Richard Nixon

Who was Richard Nixon?

Richard Nixon was the 37th President of the United States of America.

When was Nixon president?

Nixon was President of the United States from 1969 until 1974.

What was Nixon's background?

Nixon's background included the following:

• ❖ He was a very successful student and studied law at university.
• ❖ He served in the US navy during the Second World War.
• ❖ He served as Eisenhower's vice-president between 1953 and 1961.
• ❖ He ran against John F Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election and lost.

What were the key events in Nixon's presidency?

The key events in Nixon's presidency included:

• ❖ In May 1964, he made a commitment to withdraw the USA from Vietnam.
• ❖ In February 1972, he visited China and was the first US president to visit the communist state.
• ❖ In May 1972, he visited the USSR.
• ❖ In June 1972, the Watergate scandal began.
• ❖ In January 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed, signalling an end to the Vietnam War.
• ❖ In June 1973, he took responsibility for the Watergate scandal.
• ❖ He faced charges of impeachment in July 1974.
• ❖ He became the first US president to resign from office in August 1974.

What were Nixon's views on the Cold War?

Nixon was anti-communist and committed to the policy of containment. However, he also took office at a time when America's Cold War-related spending had reached an unsustainable high. He looked at reducing tensions with communist states, including the USSR and China, to reduce spending.

What roles did Nixon have in America?

Richard Nixon had 3 key roles in America:

• ❖ Had a long career in politics, having been elected to the House of Representatives in 1947 and the Senate in 1950.
• ❖ Served as vice-president under Eisenhower and ran for president in 1960, narrowly losing to John F Kennedy.
• ❖ He eventually became president in January 1969.

Why was Nixon elected president?

One of the key reasons why Nixon was elected president in 1969 was because of President Johnson's failures in the Vietnam War.

Why did Nixon resign as president of the USA?

Richard Nixon resigned as president of the USA on 9th August, 1974 because of his involvement in the Watergate Scandal.