Theme: Vietnam would eventually destroy Richard Nixon just as it had Lyndon Johnson. His obsession with getting even with antiwar protesters led him to sanction a series of illegal operations including the Watergate cover-up. Nixon's most lasting legacy is his destruction of America's faith in its leaders and government.

1) Foreign Policy

-- Nixon and Kissinger

-- Secret Plan?:

-- DŽtente

 

-- Vietnamization

 

-- Madman

 

-- Negotiate

 

-- Bombing

 

-- Mixed legacy

ð Spectacular Success in Cold War

 

ð Domestic Unrest and Division

2) Domestic Policies

-- Initial Successes

-- The Politics of Division

--"Southern Strategy"

-- 1972 Election

-- Win at All Costs (And Get Even Once You Do)

3) Watergate

-- Seeds of Disaster: The Plumbers

-- The Break-In

-- Money Laundering

-- The Cover-up

-- The Tapes

-- Legacy:

1) The system worked.

 

2) The End of the Imperial Presidency

 

3) Loss of Faith in Government