The document summarizes key events in the Vietnam War in the 1970s and Nixon's presidency. It describes how public support for the war waned as the human costs mounted. Nixon became president in 1968 promising to end the war with "peace with honor" but prolonged it for several more years through bombing of Cambodia and Laos. His policies of Vietnamization gradually removed US troops but Congress revoked support for the war. Protests against the war grew more intense, exemplified by the shooting of student protestors at Kent State. The Pentagon Papers revealed the US never had a plan to end the war. Nixon appealed to the "silent majority" but the legacy of Vietnam included reforms like the War Powers Act limiting presidential war powers.

2. 1970s

3. Vietnam Summary:
US involved b/c of:
1) Domino theory
2) By 1967,
--500,000 US soldiers are there
most Americans still
supporting the war
3) Tet offensive showed many that
US would never win

4. End of Vietnam:
I: Nixon becomes President in 1968
A. Promise to end Vietnam War
1. Peace with honor
--this attitude prolonged the war several more years
2. bombs Cambodia and Laos
--to show North Vietnamese the US is strong
3. Vietnamization
--makes the Vietnamese take more responsibility for
fight
-- begins to remove US troops

5. B. Support for Nixon and Vietnam erodes
1. People are against bombing Cambodia and
Laos
2. Congress revokes the Gulf of Tonkin resolution
a. Nixon authorizes attacks in Cambodia
without Congress
approval

6. 3. Kent State
a. National Guardsmen shoot student protestors
-- most people thought guardsmen were
correct
--regular people were getting tired of protests
4. Pentagon papers
a. Secret documents released showing there never
was
a plan to end the Vietnam war

7. C. Nixon appeals to the “silent majority” for support
a. silent majority = regular people who want law
and order and peace with honor

8. D. Legacy of Vietnam
1. draft abolished
2. War Powers Act
a. President must inform congress of action in 48
hours
b. soldiers can only be deployed 90 days w/o
Congress approval
3. Americans want less involvement in foreign problems
4. Americans become cynical about their government

9. Nixon’s foreign policy successes:
A. Ends Vietnam war
B. Creates a policy of ‘realpolitik’
1. ignore communism
2. only deal with countries that are strong enough to be
a bother to US
3. ignore the weak
C. Détente’– policy aimed at easing cold war tensions
-- get along better with Soviet Union

10. D. Visit to China
1. opened economic and diplomatic relations
2. agreed not to dominate Pacific
3. exploited a Chinese hatred of Soviet Union
4. agreed to settle disputes peacefully
E. Visit to Soviet Union
1. SALT I Treaty – limiting nuclear weapons

11. Nixon’s New Federalism
A: Attempt to shrink size and influence of federal government
1. revenue sharing– states could spend fed money where
they wanted
2. Family Assistance Plan
a.reduce rules on how families spend welfare
b. Senate defeated this bill
3. Impounded federal money for programs he didn’t like
a. Over 100 federal programs were left unfunded
(low income housing, health, housing, education)
b. Supreme Court rules this policy unconstitutional

12. B: Law and order politics
1. Promised the “silent majority” end of protests and riots
a. Illegal spying and wiretaps on liberals and Democrats
b. CIA investigates anti government protestors
c. IRS audits anti war protestors
d. Complained that the media only supported the liberals

13. 2. Tries to turn Southerners into Republicans
a. slows integration
b. Opposed the Voting rights act
c. Opposed court ordered busing (Swann v Charlotte Meck
Schools)
d. Appointed conservative justices to the Supreme Court