American Foreign Policy
Since 1972
Unit 10-1 Notes
Chapter 24-1 – The Americans
Gateway Chapter 16
Homework A-H Pages 794-801
I.
The Cold War in the 70s
A. Nixon made approaches to the Soviet Union and
China to pressure North Vietnam.
B. Nixon sought détente – an easing of tensions –
with the Soviet Union and signed SALT to limit
the arms race.
Leonid Breznev was
leader of the Soviet
Union from 19641982
My father in law, Robert H. Jenkins Jr.
meeting with President Nixon, October
24, 1972.
C. Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China to establish
diplomatic relations.
1. Many see Nixon’s opening of relations with Communist
China as his greatest accomplishment.
2. This opened trade and eased Communist China’s entry
to the U.N.
D. The CIA helped General Pinochet overthrow
socialist Salvador Allende in Chile.
1. Pinochet then established a brutal
dictatorship.
II.
Watergate Scandal
A. Nixon ordered former CIA agents
to break into Democratic
headquarters.
B. Nixon tried to cover up the
burglary
C. He was forced by the Supreme
Court to hand over his tapes of
White House conversations.
D. These showed that Nixon had lied
about the cover-up.
E. Nixon resigned from office rather
than be impeached and removed
from office.
III. The Ford Presidency (1974 –
1977)
A. Nixon’s vice-president from
1968-1973 was found guilty of
taking bribes and forced to
resign
B. Nixon picked Michigan
Congressman Gerald Ford to
replace Spiro Agnew
C. Ford became the 38th
President when Nixon
Resigned
1. He is the only person to have
never been elected as both
Vice-President and President
D. Ford pardoned Nixon, kept
Dr. Henry Kissinger as
Secretary of State, and
continued détente.
E. Problems arose in the
Middle East during the ArabIsraeli War
1. Arab OPEC members
boycotted the U.S. and oil
prices soared.
2. Fuel shortages and gas
lines worried Americans
about the limits of world
oil reserves.
3. More Americans bought
smaller Japanese and
European cars.
F. Inflation and unemployment were high.
G. In 1975, South Vietnam fell to Communist North
Vietnam.
H. Ford’s greatest success was with the Helsinki
Accords which recognized European boundaries
and pledged respect for human rights.