Modern Presidency Nixon Ford and Carter Richard

Modern Presidency Nixon, Ford and Carter

Richard Milhous Nixon n n President: 1969 -1974 Lost in 1960 to JFK President during the final years of the Vietnam war Vietnamization • Hand over duties to Vietnam n Withdrew American troops from Vietnam S.

China n n n Wanted to improve relations with China Personal goal to visit China “Ping Pong” Diplomacy • U. S. ping pong team goes to China n Nixon visits China in Feb. 1972 • begin talks about re-establishing diplomatic relations

Soviet Union q n n China trip affected US relations with Soviet Union. Improved relations with Moscow Signed Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) of 1972 • Limited the number of each country’s nuclear weapons n Approved plans for a Soviet. American space station

Watergate n n Nixon wanted to win the 1972 election in a landslide to help Republicans take back control of Congress. Watergate Scandal • The Watergate Complex: Democratic headquarters • June 17, 1972 n n n 5 men arrested for bugging the offices with cameras and listening devices for telephones All 5 were linked to Nixon’s Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP) <- haha A GOP security aide is among the “burglars”

Watergate

Watergate Nixon denies knowing n Covers up any White House involvement n $25, 000 cashiers check appears in one of the burglars accounts n Senate Watergate investigation begins by questioning members of the re-election committee and White House staff n One of Nixon’s attorneys testifies that the president had been involved with the cover up n Nixon denies it saying “I am not a crook!” n

Watergate

Watergate n n Top White House staff start resigning Testimony reveals • Nixon recorded all conversations and phone calls in White House offices n n Nixon refuses to give up the tapes Supreme Court rules that Nixon must give up tapes

Watergate • In the spring of 1974 the House Judiciary Committee begins an impeachment inquiry. Nixon won’t give the tapes but he does give edited transcripts. n In July, both Democrats and Republicans on the committee approved 3 articles of impeachment. n

Watergate n n Meanwhile… Vice President Spiro Agnew • It became known he had accepted bribes as the governor of Maryland continued as the vice president n n not wanting to face impeachment, he resigns Nixon appoints Speaker of the House, Gerald Ford as his vice president.

Watergate • On August 5, a federal judge orders the president to release full transcripts of the tapes • The tapes prove with certainty that Nixon himself had abused his presidential power to stop the FBI from instigating the break in. • Aug. 1974: Nixon becomes the first President to resign from office

n 40 members of the Nixon administration were indicted or served prison terms for crimes connected to Watergate.

Gerald Rudolph Ford 1974 -1976

Gerald Rudolph Ford n n n House Speaker, Gerald Ford appointed as the new Vice President after Spiro Agnew resigned Gerald Ford becomes the next President of the U. S after Nixon resgins. First and only President to take office without ever winning an election Maintained talks and friendship with China started by Nixon Sept. 8, 1974: Ford issues an unconditional pardon to Nixon for any crimes committed in office Defeated by Jimmy Carter in 1976 presidential campaign

James Earl Carter, Jr. n n n Naval Officer in his early years Defeated Gerald Ford in the 1976 election Americans hoped he would bring fresh ideas to the presidency.

Jimmy Carter 1977 -1981 n n n Walked to his inauguration Sold the presidential yacht Appeared on national television in a sweater to urge Americans to help the energy crisis by turning down their thermostats and conserving energy.

Camp David Peace Accords n n n Israel & Egypt had been in a state of war since Israel was established in 1948. In the first 3 Arab-Israeli wars, Israel defeated Egypt. Israel occupied Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula Egypt’s new president Anwar el-Sadat wanted to make peace As Israel’s ally and with sympathy for Egypt, Carter invites Sadat & Israeli Prime Minister Begin to Camp David in Maryland

Camp David Accords n n n Carter mediated peace between Israel and Egypt Gave the Sinai Peninsula back to Egypt Laid the groundwork for a final peace agreement Denounced by other Arab countries Egypt was expelled by the Arab League Attempted to bring autonomy to the Gaza strip

Iran Hostage Crisis n n Revolutionaries led by Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran overthrow the government and exile the Shah The U. S. allows the Shah into our country for cancer treatment Angry Iranian students begin to protest and then seize the U. S. embassy in Iran taking more than 60 American hostages Carter froze Iranian assets and halted oil imports from Iran

Iran Hostage Crisis n While the hostages were never seriously injured, they were subjected to a rich variety of demeaning and terrifying treatment • blindfolded and paraded in front of TV cameras and jeering crowds • not allowed to speak or read, and they were rarely permitted to change clothes • never knew whether they were going to be tortured, murdered or set free

Iran Hostage Crisis n Rescue mission Operation Eagle Claw was attempted but failed • a severe desert sandstorm on the day of the mission caused several helicopters to malfunction • Eight American servicemen were killed in the accident n Carter loses to Reagan in 1980 election • partly due to his inability to free hostages • inability to resolve the problem made him look like a weak and ineffectual leader

n 1980 • the shah dies • Iraq invades Iran n Reagan unfreezes $8 billion in assets, the hostages are freed • A few hours after his inaugural address n 444 days held captive

Iran Hostage Crisis