The 1970 s. Chapter 39

Transcription

1 The 1970 s Chapter 39

2 1968 Election Nixon promised an end to the war Peace with Honor Appealed to the great Silent Majority Low opinion of activists Vietnamization Diminished role for the U.S. Military The role of defeating the communists shifts to the South Vietnamese Army. Gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops.

3 The Secret War Vietnam End not lose Cambodia Bombing Invasion (lasted 2 mo) Laos Unpopular War at home Draft - Morale decreased My Lai scandal broke Killers, not soldiers Moratorium Oct 1969/ 500,000 marched on DC

4 nixon/cambodia

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6 Kent State and Jackson State Student reaction to invasion of Cambodia National Guard to Kent State Students threw rocks, guard shot Killed 4 Similar incident at Jackson State, MS

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8 Pentagon Papers Daniel Ellsberg leaked docs regarding war New York Times published Gov misled Congress & people regarding its intentions Primary reason for fighting not to eliminate communism, but to avoid humiliating defeat. New York Times v. United States (1971)

9 Peace Treaty January 27, 1973 U.S. to remove all troops NV leave troops in SV w/draw remaining troops and get back POW s No provision for MIA s Last troops left SV on March 29, 1973

10 pow s

11 The End of South Vietnam US forces would never abandon SV War Powers Act (1973) Watergate ( ) SV was on its own Couldn't support ARVN Corruption in government US recession Cut aid = Economic collapse US failed not viable nation April Saigon falls

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13 Cost of War America defeated Society nearly implodes Leaders lied Veterans Hatred Couldn t separate government from soldiers Thought soldiers committed atrocities 58,000 lives 350,000 Americans wounded

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15 Richard Dick Nixon Reserved and remote Respected for his experience and service Willing to say or do anything to defeat his enemies political opponents, the government bureaucracy, the press corps, and leaders of the antiwar movement Gathered a close circle of trusted advisors

16 Domestic & Economic Policies Stagflation Period of high inflation combined with high unemployment making an economic recession Occur when there is an adverse shock (a sudden increase, say in the price of oil) Response Taxed imports to help balance of trade Helpless to stop OPEC from oil embargo Issues wage and price controls to reduce inflation and spur job growth Goes off gold standard to lessen dollar and bolster US products overseas

17 Social Programs Nixon supported cutting back or eliminating federal social programs Didn t want to alienate voters who favored New Federalism States asked to assume greater responsibility for the well-being of their citizens Taking some of this responsibility away from the federal government

18 Southern Strategy Views on Civil Rights Did not support advances in civil rights Cost support of many white southern voters Slowdown of desegregation Tried to prevent the extension the Voting Rights Act of 1965 Congress went ahead Busing was slowed by Nixon s opposition to it

19 Nixon s Supreme Court Warren Court Meddling 4 Supreme Court justices go off Opportunity to reshape the court Warren Burger 1969 Chief Justice Moderate Later appointees were conservative Senate rejected 2 Southern nominees charging they showed racial bias.

20 The First Moon Landing July 20, 1969, Neil A. Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. Joined by Edwin E. Buzz Aldrin, Jr. TV showed the landing around the world Apollo 11 s crew were treated as heroes

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22 Détente Nixon s Foreign Policy Easing of tensions - US, Soviet Union & China Henry Kissinger More complicated than just USA vs. USSR Nixon visits China Shanghai Communique Acceptance of 1 China Soviet Union SALT I froze the SBM launchers at existing levels Demonstrated arms control agreements were possible Did not reduce the number of weapons either possessed Did not halt development of conventional technologies

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24 Spiro Agnew Pleaded no contest to bribe charges Resigns from office in late 1973 Gerald Ford House Minority Leader President Nominates Congress Approves

25 Battling Political Enemies Nixon was suspicious and secretive Surrounded by political enemies Enemies List Prominent people seen as unsympathetic the Plumbers To stop government leaks September 1971, broke into Ellsberg s psychiatrist s office Hoping to punish Ellsberg by disclosing damaging personal information about him. Funded by CREEP

26 CREEP Committee to Re-elect the Prez Led by John Mitchell Collect campaign $ before a new law required such contributions to be reported Intended to fund both routine campaign activities & secret actions Dirty Tricks Attempts to sabotage Nixon s political opponents Sending hecklers to disrupt Democratic campaign meetings Assigning spies to join the campaigns of opposing candidates Faked letter that seriously hurt the candidacy of Edmund Muskie, a leading Democratic presidential contender

27 Watergate March 1972, decided to wiretap the phones DNC HQ at the Watergate Led by E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy 1 st attempt failed During their 2 nd attempt on June 17, 1972, 5 men were arrested $ they carried was traced directly to Nixon s reelection campaign Nixon administration denied any knowledge Reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward began to expose cover-up Burglars were convicted in January 1973

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29 Watergate February 1973 Senate establish a select committee to investigate April of Nixon s top aides resigned after their implication Dean was fired Alexander Butterfield, a former presidential assistant, revealed the existence of a secret taping system in the President s office Provide a historical record of Nixon s presidency Used to show whether or not Nixon had been involved in the Watergate cover-up

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31 The Saturday Night Massacre May 1973, Nixon agreed to a special prosecutor Conducts investigation into claims of wrongdoing by government officials. Archibald Cox (SP) insisted Nixon release the White House tapes. Nixon stonewalled citing executive privilege & national security Successfully petitioned a lower court to force Nixon to hand over tapes Nixon refused and ordered Cox fired on Saturday, October 20, 1973 AG Richardson refused and was fired Sparked outrage and new demands for tapes Released heavily edited transcripts in spring of 1974 included a suspicious 18 minute gap in one of the tapes

32 Impeachment & Resignation July 23, Supreme Court ruled Nixon had no right to claim executive privilege as justification for turning over additional tapes Nixon released the White House tapes Tapes revealed his involvement as early as 6 days after the break in 3 articles of impeachment obstruction of justice abuse of power subverting the Constitution On August 9, 1974, Nixon resigned Gerald Ford was sworn in as the new President

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34 Aftermath 26th Amendment The War Powers Resolution Limited commitment of troops overseas to 60 days After required to get Congressional approval 1974 strengthened Freedom of Information Act Citizens greater access to files agencies had on them Fair Campaign Practices Act of 1974 Limited campaign contributions & stricter accountability & public financing of campaigns Independent Counsel Act of 1978 Required AG, in cases of suspected criminal activity, to call on three federal judges to appoint a special prosecutor Distrust of its government, credibility gap

35 Gerald Ford Only non-elected VP and President Popular and noncontroversial political figure NY Gov Nelson Rockefeller as Vice President HEALING PROCESS MUST BEGIN Pardoned Nixon & granted amnesty to draft dodgers Very Unpopular decision As a result, many Republicans were voted out in 1974 Congressional elections.

36 Economic Problems Preoccupation with Watergate had prevented Nixon from dealing with the economy. By 1974, stagflation Voluntary Whip Inflation Now, or WIN program Government Spending & Conflicts With Congress Although Ford was generally against government spending, he supported an increase in unemployment benefits and a tax cut in an effort to help the economy. Ford at odds with the Democratic-controlled Congress, which wanted the government to take a more active role in the economy. In response to Ford s vetoes, Congress created the highest percentage of veto overrides since the 1850s.

37 1975 NV takes over SV Foreign Policy Cambodia captured merchant ship Mayaguez Ford sends the marines to recapture Dispelled impressions of American weakness in SE Asia 41 American lives lost Continued Nixon s goals of friendship with China First Prez to visit Japan Helsinki Accords, 1975 Set forth basic human rights All nations acknowledge and accept Soviets generally ignore Continued Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) Develop relationships with newly indpt. African countries

38 1976 Election Gerald Ford (R) Advantage of being the incumbent Faced strong opposition from inside his own party James Earl Jimmy Carter (D) won by a narrow margin. No national political experience Lacked ability to win reluctant politicians to his side Well-liked for his informal approach to the presidency As President, Carter appointed more women and minorities to his staff than previous administrations.

39 Carter s Domestic Policies Inherited an unstable economy Cut federal spending Mostly on social programs Angered liberal Democrats As bond prices fell and interest rates rose, Americans lost confidence Felt that government controls on certain industries hurt competition and increased consumer costs Moved toward deregulation Affected energy, railroad, trucking, & airline Angered many Democrats

40 Carter s Energy Plan To save on rising oil prices, asked to conserve Created the Department of Energy Response to Energy Plan States that produced oil and gas fiercely opposed The National Energy Act (1978) incorporated many directives One goal was to seek alternative energy sources Three Mile Island, Harrisburg, PA Partial meltdown of a nuclear reactor Eroded people s confidence in nuclear power

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42 Civil Rights Issues Concern for moral values influenced civil rights African Americans disappointed by weak support for social programs. Affirmative action policies controversial Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) Race could be a factor in school admissions but that numerical quotas could not be used.

43 Carter s Foreign Policy Camp David Accords 1978 negotiations at Camp David Anwar el-sadat, Menachem Begin Israel agreed to withdraw from the Sinai Egypt first Arab country to recognize Israel Soviet-American Relations Détente effectively dead by the end of his term Angered by support those who criticized the actions SALT II Treaty was never ratified Both nations followed its terms

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45 Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan December 1979 Invades to bolster a Soviet-supported government Soviets Vietnam Leave 1989 Carter called the invasion a clear threat to the peace Embargoes grain Boycotted 1980 Moscow summer Olympics Sixty other nations eventually joined the boycott

46 Iranian Hostage Crisis January 1979 Iranian Revolution Replacing pro-american shah Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeini Carter allowed shah to enter USA for medical treatment Angry students seized the American embassy 52 taken hostage 444 days Carter s failed attempts to secure the hostages freedom decreased his popularity and made his chances for reelection appear slim.

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48 Foreign Policy Vows to make human rights concerns paramount in dealing with other nations instead of strategic concerns Overlooks violations in China, Iran, South Korea and the Philippines Recognizes Sandinistas in Nicaragua because of friendliness to US Carter pays Panamanians back for violations of national sovereignty by guiding return of Panama Canal