Chapter 30

1. Chapter 30 From Camelot to Watergate

2. Kennedy • The “Best and the Brightest” • Camelot – a time of excitement and energy • Style versus substance • Vigor – ill health • Intellectual – intellectual lightweight • Perfect wife – adulterous affairs

3. The Cuban Crisis • Break from Eisenhower’s reliance on nuclear weapons – directly challenge communism • Established Peace Corps to spread American ideals • Approved Bay of Pigs operation – disaster tightened Cuban-USSR relationship • Made Kennedy look weak

4. The Cuban Crisis • Responses made by USSR included construction of Berlin Wall and test blasts of hydrogen bomb • Kennedy countered with Minutemen missiles and space program • Kennedy also resolved to get rid of Castro – Operation Mongoose plan to use spies, saboteurs, and assassins under direction of RFK • Planned invasion of Cuba

5. The Cuban Crisis • 1962 – Khrushchev moved tanks, bombers, and soldiers to Cuba to forestall US invasion • Also secretly installed nuclear missiles • US spy planes detected missile sites • What action to take? • JFK ordered “quarantine” of Cuba – called on USSR to remove missiles

6. The Cuban Crisis • After two weeks USSR removed missiles – US lifted blockade and agreed not to invade Cuba • US also removed nuclear missiles from Turkey • Both sides sobered by crisis – determined to communicate better • Khrushchev removed due to humiliation of USSR

7. The Vietnam War • Fall of Dien Bien Phu caused French to pull out of Vietnam • Vietnam split at 17th parallel – both sides to conduct elections – none done • North Vietnam communist under Ho Chi Minh • South Vietnam under Bao Dai • Bao Dai overthrown by Ngo Din Diem

8. The Vietnam War • Communists in the south became known as Viet Cong • Eisenhower gave military aid and some training to South Vietnamese army • Kennedy, afraid to look weak, greatly expanded aid and military assistance to Diem • By 1963 there were over 16,000 US soldiers an Vietnam with 120 KIA

9. The Vietnam War • Diem, a Catholic, repressed majority Buddhist peasantry • Buddhist riots and demonstrations – monks burned themselves in protest • Diem overthrown by cabal of Vietnamese army officers and CIA

10. Assignment – Civil Rights • Create a timeline that traces the events, achievements, and key people in the Civil Rights Movement • Pages 799-801

11. Civil Rights Movement • Kennedy not a leader in movement for civil rights due to position of Democratic Party • Movement began slowly - based on industrialization, impact of GI Bill, and rise of black middle class • 1955 – Rosa Parks – Boycott • Emergence of Martin Luther King Jr. • Resulted in desegregation of public transportation

12. Civil Rights Movement • 1957 – Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) formed – headed by King • SCLC joined by Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) • 1960 – Greensboro “Sit-In” • 1961 – Freedom Ride – intent to test effectiveness of anti-discrimination laws in transportation • Resultant court cases broke down legal racial barriers

13. Civil Rights Movement • Some blacks, impatient with progress, called for rejection of white society • Black Muslim Movement – led by Elijah Muhammad – called for a “Black America” • Malcolm X • Martin Luther King – “Letter from Birmingham Jail” • Very tepid support from Kennedy

14. The Kennedy Assassination • November 22 1963 • Lee Harvey Oswald • Jack Ruby • Warren Commission (Chief Justice Earl Warren) • Secrecy of Dulles and CIA encouraged conspiracy theories

15. Lyndon Baines Johnson • Johnson had great experience in Congress • Used knowledge of people and politics to push through legislation • Championed racial equality • Pushed through Civil Rights Act of 1964 – outlawed discrimination by employers, segregation in public places, and voting rights

16. Lyndon Baines Johnson • Declared war on poverty – created the “Great Society” • 20-25 % lived below poverty line • Poor regions like Appalachia • Technology required greater skills • 1964 Economic Opportunity Act – established Job Corps, financing for local anti-poverty efforts, and training programs

17. Lyndon Baines Johnson • Election of 1964 – LBJ versus Barry Goldwater • 1965 – Established Medicare (65 and above) and Medicaid (poor) • 1965 – Elementary and Secondary Education Act – supplied federal funds to school districts and set up Head Start • 1965 – Voting Rights Act – federal protection for black registration

18. Lyndon Baines Johnson • Scorecard • Head Start – success • Education Act – failure as districts used funds for ordinary expenses • Medicare / Medicaid – caused dramatic rise in health costs • Job Corps – failure as few finished expensive courses and even fewer found jobs using new skills

19. Assignment - The Vietnam War • Create a booklet that discusses American involvement in Vietnam from Kennedy through Nixon. Opposition to the war should also be part of the discussion • Booklet should show key events, their impact, and key people • Pages 798-799, 805-808, 810-816

20. Johnson Escalates the War • Political instability in South Vietnam caused LBJ to increase support • Tonkin incident • 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – gave president broad powers to increase troop levels and conduct bombings of North Vietnam

21. Johnson Escalates the War • By 1968 US troop levels at 538,000 • Success judged by “body count” through “search and destroy” missions • Opposition to the war increased especially over bombings, defoliants (Agent Orange), and killing of civilians • Was war justified?

22. Election of 1968 • Opposition to the Vietnam War intensified • Protests against involvement in “civil war,” the draft, and deferments • Senator Eugene McCarthy entered Democratic race for nomination – LBJ deemed invincible • The 1968 Tet Offensive turned public opinion against the war

23. Election of 1968 • Tet caused support to turn to McCarthy • Now LBJ vulnerable, Robert Kennedy also announced his candidacy • LBJ withdrew from the race • VP Hubert Humphrey announced his candidacy with backing of LBJ • Kennedy’s assassination ensured the nomination of Humphrey

24. Election of 1968 • Nixon easily won the Republican primary and presidential nomination • Spiro Agnew (who?) was chosen as running mate • Governor George Wallace ran for the American Independent Party (anti-black and anti-intellectual)

25. Election of 1968 • Democratic Convention held in Chicago • Mayor Daley surrounded convention center with police • Police attacked anti-war demonstrators – television coverage shocked nation • Nixon took advantage and called for tougher treatment of criminals

26. Election of 1968 • Nixon called for ending the war with an “honorable” peace • The Democratic campaign was poorly organized but eventually made it a close race • Nixon won the election – though the Democrats controlled Congress

27. “Vietnamizing” the War • Nixon called for phased withdrawal of US troops followed by elections – North Vietnam refused – wanted no conditions • Nixon in quandary – did not want to end war on communists’ terms • Nixon decided to build up ARVN forces so US could pull out • Huge shipments of materiel were made to South Vietnam (had world’s 4th largest air force)

28. “Vietnamizing” the War • Nixon began withdrawing US troops • Withdrawal did not stop protests • My Lai massacre increased opposition to the war • 1970 - Nixon ordered attack on communist sanctuaries in Cambodia

29. “Vietnamizing” the War • Campus demonstrations increased • At one demonstration at Kent State University, four students were killed • Two students were killed at Jackson State University • Student radicals caused hundreds of colleges to shut down • Protests caused Nixon to pull troops out of Cambodia

30. “Vietnamizing” the War • The withdrawal continued • 1972 – North Vietnamese attacks on South Vietnam caused Nixon to order bombing raids on the North and the mining of Northern harbors to cut off supplies

31. Detente • Nixon decided to treat China and the USSR as separate powers • 1972 – Nixon and Kissinger flew secretly to Beijing • Nixon agreed to support communist China’s bid for admission into UN and to seek greater economic and cultural ties

32. Detente • As a result exports to China rose dramatically • Nixon’s trip was hailed around the world • Nixon also visited the USSR • SALT – both powers agreed to stop making missiles and reduce their numbers to 200 each • Kissinger and North Vietnam came to agreement on Vietnam – cease fire, return of American POWs, and US withdrawal from Vietnam

33. Nixon in Triumph • Nixon easily reelected • South Vietnam rejected the peace proposal (communist forces still in the South) • US resumed bombing the North though losing many B-52s • 1973 – South Vietnam agreed as Nixon promised forceful response if the north resumed their offensive

34. Nixon in Triumph • POWs were released and all US troops withdrawn • The war was over • US lost 57,000 dead and >300,000 wounded • South Vietnamese dead at 185,000 • Communist losses at almost a million • Kissinger shared the Nobel Peace Prize with North Vietnamese minister Le Duc Tho

35. Nixon’s Domestic Policy • Main problem was inflation due to war and Johnson policies • Nixon cut spending, balanced the budget, and the Fed raised interest rates – inflation still rose • Congress allowed Nixon to regulate prices and wages • Labor angered but inflation checked

36. Nixon’s Domestic Policy • Public opinion favored environmental protection – Clean Air Act 1970 and establishment of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) • Nixon sought to strengthen the power of the presidency and decentralize the administration by encouraging state and local control of many programs

37. Nixon’s Domestic Policy • Nixon called for tough treatment of criminals and an end to special concern for blacks and other minorities • This brought Nixon into conflict with liberals and minority leaders • In second term, Nixon ended price/wage controls and prices spiraled

38. Nixon’s Domestic Policy • Nixon set rigid budget limits for government • He cut back spending, abolished some welfare programs, cut grants for science and education, and impounded funds already approved by Congress for spending • Efforts to override Nixon in Congress failed • The “Imperial Presidency”

39. Watergate • Committee to Reelect the President (CREEP) • “The Plumbers” • “Tricky Dick” • 1973 – most Watergate burglars pleaded guilty • James McCord did not – claimed the administration sanctioned the break-in and paid “hush-money” to burglars

40. Watergate • The head of CREEP, Jeb Magruder and John Dean, Nixon’s private lawyer admitted their involvement • Also admitted: • Director of the FBI, Patrick Gray, destroyed documents related to the case • Large sums had been paid to the burglars at the instigation of the White House • The offices of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist had been burglarized • Large corporations had made illegal political donations to Nixon • Wiretaps had been placed on phones of officials and journalists

41. Watergate • Most of Nixon’s closest advisors resigned • Nixon denied any personal involvement • John Dean testified Nixon personally involved in cover-up • It was revealed that Nixon secretly taped conversations and phone calls in Oval Office • Nixon refused access to the tapes

42. Watergate • Public calls for resignation or impeachment caused Nixon to appoint a special prosecutor (Archibald Cox) to investigate the affair • Cox subpoenaed the tapes – Nixon appealed but lost • Nixon ordered the Attorney-General to fire Cox – he refused and he and his deputy resigned (Saturday Night Massacre)

43. Watergate • Congress began calling for impeachment • Nixon backed down – appointed a new special prosecutor (Leon Jawarski) • Many tapes missing – another had a section deliberately erased • Many of Nixon’s closest advisors were indicted and Nixon was named “unindicted co-conspirator”

44. Watergate • IRS announced most of Nixon’s tax deductions unjustified – Nixon owed half million dollars in taxes • Tapes released to public – many shocked by Nixon’s attitudes towards the public and his language (expletive deleted) • Jaworski called for additional tapes – Nixon refused

45. Watergate • United States v. Richard Nixon – wanted to compel Nixon to hand over tapes • 1974 – Congress publicly debated the case and articles of impeachment were drawn up • Supreme Court ruled Nixon must turn over 64 tapes – Nixon complied reluctantly

46. Watergate • Nixon calculated his fate in Congress – how many votes could he count on? Needed 34 senators • Tapes revealed he was complicit in cover-up – Nixon lost Republican support • Nixon resigned August 1974 • VP Gerald Ford succeeded Nixon as president (Spiro Agnew had already resigned 1973 due to charges of tax evasion)