Chapters 30b, 31b,32

1
Unit 11

• Chapters 30b, 31b,32
• SSUSH 20 d 21 c 24 c,e,f 25 a-c

2
Events in the

• 1960s
• AND
• 1970s

3
The Vietnam War

• During the 1800s France established a colony in
  the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam.
• Following WWII, war erupted as Vietnamese
  nationalists wanted independence from France.
• This greatly concerned President Eisenhower b/c
  of the nationalists ties to communism.
• At a conference in Geneva, Switzerland, countries
  met to search for a peaceful solution.
• In 1954, the Geneva Accords were drafted it
  called for Vietnam to be divided into 2 separate
  nations.

4
Geneva Conference
Anticommunist Vietnamese refugees moving from a
French LSM landing ship to the USS Montague
during Operation Passage to Freedom in August
1954
French Indochina
5
The Vietnam War

• In the North, Ho Chi Minh established a
  communist-backed govt.
• In the South, the US supported the govt of Ngo
  Dinh Diem.
• It was not long before war broke out b/t the 2
  sides.
• Even in his own country, Diem faced opposition.
• He imprisoned many people who criticized his
  govt and he allowed US money sent to help his
  people end up in the hands of corrupt
  politicians.
• Diem also alienated the mostly Buddhist
  population by trying to force his own Catholic
  views on them.

6
H? Chí Minh
Ngô Ðình Di?m
7
The Vietnam War

• In the early 1960s, both Eisenhower and Kennedy
  feared the spread of communism.
• Both sent military advisors to aid South Vietnam
  against the North and against communist rebels in
  the South known as the Viet Cong.
• Eventually, JFK and his Secretary of Defense,
  Robert McNamara, realized that communism would
  not be defeated in Vietnam as long as Diems
  corrupt govt controlled the South.
• In 1963, when Diem was overthrown and killed by
  members of his own military, JFK and McNamara
  worried about how they might pull US military
  personnel out of South Vietnam.

8
Viet Cong Flag, Soldier, Uniform, Weapons
Robert McNamara
9
The Vietnam War

• Unfortunately, JFK was assassinated in November
  1963 before any decision was reached.
• The presidency then fell to Vice President Lyndon
  B. Johnson.
• LBJ vowed that he would not lose Vietnam to the
  Communists.
• In August 1964, just months before the Election
  of 1964, a key incident occurred in the Gulf of
  Tonkin.
• Johnson announced to the nation during his
  campaign that the North Vietnamese had attacked
  US ships.

10
The Vietnam WarGulf of Tonkin Resolution

• Details were sketchy and some questioned if the
  event even occurred the way Johnson claimed, but
  Johnson was able to use the incident to get
  Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
• This gave the president the authority to take
  all necessary measures to repel any armed attack
  against the forces of the United States
• It gave Johnson the power to take military
  actions in Vietnam w/o having to get approval
  from Congress.

11
Painting of USS Maddox firing upon three P-4
torpedo boats
In 2005, an internal National Security Agency
historical study was declassified it concluded
that the Maddox had engaged the North Vietnamese
Navy on August 2, but that there may not have
been any North Vietnamese Naval vessels present
during the incident of August 4. The report
stated It is not simply that there is a
different story as to what happened it is that
no attack happened that night. ... In truth,
Hanoi's navy was engaged in nothing that night
but the salvage of two of the boats damaged on
August 2.
12
The Vietnam WarBarry Goldwater (1964)

• LBJ (Democrat) won the election of 1964 by
  portraying his opponent Barry Goldwater
  (Republican), as a man ready to plunge the US
  into a nuclear war over Vietnam.
• US Senator from Arizona, Barry Goldwater, was
  actually a much more conservative figure.
• Conservatism is the belief that the govt should
  not try to regulate too much.
• Conservatives would rather keep taxes low and
  have a govt that does as little as possible.
• They believe in personal freedoms and property
  rights rather than govt trying to control how
  society operates.

13
Barry Goldwater United States Senator from
ArizonaJanuary 3, 1969  January 3, 1987
14
The Vietnam WarBarry Goldwater (1964)

• Goldwaters ideas appealed to many conservative
  southern Democrats, western conservatives, and
  Republicans.
• Despite Johnsons easy victory in the 1964
  election, Goldwaters ability to win the
  Republican nomination and parts of the South over
  a Democratic president had historic significance.

15
The Vietnam WarBarry Goldwater (1964)

• First, it was a lesson in what conservatives
  needed to do to mobilize an effective campaign.
• Second, it marked a major shift in southern
  politics the days of the Solid South were
  over.
• Once elected LBJ was prepared to increase US
  military presence in Vietnam.

16
1964 Presidential Election
Goldwater versus Johnson
17
The Vietnam War

• By 1965, the Viet Cong were continuing to expand
  as more of the poor in South Vietnam were drawn
  to their cause.
• Key to the Viet Congs efforts were the supplies
  that came from North Vietnam along what is called
  the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
• To try and cut off this support, Johnson ordered
  an intense bombing campaign against North
  Vietnam.
• The operation was code named Operation Rolling
  Thunder.
• During this time, the US dropped tons of
  explosives.
• The bombings destroyed bridges, supply lines, and
  villages. They also killed many civilians in the
  process.

18
Coolies took supplies south on the Ho Chi Minh
Trail (1959)
A 23-year-old man who nearly starved to death
after spending one month in a Vietcong internment
camp, 1966.
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20
The Vietnam War

• B/t 1965 and 1968, the US military presence
  increased dramatically.
• On January 30, 1968, the North Vietnamese and
  Viet Cong launched a major coordinated attack
  against the US and South Vietnamese forces.
• Known as the Tet Offensive, it produced heavy
  fighting, even in the South Vietnamese capital of
  Saigon.
• The Viet Cong and North Vietnamese were
  eventually turned back, but they won a major
  psychological victory.
• The Tet Offensive showed that the Communists
  could launch a coordinated attack.
• It also led many people in the US to question how
  the govt was handling the war and whether US
  troops should be there at all.

21
General William Westmoreland
Some Viet Cong targets in South Vietnam
U.S. Marines battle in Hamo village
22
The Vietnam WarAttitudes at Home

• Few events in US history have divided people like
  the Vietnam War.
• On one hand, many people believed that it was
  important to fight communism at every turn they
  believed Vietnam was a noble cause and that it
  was not wrong to send in troops.
• Such people were more upset with the govt for
  limiting the militarys ability to win the war.

23
The Vietnam WarAttitudes at Home

• On the other hand, a growing number of citizens
  and activists proclaimed that it was wrong for US
  soldiers to be in Vietnam at all.
• Some even viewed the US actions as criminal.
• Johnson found himself caught in the middle.
• His popularity plummeted as he was blamed for
  failures in Vietnam.
• So great was the weight of the ordeal that
  Johnson decided not to run for re-election in
  1968.

24
Vietnam War Protests Doves
25
Actress Jane Hanoi Jane Fonda and Politician
John Kerry
26
The Vietnam War

• Richard Nixon (Republican) took office in 1969
  and advocated a policy of Vietnamization.
• He wanted South Vietnamese soldiers to take the
  place of the US soldiers in Vietnam.
• However, while Nixon wanted to reduce the numbers
  of US troops in Southeast Asia, he was also
  determined to make sure that South Vietnam did
  not fall to the Communists.
• He combined his withdrawal of US troops with
  renewed bombing against North Vietnam and the
  neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia,
  believing that certain areas of these countries
  were supporting the Viet Cong.

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The Vietnam War

• In April 1970, Nixon went even further and
  authorized US troops to invade Cambodia for the
  purpose of destroying Communist training camps.
• Nixon did not expect these moves to end the war,
  but he hoped that they would give him more
  negotiating power for ending the war on favorable
  terms for the US.

29
The Vietnam War

• The US, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and leaders
  of the Viet Cong met in Paris, France in January
  1973.
• There they signed the Paris Peace Accords,
  officially ending US involvement in Vietnam.
• The agreement called for
• Withdrawal of US troops within 60 days.
• Release of prisoners of war.
• All parties involved would end military
  activities in Laos and Cambodia.
• The 17th parallel would continue to divide
  Vietnam.

30
The Vietnam WarThe Troops Come Home

• The return of US soldiers caused almost as much
  division as the war itself.
• While many appreciated their efforts and saw them
  as returning heroes, others viewed them as having
  participated in an unjust war against a Third
  World country, others just felt let down b/c they
  were unsure about why troops were in Vietnam in
  the first place.
• As a result, the bravery and sacrifice of
  thousands of soldiers was overshadowed by
  controversy and disgust.

31
"No event in American history is more
misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was
misreported then, and it is misremembered now.
Rarely have so many people been so wrong about so
much. Never have the consequences of their
misunderstanding been so tragic." --Richard Nixon
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33
The Environmentalist Movement

• The 1960s also saw the birth of the modern
  environmentalist movement.
• Environmentalists are concerned with preserving
  the Earths resources and species of life.
• They often focus their efforts on drawing
  attention to and combating ways in which human
  beings negatively affect the environment.
• Although calls for govt action date all the way
  back to the late 1800s, the modern movement began
  b/c of scientist/writer, Rachel Carson.

34
The Environmentalist Movement

• Carson published a book in 1962 entitled Silent
  Spring, in which she argued that mankinds use of
  certain chemicals (especially pesticides) was
  poisoning the environment.
• Despite protests from several chemical companies,
  Carsons book won critical acclaim and led to the
  banning of DDT and more govt restrictions on
  various chemicals.
• Its message, combined with the activist
  atmosphere of the 1960s, fueled an entire
  movement.

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37
The Environmentalist Movement

• As more people joined the cause, the US
  celebrated the first ever Earth Day in April
  1970.
• Earth Day became an annual event meant to
  encourage concern for the environment and draw
  attention to environmental issues.
• That same year, President Nixon established the
  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a
  federal agency whose purpose is to enforce laws
  aimed at maintaining a safe and clean environment.

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39
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Most people remember Nixon as a president whose
  greatest accomplishment was foreign policy.
• Nixon took a new approach towards the USSR and
  China he introduced the policy of détente.
• Under détente, Nixon sought to use diplomacy
  rather than intimidation to ease tensions that
  existed b/t the US and Communist nations.
• Nixon became the first president to publicly
  acknowledge the Communist govt of China and he
  even visited China during his first term in
  office.

40
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Nixon also realized that, although both the USSR
  and China were communist, the 2 nations disagreed
  with one another on some major issues.
• For this reason, Nixon believed that good
  relations with the Chinese would give him more
  bargaining power with the Soviets.
• In 1972, after extensive talks with Soviet
  leader, Leonid Brezhnev, the US and USSR signed
  the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT
  I), which limited development of certain nuclear
  weapons.

41
Détente (French for 'relaxation') is the easing
of strained relations, especially in a political
situation. The term is often used in reference to
the general easing of relations between the
Soviet Union and the United States in the 1970s,
a thawing at a period roughly in the middle of
the Cold War. Détente is an alternative strategy
to rollback, the strategy of destroying an enemy
state, and containment, which means preventing
the expansion of the enemy state.
42
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• At home, Nixon wanted to cut govt programs and
  spending and give more power back to the states.
• He wanted to turn back the aggressive tide of
  civil rights legislation and he advocated a
  middle road b/t integration and segregation.
• Nixon also took advantage of vacancies on the
  Supreme Court to nominate judges that he believed
  would interpret the Constitution the way that he
  did.
• Despite Nixons concerns, civil rights continued
  to advance during his time in office and even won
  key court victories.

43
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Another topic to gain attention was the idea of
  affirmative action policy aimed at increasing
  minority representation in the workplace,
  educational institutions, social settings, etc.
  by imposing guidelines requiring the hiring or
  acceptance of minority candidates, or by actively
  pursuing recruitment of such candidates.
• In 1978, the SC ruled on affirmative action in
  the case of Regents of UC v. Bakke.
• In 1973 1974, a white man named Allan Bakke
  applied to medical school at the University of
  California.
• He was not accepted either time he challenged
  the universitys affirmative action program that
  guaranteed 16 places in each new class to
  qualified minorities.

44
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Believing that his qualifications were superior
  to those of other accepted students, Bakke sued
  the University of California Medical School.
• The SC ruled in favor of Bakke, stating that,
  while race could be used as a consideration in
  admission, the institution of racial quotas is a
  violation of the 14th Amendments equal
  protections clause.
• The case did not strike down affirmative action,
  but it did set a precedent that quotas cannot be
  used in the interest of increasing minority
  representation.

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46
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• The womens movement of the 1960s-70s led to a
  campaign to amend the Constitution.
• Many of the movements supporters wanted an
  amendment making sexual discrimination illegal.
• In 1972, the Equal Rights Amendment passed
  Congress and was sent to the states for
  ratification.
• This amendment was considered highly
  controversial, however, and gained opposition
  from women and men.
• It failed to be ratified by enough states and was
  never added as an amendment to the Constitution.

47
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Prior to 1973, states could outlaw or restrict
  abortions during a womans pregnancy.
• Citing an implied (not directly stated in the
  Constitution) right to privacy, the SC ruled
  state laws restricting a womans right to an
  abortion during the first 3 months of pregnancy
  to be unconstitutional.
• Roe v. Wade remains one of the most controversial
  decisions in US history.

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49
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Despite some of the social conflicts and economic
  woes facing the nation, most citizens felt far
  more positive about Nixon than they did about the
  liberal Democratic candidate, George McGovern, in
  the 1972 presidential election.
• As a result, Nixon easily won re-election to a
  second term.
• War protests and social unrest, however, left
  President Nixon and those close to him fearing
  the possibility of political conspiracies (plots
  to undermine the govt).

50
George McGovern
The current dilemma in Vietnam is a clear
demonstration of the limitations of military
power. ... Current U.S. involvement is a policy
of moral debacle and political defeat. ... The
trap we have fallen into there will haunt us in
every corner of this revolutionary world if we do
not properly appraise its lessons."
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52
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Prior to the 1972 election, officials loyal to
  the president devised a number of schemes meant
  to protect him.
• One of the plans involved wiretapping phones at
  the Democratic National Committee headquarters.
• The attempt failed, and police arrested 5 men for
  breaking into the Watergate office complex.
• What followed came to be known as the Watergate
  Scandal.

53
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Nixon had not known about the plan, but he did
  participate in the cover-up.
• Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl
  Bernstein pursued the Watergate story and played
  a major role in revealing how high up the scandal
  went.
• In 1973, the US Senate formed a Watergate
  Committee to investigate the scandal.
• Key points in the hearings came when the
  presidents personal counsel, John Dean,
  testified that Nixon knew about the cover-up.

54
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Later, an additional aid revealed that a secret
  taping system in the presidents office recorded
  conversations that proved the presidents
  involvement.
• Nixon refused to release the tapes, claiming that
  he was not required to do so by law.
• The Supreme Court ruled that Nixon had to deliver
  the tapes, however, and he finally complied.
• Although the released transcripts had an 18.5
  minute portion missing, there was still enough on
  the tapes to seriously damage the president.

55
Watergate Scandal
56
Presidency of Richard Nixon

• Four days later, Richard M. Nixon became the only
  president in history to resign from office.
• Had he not done so, he would have been impeached
  by the House of Representatives and likely found
  guilty by the Senate.

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59
Nixons Resignation Speech

• In all the decisions I have made in my public
  life, I have always tried to do what was best for
  the Nation. Throughout the long and difficult
  period of Watergate, I have felt it was my duty
  to persevere, to make every possible effort to
  complete the term of office to which you elected
  me. In the past few days, however, it has become
  evident to me that I no longer have a strong
  enough political base in the Congress to justify
  continuing that effort. As long as there was such
  a base, I felt strongly that it was necessary to
  see the constitutional process through to its
  conclusion, that to do otherwise would be
  unfaithful to the spirit of that deliberately
  difficult process and a dangerously destabilizing
  precedent for the future.I would have preferred
  to carry through to the finish whatever the
  personal agony it would have involved, and my
  family unanimously urged me to do so. But the
  interest of the Nation must always come before
  any personal considerations. From the discussions
  I have had with Congressional and other leaders,
  I have concluded that because of the Watergate
  matter I might not have the support of the
  Congress that I would consider necessary to back
  the very difficult decisions and carry out the
  duties of this office in the way the interests of
  the Nation would require.I have never been a
  quitter. To leave office before my term is
  completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my
  body. But as President, I must put the interest
  of America first. America needs a full-time
  President and a full-time Congress, particularly
  at this time with problems we face at home and
  abroad. To continue to fight through the months
  ahead for my personal vindication would almost
  totally absorb the time and attention of both the
  President and the Congress in a period when our
  entire focus should be on the great issues of
  peace abroad and prosperity without inflation at
  home. Therefore, I shall resign the Presidency
  effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford
  will be sworn in as President at that hour in
  this office.

60
Presidency of Gerald Ford

• Nixons resignation meant that Vice President
  Gerald Ford became the president.
• In 1974, President Ford faced a number of tough
  challenges.
• Perhaps none was as difficult as dealing with the
  nations persistent stagflation both inflation
  and unemployment rise at the same time, creating
  an economic nightmare.
• To deal with this hardship, Ford introduced WIN,
  which stood for Whip Inflation Now.
• Proclaiming inflation to be public enemy 1,
  Ford called on US citizens to save rather than
  spend, conserve fuel, and plant vegetable
  gardens.
• WIN relied on people voluntarily changing their
  behavior to deal with inflation.

61
As the first person appointed to the
vice-presidency under the terms of the 25th
Amendment (after the resignation of Spiro Agnew),
when he became President upon Richard Nixon's
resignation on August 9, 1974, he became the only
President of the United States who was never
elected President or Vice-President.
62
Presidency of Gerald Ford

• Asking people to wear WIN buttons, Ford hoped to
  recreate the feeling of patriotism and sense of
  purpose that had motivated people to sacrifice
  during WWII.
• The program fell short, however, and faded away.
• Although an increase in unemployment benefits and
  a tax cut provided some relief, inflation and
  unemployment were still high entering the 1976
  election.

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64
Presidency of Jimmy Carter

• Still blamed by many for the nations economic
  problems, Ford barely survived the challenge from
  former California governor Ronald Reagan to win
  the Republican nomination.
• He then faced Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter in
  the 1976 presidential election.
• Formerly the governor of Georgia, Carter ran his
  campaign as a Washington outsider who had not
  been corrupted by national politics.
• The strategy worked well so soon after Watergate
  and helped Carter defeat Ford in a relatively
  close election.

65
Jimmy Carter
66
The United States presidential election of 1976
followed the resignation of President Richard
Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal. It
pitted incumbent President Gerald Ford, the
Republican candidate, against the relatively
unknown former governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter,
the Democratic candidate. Ford was saddled with a
slow economy and paid a political price for his
pardon of Nixon. Carter ran as a Washington
outsider and reformer and won a narrow victory.
He was the first president elected from the Deep
South since Zachary Taylor in 1848. No post-1976
Democratic candidate has managed to match or
better Carter's electoral performance in the
American South.
67
Presidency of Jimmy Carter

• Under Jimmy Carter, détente continued as the US
  and USSR signed a treaty meant to further limit
  the production of nuclear arms (SALT II).
• In 1979, however, the Soviet Union invaded
  Afghanistan.
• The US condemned the invasion and US-Soviet
  relations turned chilly once again.
• The Soviet invasion also killed any chance SALT
  II had of being ratified by the Senate.

68
Carter and Brezhnev
69
Presidency of Jimmy Carter

• Carter also devoted much attention to the Middle
  East.
• For centuries, Arabs and Jews have fought
  bitterly over the region of Palestine.
• A new chapter in this conflict opened in 1948
  after the United Nations formally recognized the
  Jewish state of Israel in the disputed territory.
• Jewish people welcomed the decision and felt that
  such a homeland was needed after the horrors of
  the Holocaust.
• Arab nations, however, were furious!

70
Presidency of Jimmy Carter

• As a result, many of the Arab nations and Israel
  fought a series of wars against each other.
• One of the countries that fought Israel was
  Egypt, which was widely viewed as the most
  powerful and influential Arab nation at the
  time.
• In November 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat
  shocked everyone when he flew to Israel to meet
  with that countrys Prime Minister, Menachem
  Begin.
• It was the first time any Arab leader had
  acknowledge Israel, much less visited the country.

71
Presidency of Jimmy Carter

• Many in the Arab world hated Sadat for going to
  Israel, but Sadat felt it was necessary for
  improving their relationship.
• Soon after, President Jimmy Carter invited the 2
  leaders to Camp David (the presidents personal
  retreat) to continue their talks.
• Initially, the meetings proved to be
  unproductive.
• Through Carters efforts, however, both nations
  ended up signing the Camp David Accords on
  September 17, 1978.
• The agreement called for a peace treaty b/t the 2
  nations and meant that Israel would withdraw from
  territories taken during the Yom Kippur War.
• A few years later, President Sadat was
  assassinated in Egypt, in part b/c of his work
  with Israel.

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Anwar Sadat-Egypt Jimmy Carter-US Menachem
Begin-Israel
Meeting at Camp David
After signing the Camp David Accords
73
Presidency of Jimmy Carter

• Most viewed the Camp David Accords as a stroke of
  diplomatic genius by Carter.
• The following year, however, the Middle East went
  from being an area of great accomplishment for
  the president to being his worst nightmare.
• For years, the US had enjoyed a good relationship
  with the Shah (leader) of Iran.
• Iran was an important ally b/c of its abundant
  oil supply and strategic location b/t the oil
  fields of Saudi Arabia and the dreaded Soviet
  Union.

74
Presidency of Jimmy Carter

• In 1979, however, a revolution in Iran forced the
  Shah to flee.
• In his place, a govt based on strict Muslim law
  and led by an Islamic cleric known as the
  Ayatollah Khomeini took over the country.
• When President Carter allowed the Shah to enter
  the US for medical treatment, an enraged Iranian
  mob invaded the US embassy in Tehran, Iran and
  took all those inside hostage.
• In exchange for their release, the Iranians
  demanded that the US govt hand over the Shah to
  stand trial.

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Shah of Iran and his wife
Ayatollah Khomeini
1979 Iranian Revolution
76
Presidency of Jimmy Carter

• The Iranian Hostage Crisis began on November 4,
  1979, and lasted the remainder of Carters time
  in office.
• Carter refused to surrender the Shah and
  attempted diplomatic negotiations to win the
  hostages release.
• When this failed, he authorized an attempted
  military rescue 5 months into the crisis.
• The mission failed when bad weather caused a
  military helicopter to collide with a transport
  plane, killing 8 US soldiers.

77
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis
between Iran and the United States. Fifty-two US
citizens were held hostage for 444 days from
November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a
group of Islamic students and militants took over
the Embassy of the United States in support of
the Iranian Revolution
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A man holding a sign during a protest of the
crisis in Washington, D.C. in 1979. The sign
reads "Deport all Iranians" and "Get the hell out
of my country" on its forefront, and "Release all
Americans now" on its back.
80
Presidency of Jimmy Carter

• Later in 1980, after the death of the Shah, the 2
  sides finally reached an agreement and the
  Iranian govt released the hostages on January
  21, 1981.
• That same day, Ronald Reagan became the new
  president.
• As one final act of defiance against Carter, the
  Iranians waited until Reagan officially took
  office before allowing the hostages to leave Iran.

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Hostages FINALLY Released!
82
Unit 12

• Chapters 333-34
• SSUSH 21 c 25 c-g

83
Events in the

• 1980s,
• 1990s,
• and 2000s

84
Presidency of Ronald Reagan

• When Ronald Reagan entered office in 1981, he
  introduced an economic plan that his critics
  quickly labeled Reaganomics.
• Reagan believed that the economy would be
  stimulated and would recover quickest if the
  supply of goods increased.
• Therefore, he backed policies and supported
  corporate tax cuts designed to benefit producers.
• His reasoning was often called the trickle down
  theory b/c it advocated that the benefits felt
  by business owners would eventually trickle
  down to consumers.

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The Great Communicator
86
Presidency of Ronald Reagan

• When Reagan became president, he believed that 2
  major things needed to happen.
• First, the size and role of the govt needed to
  decrease.
• Second, the US military had to be built up and
  strengthened.
• This meant that at the same time Reagan was
  spending big bucks on the military, he was
  cutting taxes and decreasing govt regulation in
  certain areas.
• This contributed to a record national debt.

87
The four pillars of Reagan's economic policy were
to Reduce Growth of Government spending. Reduce
Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax. Reduce
Government regulation. Control the money supply
to reduce inflation.
88
Presidency of Ronald Reagan

• Unlike Nixon and his predecessors, Reagan
  believed that the USSR could not be trusted and
  that they would stop short of nothing but
  worldwide domination.
• Reagan made headlines during his first term when
  he referred to the USSR as an evil empire.
• Reagan poured 1.5 trillion into the military and
  initiated SDI (the Strategic Defense Initiative),
  more commonly known as Star Wars (based on the
  1977 film).
• With SDI, Reagan envisioned the development of a
  satellite shield that could prevent Soviet
  missiles from ever reaching their target.
• Reagan knew the USSR could not economically
  afford to compete with such a program.

89
Presidency of Ronald Reagan

• In 1985, a new leader named Mikhail Gorbachev
  became the leader of the USSR.
• Despite Reagans misgivings about the USSR, he
  and Gorbachev struck up an unlikely friendship.
• In 1987, they signed the INF Treaty, which
  reduced the number of US and Soviet missiles in
  Europe.
• Gorbachev realized that the Soviet economy could
  not sustain an arms race with the US any longer.
• For this reason, he started a policy of glasnost
  (political openness) and perestroika (a
  restructuring of the economy to allow limited
  free enterprise).

90
Reagan and Gorbachev
91
Presidency of Ronald Reagan

• These changes, along with the collapse of
  Communist nations in Eastern Europe, paved the
  way for the fall of communism in the Soviet Union
  and its satellite nations.
• On one occasion, while speaking in West Berlin,
  President Reagan challenged the Soviet leader
  publicly when he proclaimed before a crowd at the
  Berlin Wall, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this
  wall!
• Finally, on November 9, 1989, the East German
  govt announced that people could travel freely
  to West Berlin.

92
Ronald Reagan speaks at the Berlin Wall's
Brandenburg Gate, challenging Gorbachev to "tear
down this wall!"
93
Presidency of Ronald Reagan

• Germans flocked to the Berlin Wall and began
  tearing it down with sledgehammers and anything
  else they could find.
• The wall, and the iron curtain, had come down.
• Just a few years after the fall of the Berlin
  Wall, the Soviet Union itself dissolved it had
  survived 80 years!
• Although he was no longer in office at the time,
  many credited Reagan with bringing about the end
  of the Cold War.

94
Before And After
95
Presidency of Ronald Reagan

• From the time Castro came to power in the 1950s,
  the US was concerned about communism spreading to
  Latin America.
• In the 1980s, this concern took root in
  Nicaragua.
• Nicaragua was ruled by a pro-Soviet govt known
  as the Sandinistas.
• To counter the Sandinistas, the US secretly
  provided training and support for Nicaraguan
  rebels known as the Contras.
• Congress cut off funding when it learned of these
  operations, claiming that such actions violated
  US neutrality laws.

96
Presidency of Ronald Reagan

• This led to what is known as the Iran-Contra
  Affair.
• Some of those in the Reagan administration
  decided to find other means by which to help the
  Contras.
• In exchange for securing the release of US
  hostages held in Lebanon, the US arranged to
  secretly sell arms to Iran.
• The deal did little to win the release of
  hostages, and when it became public it created
  the biggest scandal in govt since Watergate.
• In the end, Marine Colonel Oliver North, took
  most of the blame.

97
Presidency of Ronald Reagan

• Testifying on national television in his Marine
  Corps uniform, North came off looking like a hero
  to many citizens who viewed him as a brave
  soldier in the fight against communism.
• Meanwhile, Reagan claimed that he had no
  knowledge of the arrangement, and no evidence was
  ever produced that he did.
• After 2 terms in office, Reagan left office in
  1989.
• While many people criticized Reagan for the high
  debt and Iran-Contra scandal, others believed him
  to be one of the greatest presidents in US
  history.

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99
The scandal was composed of arms sales to Iran in
violation of the official US policy of an arms
embargo against Iran, and of using funds thus
generated to arm and train the Contra militants
based in Honduras as they waged a guerilla war to
topple the government of Nicaragua.
100
The Presidency of George HW Bush

• After serving 8 years as Reagans Vice President,
  George HW Bush became the new president.
• He was in office when the Berlin Wall came down
  and when the Soviet Union finally collapsed.
• He also acted as the commander-in-chief over the
  nations military during the Persian Gulf War in
  1991.
• Bush worked through the United Nations to
  coordinate an alliance b/t 28 countries that took
  military action against Iraq after Saddam Hussein
  refused to withdraw his troops from Kuwait back
  to Iraq.
• The war lasted only 42 days and resulted in the
  liberation of Kuwait.

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102
What is at stake is more than one small country,
it is a big idea a new world order, where
diverse nations are drawn together in common
cause to achieve the universal aspirations of
mankind peace and security, freedom, and the
rule of law. --George H.W. Bush
103
The Persian Gulf War (August 2, 1990  February
28, 1991), commonly referred to as simply the
Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized
coalition force from thirty-four nations led by
the United States, against Iraq.
H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. and President George
H. W. Bush visit U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia on
Thanksgiving Day, 1990.
104
The Presidency of George HW Bush

• After the Gulf War, Bushs popularity soared.
• Citizens cheered him as a leader who had stood up
  to tyranny and led the nation to a great victory.
• By the time of the 1992 election, however, things
  had drastically changed.
• The presidents foreign policy success was
  quickly forgotten as the economy took a downturn.
• The Democrats successfully portrayed Bush as not
  only responsible for the economic difficulties,
  but also as being out of touch with the struggles
  of common citizens.

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106
The Presidency of Bill Clinton

• The presidential election of 1992 was one of the
  most memorable in history.
• The Republicans put their hopes in George HW
  Bush, while the Democrats nominated Bill Clinton.
• Clinton had served for years as governor of
  Arkansas.
• Although he was not well known before 1992,
  Clinton ran a calculated campaign which
  emphasized the nations economic challenges and
  portrayed Bush as being incapable of recognizing
  or dealing with the problems of the nation.

107
Bill Clinton with Ross Perot, Independent, and
President George H. W. Bush, Republican, in a
national debate
First inauguration of Bill Clinton (January 20,
1993)
108
The Presidency of Bill Clinton

• What made the 1992 election so different,
  however, was not the Democratic and Republican
  candidates, but rather its formidable independent
  candidate, H. Ross Perot.
• Because of the discontent many felt with the
  federal govt and the two major parties, Ross
  Perot gained a great deal of national support.
• Perot dropped out of the race unexpectedly, only
  to change his mind and re-enter again.
• Perots odd behavior cost him the loyalty of many
  of his supporters and his campaign never regained
  its earlier momentum.
• It did, however, pull away some support from
  President Bush.
• In 1992, Democrats recaptured the White House for
  the first time since 1980 when Bill Clinton won
  with less than 50 of the popular vote.

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110
The Presidency of Bill Clinton

• Under Clinton, the US ratified NAFTA (The North
  American Free Trade Agreement).
• NAFTA promoted free trade (no trade restrictions)
  b/t the US, Canada, and Mexico, and caused
  considerable controversy in the US.
• Many labor unions feared the agreement would
  encourage US businesses to relocate to Mexico
  where they would face fewer restrictions and be
  able to pay lower wages.
• Supporters of NAFTA argued it would create jobs
  in the US by increasing foreign markets for US
  businesses.

111
The goal of NAFTA was to eliminate barriers of
trade and investment between the US, Canada and
Mexico. The implementation of NAFTA on January 1,
1994, brought the immediate elimination of
tariffs on more than one half of U.S. imports
from Mexico and more than one third of U.S.
exports to Mexico. Within 10 years of the
implementation of the agreement, all US-Mexico
tariffs would be eliminated except for some U.S.
agricultural exports to Mexico that were to be
phased out in 15 years. Most US-Canada trade was
already duty free. NAFTA also seeks to eliminate
non-tariff trade barriers.
112
The Presidency of Bill Clinton

• Bill Clinton is acknowledged by many to have been
  a brilliant politician and effective president.
• His legacy is forever attached, however, to a
  series of scandals.
• As early as his first presidential campaign,
  Clintons hopes of being president were nearly
  derailed by accusations of an extra-marital
  affair.
• He also had to deal with charges that he had used
  questionable means to avoid the draft during
  Vietnam.
• During his first term, Clinton was accused of
  taking part in fraudulent business practices in
  Arkansas and using his influences as governor to
  cover them up.

113
The Presidency of Bill Clinton

• This came to be known as the Whitewater Affair.
• It also involved accusations against his wife,
  Hillary Rodham Clinton, and her former law firm.
• Although some associates were convicted of
  crimes, the president and first lady were never
  linked to any wrongdoing.
• The final scandal to hit the Clinton White House
  was by far the biggest.

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115
The Presidency of Bill Clinton

• A young woman named Paula Jones accused Clinton
  of sexual harassment before he became president.
• During the investigation, Clinton was also asked
  about the nature of his relationship with a White
  House intern named Monica Lewinsky.
• Under oath, before a grand jury, the president
  denied having a sexual relationship with her.
• As more evidence came out, it became apparent
  that Clinton had lied.
• On December 19, 1998, the House voted to impeach
  President Bill Clinton for lying to a grand jury.
• Clintons presidency survived after he was
  acquitted by the Senate, but the scandal remained.

116
Paula Corbin Jones is a former Arkansas state
employee who sued U.S. President Bill Clinton for
sexual harassment. The lawsuit was dismissed
before trial on the grounds that Jones failed to
demonstrate any damages. However, while the
dismissal was being appealed, Clinton entered
into an out-of-court settlement by agreeing to
pay Jones 79,999. The Paula Jones case
precipitated Bill Clinton's impeachment. Charges
of perjury and obstruction of justice charges
were brought based on statements he made during
the depositions for the Paula Jones lawsuit. The
specific statements were about the nature of his
relationship with White House intern Monica
Lewinsky, with whom he denied having a sexual
relationship.
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118
The Presidency of George W Bush

• Decided by a mere 537 votes in the state of
  Florida, the election of 2000 is to date the
  closest election in US history, and one of the
  few in which the winner in the Electoral College
  failed to win the popular vote.
• The Democratic candidate for president was Vice
  President Al Gore.
• Although the economy had done well under the
  Clinton-Gore administration, Gore found it
  necessary to distance himself from Clinton due to
  the scandals associated with him.

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120
The Presidency of George W Bush

• The Republican candidate was George W Bush, Texas
  governor and oldest son of former President
  George HW Bush.
• On election night, the main question was who
  would win Florida?
• Florida had 25 electoral votes and all of them
  would go to whichever candidate got the most
  votes in that state.
• Early on, the media reported that Gore had won
  based on exit polls.
• A few hours later, media reported that Bush had
  won the state and therefore he had won the
  election.

121
The Presidency of George W Bush

• With votes still coming in Gore conceded the
  election to Bush, but when he found out that they
  were so close, Gore took back his concession.
• What followed was a month of debate!
• On December 12, 2000, the US Supreme Court voted
  5-4 to stop any future recounts.
• Gore finally conceded the election and Bush
  became the 43rd president of the US.

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123
The Presidency of George W Bush

• In recent years, the alliance b/t the US and
  Israel has been one of the factors towards making
  the US a major target of Islamic terrorists
  (criminals who destroy property and kill innocent
  civilians in the name of a political or social
  cause).
• These terrorists subscribe to a radical form of
  Islam which advocates violence to overthrow the
  US and other western nations.
• The most formidable and best known Islamic
  terrorist group is Al-Qaeda.
• At the head of Al-Qaeda was a radical Muslim
  named Osama bin Laden.
• Bin Laden and his terrorist organization have
  their roots in Afghanistan.

124
The origins of al-Qaeda as a network inspiring
terrorism around the world and training
operatives can be traced to the Soviet War in
Afghanistan (December 1979 February 1989).
Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia
Map of recent major attacks attributed to
al-Qaeda1. The Pentagon, US  Sept 11, 20012.
World Trade Center, US  Sept 11, 20013.
Istanbul, Turkey  Nov 15, 2003 Nov 20, 20034.
Aden, Yemen  Oct 12, 20005. Nairobi, Kenya 
Aug 7, 19986. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania  Aug 7,
1998
125
The Presidency of George W Bush

• Life in the US was forever changed on September
  11, 2001.
• That morning, people across the nation watched in
  shock as terrorists flew hijacked commercial
  airliners into the World Trade Center in New York
  City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
• The attack killed thousands as the Twin Towers
  came crashing down, and the Pentagon burst into
  flames.
• Meanwhile, another hijacked plane crashed in a
  field in Pennsylvania, killing everyone on board.

126
On December 27, 2001, an Osama bin Laden video
was released. In the video, he states, "Terrorism
against America deserves to be praised because it
was a response to injustice, aimed at forcing
America to stop its support for Israel, which
kills our people", but he stopped short of
admitting responsibility for the attacks.
--Osama bin Laden
127
The Presidency of George W Bush

• It went down when the passengers revolted and
  prevented the airliner from reaching its intended
  target.
• The 9/11 attacks brought the reality of terrorism
  home to the US and shook many peoples sense of
  national security more than any event since the
  bombing of Pearl Harbor.
• President Bush had not quite been in office 8
  months on September 11, 2001.
• People were anxious to see what kind of leader he
  would be and what kind of response the US would
  have to the terrorist attacks.

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129
The Presidency of George W Bush

• Bush responded by declaring a war on terror.
• He created a new govt department, the Department
  of Homeland Security, for the purpose of
  preparing and protecting the nation against
  future terrorist attacks.
• Among other things, it greatly increased airline
  security to prevent future hijackings.
• Bush also signed the US PATRIOT Act, which
  increased the authority of US law enforcement
  agencies and allowed them greater latitude in
  what measures they used to obtain information.

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131
Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and
Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001.
132
The Presidency of George W Bush

• Having confirmed that Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda were
  responsible for the 9/11 attacks, Bush set about
  forming an international coalition of nations to
  take military and diplomatic action.
• The govt knew that Bin Laden was in Afghanistan,
  enjoying the protection of the Taliban govt.
• When the US insisted that the Taliban turn in Bin
  Laden, they refused.
• In October 2001, the US launched Operation
  Enduring Freedom, with the help of many other
  nations.

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134
The Presidency of George W Bush

• It was designed to destroy the Taliban and
  Al-Qaeda and bring Bin Laden to justice.
• Within weeks, the invasion got rid of the Taliban
  and limited the actions of Al-Qaeda.
• As part of the war on terror, Bush felt that the
  US could not simply sit back and defend against
  future attacks.
• He believed the US should be pro-active and
  strike first.
• In 2003, this policy resulted in the US leading
  an international coalition of forces in an
  invasion of Iraq.

135
The Presidency of George W Bush

• The US led coalition launched the War in Iraq
  based on intelligence from several nations
  suggesting that Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, had
  ties to Al-Qaeda and that he possessed weapons of
  mass destruction, such as nuclear and chemical
  weapons.
• Successes in Iraq include the formation of a new
  democratic govt, a new constitution, building
  projects, and greater opportunities for women.
• However, the new govt remains unstable and
  terrorist insurgents and religious factions
  within the country continue to keep the nation in
  violence.