Author Question: Discuss Richard Nixon's foreign policy successes. What will be an ideal response? (Read 94 times)

ts19998 · **on:** Sep 11, 2019

Question 1

Why did Richard Nixon get himself so entangled in Watergate?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Discuss Richard Nixon's foreign policy successes.

What will be an ideal response?

bigsis44 · **Reply #1 on:** Sep 11, 2019

Answer 1

This is a tough question, but most students will connect Nixon's style as president with his downfall. The text describes Nixon as reclusive, vindictive, and highly suspicious of those who disagreed with him. He surrounded himself with a small group of insiders. The text describes Nixon as having a siege mentality that led him to keep an enemies list to punish his opponents. Watergate and the subsequent cover-up grew out of this.

Answer 2

Despite the fact that Nixon first came on the national scene as a staunch anti-Communist, his administration pursued better relations with Communist nations. Most students will recognize that Henry Kissinger helped to introduce measures that led to a restructuring of America's Cold War policy. These measures included dtente with the Soviet Union and path-breaking negotiations with China, resulting in Nixon's 1972 visit to that country and the resumption of U.S.-Chinese diplomatic relations. The signing of the SALT-I treaty introduced a new era of relations with the Soviet Union. Strong students will point to Nixon's dtente strategy as a continuation of his efforts to check Communist influence.