance Act
What did Congress do to Nixon’s further attempts to limit federal power?
Blocked them
What two key policies did Nixon introduced in 1970 that focused on the environment?
The Clean Air Act and the formation of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
What organisation was formed in 1973 after Nixon declared drugs to be ‘public enemy number one’?
The DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency)
Who were Nixon’s two closest White House advisors and what did they do?
John Ehrlichmann (Counsel) and Bob Haldeman (Chief of Staff)
Why were Nixon’s two closest White House advisors known as the ‘Berlin Wall’?
They liked to keep Nixon away from other advisors
What did Nixon do with his cabinet?
He reshuffled it regularly
Who were Nixon’s two vice presidents?
Spiro Agnew and Gerald Ford
Why did Nixon’s first vice president resign in 1973?
He was accused of corruption
Who was Nixon’s National Security Advisor and what did he play a key role in?
Henry Kissinger - key role in ending the Vietnam War
What secret foreign policy was shared between Nixon and Kissinger and what does this mean?
Realpolitik - foreign policy based on practical solutions and flexibilty
Despit having a good public relationship with the media, what did Nixon do privately?
Made an ‘enemies list’ of journalists and actors
Which key group did Nixon call on for support and explain who they were?
The ‘Silent Majority’ - a group who were angry with the loss of traditional values under Johnson
Which two welfare schemes were proposed by Nixon but blocked by Congress?
NIT (Negative Income Tax) and FAP ( Family assistance program)
What policy did Nixon introduce to help the elderly?
SSI (Supplementary Security Income)
How did Nixon’s policies affect American businesses?
They made businesses more environmentally friendly
What were Nxion’s four key strategies to limit anti-war protests?
Withdrawing troops (drawdown), chagning and then ending the draft, hiding bad news, criticising protestors
Which two groups continued anti-war protests?
Students and veterans
What happened at Kent State University in 1970?
The Kent State Massacre, 4 students were shot dead by the National Guard
What did a group of US Veterans do in December 1971 to protest the war?
Occupied the Statue of Liberty
By May 1971, what percentage of Americans supported the Vietnam War?
28%
How did Nixon approach the issue of African American civil rights?
With caution
What civil rights policies did Nixon support?
Desegregation of schools, busing and affirmative action
What political prgress for African Americans took place under Nixon?
The number of Black Americans in elected positions increased
How did Nixon succeed in improving women’s rights?
He employed more women in government roles
What did Nixon order the justice department to do?
Bring sex discrimination cases to court
What were Nixon’s economic policies nicknamed and why?
Nixonomics - they were confusing
What name is given to Nixon’s initial slow and steady approach to tackle growing inflation?
gradualism
What happened to unemployment by 1970?
It rose to 6%
How many seats did the Republicans lose in the House of Representatives in 1970?
12
What name was given to Nixon’s economic policies introduced in 1971?
The New Economic Plan
What three key policies formed Nixon’s economic plan of 1971?
Wage and price freeze, tax cuts, import tax
Which 1944 economic system did Nixon abandon in 1971?
The Bretton Woods Agreement
How successful were Nixon’s economic policies?
Unsuccessful - the policies failed
What did OPEC do to oil prices in 1973 and what was the impact?
The raised oil prices leading to fuel shortages
What was the great grain robbery of 1972?
The USSR bought 10 million tonnes of US grain at a cut price
By the end of Nixon’s presidency in 1974 what state was the US economy in?
Inflation rose to 12.1% and America was in a recession
What experience did Nixon gain as vice president to Eisenhower?
Travelled to places like Moscow and Saigon
What were Nixon’s three key foreign policy priorities?
Standing up to communism, solving Vietnam crisis, taking advantage of breaking relations between the USSR and China.
What name is given to the relations between China and the USSR?
Soviet-Sino relations
What happened to the inital negotiations to end the Vietnam War?
North Vietnam rejected proposals
In response to North Vietnam’s rejections of peace, what did Nixon do?
Secretly resumed bombing
What did Nixon use to try to convince North Vietnam that he would stop at nothing to end the war?
The Madman theory
What policy did Nixon announce in that 1972 that would hand the war back to Vietnam?
Vietnamization
What did Nixon’s promise of peace lead to in the 1972 election?
A landlside victory
What name is given to the peace treaty signed in 1973?
The Paris Peace Accords
Why is March 1973 an important date in the Vietnam War?
All US troops had left Vietnam
Why did Soviet-Sino relations break down after 1953?
Stalin died
What did China do in 1971 that brought them closer to America?
Joined the UN and Security Council
What did Nixon become the first president to do in February 1972 and what was the impact?
He visited Communist China, met with Mao and set up trade links
What did Nixon do in May 1972?
He visited the USSR and met Brezhnev
What was agreed between the USSR and USR in May 1972?
SALT I (Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) and environmental and trade deals
What was the improving relationship between the USSR and USA known as?
Detente
What did Kissinger aprrove in Chile inn 1973?
A coup against Allende’s socialist government
In the run up to the 1972 electrion, what was held in the Watergate Hotel?
The Democrat Offices
What happened at the Watergate Hotel in June 1972?
5 men were arrested for breaking in and installing listening devices
After arrests at the Watergate Hotel, what did Nixon ask the CIA to do?
Stop the FBI investigation
Who continued to investigate Watergate and what was his source known as?
Bob Woodward - ‘Deepthroat’
What did Nixon find out and how did he react as investigations resumed?
That close advisers including Ehrlichman had secretly given evidence to the Senate - Nixon sacked them.
What did prosecutors do with recordings of Oval Office conversations?
Subpoenaed them
How did Nixon respond to demands to release the Oval Office tapes?
Tried to stop it in the Supreme Court
What did the House of Representatives vote to begin against Nixon?
Impeachement trials
Who made up Congress’ committe investigating Nixon?
Republicans, Democrats and Lawyers
Who was the leader of the Congress investigation?
Sam Ervin
What did the investigation find was wrong with the Oval Office tapes?
18 minutes was missing
What did Nixon do on 8th August 1974?
He resigned as president
Who took over from Nixon and what did he do almost immediately?
Gerald Ford - he pardoned Nixon on 9th September 1974
What were Nixon’s main successes?
Ended the draft, founded the EPA and oversaw the desegregation of schools
What did the Watergate scandal lead to/
A period of political distrust
