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The Policies of Richard
Nixon
Valeria Martinez
IB History of the Americas
Spring 2014
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Richard Nixon

Born in California on January 9,
1913.

Became the nation’s 37th
president on January 20th 1969
until he became the only
President to date to resign from
office on August 9th 1974.

He was a member of the
Republican party, and had
previously been both a US
Senator from California as well
as the Vice President under
President Eisenhower.

Achieved many diplomatic
victories in countries such as the
Soviet Union and the People’s
Republic of China.
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The Policy of Détente

“Détente” is a French word meaning “release
from tension.”

Specifically, détente refers to the period of time
that marked an improved relationship between
the United States and the Soviet Union.

Tentatively started in 1971 and really took off in
May 1972 when President Nixon visited the
secretary-general of the Soviet Communist Party,
Leonid I. Brezhnev.
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Reasons Behind Détente

Among the reasons both countries decided to adopt the policy of
détente was because they would both benefit if they increased trade
with each other, and decreased the immediate threat of nuclear
warfare.

President Nixon was also up for reelection, and wanted to please
American citizens who demanded social change, racial equality, and
an end to the Vietnam War.

Part of the détente policy was signing seven agreements that
covered the prevention of accidental military clashes, arms control,
cooperating in research (because of recent space exploration), and
expanding their shared commerce.

Détente came to an end when President Ronald Reagan was elected.
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SALT I
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SALT I

The first series of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.

Lasted from November 1969 to May 1972.

During this time, the United States and the Soviet Union
began negotiating agreements to put limits and restraints on
central and important armaments.

Two treaties were reached by the end of SALT I: Anti-Ballistic
Missile Treaty (ABM), and the Interim Agreement of the
Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.
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Treaties During SALT I

Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) – Treaty between the US
and the Soviet Union that limited anti-ballistic missile
systems that were used to defend areas against missile
delivered nuclear weapons.

An anti-ballistic missile is a missile used to shoot down ballistic
missiles
Interim Agreement on the Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms –
was meant to complement the ABM and to limit the competition in
making offensive strategic arms.


It was meant to be limited in duration, and only halted the
production of more offensive strategic arms to give time for
further negotiations.
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Leonid Brezhnev

Born December 19, 1906

Became the most powerful man in Soviet
politics after his predecessor faced major
embarrassment following the end of the
Cuban Missile Crisis.

Presided over the Soviet Union longer than
anyone else except Joseph Stalin.

Known for his policies of détente which
thawed the U.S-Soviet relations.
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Richard Nixon & Leonid Brezhnev

Nixon and Brezhnev met a total of three times for three
different summits while they were both in office.

These meetings totaled over one hundred hours of time.

President Nixon famously said in one of his memoirs that “I
felt that the relationship between the United States and the
Soviet Union would probably be the single most important
factor in determining whether the world would live at peace
during and after my administration.”

The two had a cordial friendship that helped with their arms
negotiations.
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Warsaw Pact

Included the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania,
Hungary, Easy Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria.

This alliance created a Soviet Union dominated military that
called on members to come to the defense of any other
member if they were attacked by an outside force.
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Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia

Also known as the Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia.

The Soviet Union and its allies through the Warsaw Pact
invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to stop
the Prague Spring.

The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in
Czechoslovakia that deviated from Communism, and was led
by Alexander Dubček.

Prague Spring stopped by this invasion.
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Brezhnev Doctrine

Doctrine set into place by Leonid Brezhnev that affirmed the
right of the Soviet Union to intervene in the affairs of
Communist countries in order to strengthen Communism.

It was announced in order to justify the Soviet invasion of
Czechoslovakia.

Western powers did not approve of the Brezhnev Doctrine,
but they did not offer aid to the affected countries.
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Opening of China

Refers to President Nixon’s trip to China from February 21 to
February 28, 1972.

The first time a U.S. President visited the People’s Republic of
China – ended 25 years of separation between the two
counties.

By “opening China” the United States would have more
leverage in relations with the Soviet Union.
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“The week that changed the world.”
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Primary Source
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656-10 Excerpt 1 (1:24)
January 26, 1972
RN, Barend Biesheuvel, Alexander Haig, and J. William Middendorf
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RN: Uh, we do believe that by starting the long process of some sort of contact,
there will--I will say, obviously, it will not come to recognition on our part—
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BB: No.
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RN: --because it cannot, since we still recognize Taiwan and will continue to
honor our treaty commitments. They know this will not come out. What may come
out of it will be, uh, however, uh, uh, some method of communication in the future,
uh, some contact in the future, uh, and perhaps reducing the chance in the
immediate future of a confrontation between the United States and the PRC in
Asia, such as we had in Korea, and such as we had indirectly in Vietnam. And
looking further in the future, uh, when they become a super power, a nuclear
super power, uh, to be in a position that at that time, uh, we will have such
relations with them that, uh, we, uh, can discuss differences and, and not
inevitably have a clash. Now, also, no one can look at Asia, uh, and take 750
million Chinese out of it and say you can have any policy in the Pacific that will
succeed in preventing war without having the Chinese a part of it. It’s just as
cold- blooded as that.
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Primary Source Analysis

Origin: This is an Oval Office metting with Barend Biesheuvel,
Alexander Haig, and J. William Middendorf.

Purpose: The purpose of this meeting was for President
Nixon to explain his reasons behind making a trip to China.
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Value: This primary source is very valuable because it is a
recorded conversation from the Oval Office during the time
Nixon was President. It allows one to see his way of thinking.
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Limitation: Because Nixon knew that everything he said in the
Oval Office was recorded, he could have left key information
out and been dishonest while talking.
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CIA Involvement in Chile

In 1970, Salvador Allende became the first Socialist president
of Chile.

When economic ties with the United States and western
European nations were cut, he made relations with Cuba and
China.

President Nixon feared that Chile would “become the next
Cuba.”

The United States had been trying to support antiCommunist forces in Chile since the 1950s, and Allende’s
rise to power posed a serious threat to United States
interests.
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CIA Involvement with Chile

The CIA created two plans called Track I and Track II

Part of the Track I strategy was to prevent Allende from
taking office, because he only narrowly won.

When Allende did take office, millions of dollars where given
to opposing political parties.
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As a part of Track II, the CIA was directed to instigate a coup
to prevent Allende from taking office.
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CIA Involvement with Chile

As documents released years later reveal, CIA officials were
aware that as part of Title II, one of the groups that they
supported would kidnap Chilean Army Commander Rene
Schneider, who would later be killed.

The CIA did not directly plan the coup that ended President
Allende’s government in 1973, but they did have knowledge
of it taking place, and in fact encouraged it.
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The CIA claims no responsibility in terms of the way Allende was
brought down, and says they had no part in him refusing help and
ultimately killing himself.
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Watergate Scandal

On June 17, 1972, several robbers were caught and arrested inside the
office of the Democratic National Committee.

They had been trying to wiretap phones and steal secret documents.

The worst thing is that the burglars were connected to President
Nixon’s reelection campaign.

In August of 1972, President Nixon gave a speech in which he said that
neither he, nor his staff were involved in any way with the break in.

Washing Post writers Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are credited
with uncovering the details of the Watergate scandal, with a secret
informant known as “Deep Throat”.

It was later revealed Deep Throat was W. Mark Felt, a former associate
director of the FBI
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Watergate Scandal

It later came to light that Nixon was indeed involved with the
break-in.

He gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to the burglars.
This was known as “hush-money”.
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Began a plan to instruct the CIA to stop the FBI’s investigation
of the crime.
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Seven conspirators were indicted on charged relating to the
scandal.
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Many of Nixon’s aides testified before a grand jury that Nixon
had secretly taped every conversation that took place in the
Oval Office.
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Watergate Scandal

The Supreme Court eventually ordered Nixon to turn over all
of the tapes.
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Before he did, the House of Representatives voted to impeach
him.
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On August 5, 1974, President Nixon finally released the tapes,
which undeniably showed that he was involved in the
Watergate crimes.

Rather than get impeached by the Senate, President Nixon
resigned on August 9, 1974.

Six weeks after President Ford took office, he pardoned
Nixon for any crimes he committed or might have committed
while in office.
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Other Domestic Issues

President Nixon advocated what he called “New Federalism” in
which he wanted to return power to the state and local
governments.

Faced many issues with the economy because of President Johnson
and his Great Society.

President Nixon tried to fix the problem by implementing wage
and price controls, although they ultimately hurt the economy.

He also created the Environmental Protection Agency, and became
the most environmentally friendly president, after President
Theodore Roosevelt.
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Works Cited

History.com Staff. "Detente."
History.com. A+E Networks, 2009.
Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.history.com/topics/co
ld-war/detente>.

Murad, Lindsey. "SALT I and II."
ColdWar.org. The Cold War

Museum. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.coldwar.org/articles/7
0s/SALTIandII.asp>.

"SALT I." U.S. Department of State.
U.S. Department of State.Web. 22
Apr. 2014.<
http://www.state.gov/www/global/
arms/treaties/salt1.html>
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"Interim Agreement Between The
United States of America and The
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
on Certain Measures With Respect 
to the Limitation of Strategic
Offensive Arms." U.S. Department of
State. U.S. Department of State, n.d.
Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.state.gov/t/isn/4795.h
tm>.
Trueman, Chris. "Leonid Brezhnev."
Leonid Brezhnev. History Learning
Site, Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.historylearningsite.co.

"IB Guides." IB History Notes. Web. 
24 Apr. 2014.
<http://ibguides.com/history/note
s/domestic-and-foreign-problemsof-the-brezhnev-era-economic-andpolitical-stagnation-afghanistan>.
"CIA Activities in Chile." Central
Intelligence Agency. Central
Intelligence Agency, 19 June 2013.
Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
<https://www.cia.gov/library/repor
ts/general-reports-1/chile/#1>.
"Warsaw Pact - Definition of the

Warsaw Pact." About.com European
History. N.p., n.d.Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
<http://europeanhistory.about.com
/od/glossary/g/glwarsawpact.htm
>.
The Editors of Encyclopædia
Britannica. "Salvador Allende
(president of Chile)." Encyclopedia
Britannica Online. Encyclopedia
Britannica, n.d.Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBche
cked/topic/16237/SalvadorAllende>.
“The Warsaw Pact is formed.” 2014.
The History Channel website. Apr 24
2014, 11:08

<http://www.history.com/this-dayin-history/the-warsaw-pact-isformed>
"Nixon and Brezhnev – Partners in
Detente." The New Nixon. Nixon
Foundation, n.d.Web. 24 Apr. 2014. 
<http://blog.nixonfoundation.org/2
010/07/nixon-and-brezhnevpersonal-partners-in-detente/>.
“Nixon visits China.” 2014. The
History Channel website. Apr 25
2014, 12:09
http://<www.history.com/this-dayin-history/nixon-visits-china>
History.com Staff. "Watergate
Scandal." History.com. A&E
Television Networks, 2009. Web. 22
Apr. 2014.
<http://www.history.com/topics/wa
tergate>.
"Richard Nixon: Domestic Policy."
Examiner.com Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.examiner.com/article
/richard-nixon-domestic-policy>.