Effects of the Cold War
Defining America’s Society and
Global Role
OVERVIEW
In this lesson we examine:
• Social and economic costs of Vietnam
• The causes and effects of Watergate
• America and the end of the Cold War
Costs of the Vietnam War
Context Question:
What social and economic issues did
Europe face between WWI and WWII?
Costs of the Vietnam War
•Helped China join the
• Reduced government
UN
spending
•Visited
and
Unlike
in
previous
wars,
veterans
from
Vietnam
were
not
• Price and wage
negotiated
economic
seen as ‘heroes’ by a large portion
of the American
Infreezes
what way
could a less aggressive
foreign policy
to
control
development
with
population. Political and social divisions were numerous
compliment
domestic
China
inflation
and
deep. and
Nixon
attempted
to restorepolicy?
faith in American
unemployment
domestic and foreign•Signed
policy the SALT 1
Agreements to limit
• Extended Medicare to
nuclear weapons
disabled citizens
•Signs Paris Accords in
under 65
1973 to end American
involvement in
Vietnam
Watergate
• Burglars were caught trying to “bug” and
wiretap the
Democratic
headquarters
in
Nixon’s
success
in theParty
economy,
Vietnam
the Watergate Hotel
and in normalizing relations with China
• The burglars confessed that they had been
resulted in his successful re-election in
ordered by leaders of CREEP (Committee to Re1972,
but
during
his
campaign,
certain
elect the President) to break into the office
events would ruin his presidential career
• Senate investigations revealed that Nixon had
many conversations about Watergate taped
from Whitehouse offices
Watergate
• Nixon said, “I am not a crook”
• In an attempt to retrieve the tapes,
Congress
takes investigation
Nixon to court;
he argues
As the Senate
focused
on
that “executive
privilege”Nixon
meant
that the
Nixon’s
tape recordings,
defended
tapes did not have to be disclosed
himself
• Evidence later showed that the
President’s office did not order or know
about the break-in but attempted a cover
up
Watergate
• Congress immediately voted for
impeachment (to put the President on
trial)
for withholding
the
tapes
How
When
might
the
American
case was
allies
brought
have reacted
to the to
•the
Nixon
handed
over
the
tapes
Supreme
effects
Court,
of the
they
Vietnam
ruled
conflict
thatand
theand
tapes
the
resigned on
Aug
9,
1974
because
the
Watergate
had to be released.
Scandal?
tapes would show his involvement in a
cover-up
• President Ford gave Nixon a Presidential
pardon
The End of the Cold War
Context Question:
Without competition from the Soviet
Union for spheres of influence, what
might happen to US foreign policy?
The End of the Cold War
• “Reaganomics” reduced
•US budgetary deficits
income taxes and
skyrocketed and US
capital gains taxes;
most
were Reagan
In reductions
1980, Ronald
was
elected
debt
would
rise from
for the
rich
“trickleWhat were the possible$995
long-term
billionpolicies
to $2.5
president.
His domestic and foreign
down”
consequences
of Reagan’s
• Reduced
support
for
trillionfrom
by the
end of
were dramatically different
his
many welfare and social
policies?
his presidency
predecessors,
programs
that had been Carter and Ford
•Reduced restrictions
installed since the days
of Roosevelt
on oil prices and lifted
• Did not favour policies
embargo on exporting
friendly to feminists,
unions and minorities
wheat to the USSR
The End of the Cold War
• 1991: The US led a UN coalition
Up
toIraq,
thewhich
collapse
of the Soviet Union in
against
had invaded
Kuwait
1991,
States was no longer
• 1999:
The the
US ledUnited
a NATO operation
against Serbian military actions
against its own population in the
province of Kosovo
social,
economic and political influence. In
• 2001: The US attacked the Taliban
government
of Afghanistanyears
for
the
immediate
which followed,
refusing to hand over Osama bin
Laden
• 2003: The US led a pre-emptive war
against Iraq for possibly possessing
weapons of mass destruction – no
considerable amount was ever found
facedthese
with actions
a majormore
global
competitor foror
Were
internationalist
unilateral?
America followed different paths
SUMMARY QUESTIONS
•
•
•
•
Why was the Vietnam War so different for
American society when compared to previous
wars?
What was Nixon’s dual purpose of trying to
reduce tensions in the Cold War through
détente?
What did the Watergate scandal represent for
the US and the world?
Why did US foreign policy struggle to find
purpose after the Cold War?