How did Nixons role in the Watergate Scandal impact the United States politics and the Vietnam War Essential Question KEY WORDS Scandal Nixon Watergate building Espionage operations Vietnam War ID: 231593
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "The Watergate Scandal" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
The Watergate ScandalSlide2
How did Nixon’s role in the Watergate Scandal impact the United States
politics and the Vietnam War?
Essential QuestionSlide3
KEY WORDS
Scandal
Nixon
Watergate buildingEspionage operationsVietnam War
What is the Watergate Scandal?Slide4
OVERVIEW
June 1972-
Start of the political scandal
Espionage operations Headquarters of Democratic National Committee called Watergate in Washington D.C.August 1974-
Ended with Nixon’s
retirement
What is the Watergate Scandal?Slide5
BACKGROUND
Hostile politics in the 1960s due to the
Vietnam War (1955-1975)
In 1972 President Nixon was running for re-electionAmericans were divided into pro or against the Vietnam War
A
strong presidential campaign could lead to an easier election
Nixon suffered from
paranoia
What is the Watergate Scandal?Slide6
A group of burglars penetrated
into the Watergate building to:
Steal copies
of top-secret documents Wiretap the office’s phonesPlace microphonesThe robberySlide7
The robbery
June 1972-
The
burglars were arrested while they were trying to break into the office
The security guard saw them and called the police
The burglars had
copies of the re-election committee’s White House in their
belongingsSlide8
VOCAB
Hush
money
FBIAbuse of presidential powerObstruction of justiceSaturday Night Massacre
Nixon’s role in the ScandalSlide9
He
tried to hide
the scandal
after the arrest of the burglars:He raised “hush money” for the burglarsHe tried
to
stop the FBI from investigating the
crimeHe
destroyed
evidence
He
fired
staff
members
Nixon’s role in the ScandalSlide10
Nixon made a speech
saying that he had
nothing to do
with the Watergate espionage.Americans believed him and he was re-
elected
.
Nixon’s role in the ScandalSlide11
Discuss with a partner
what you think Nixon’s role was during the Watergate scandal.
Focus Questions:
Was he involved? If yes, how?Is it a coincidence that he was running for re-elections at the same time?Was he guilty
? Or was he not?
Nixon’s role in the Scandal
Guilt or not?Slide12
Conspirators
related to the
crime confessed because of the pressureThe Senate found out that Nixon secretly taped every
conversation
that took place in the Oval Office
Nixon fired a member of the staff named Cox to sabotage his investigations (Saturday Night Massacre
)
Eventually
Nixon decided to consign
the tapes
Nixon’s role in the Scandal
The truth came to
lightSlide13
VOCAB
Hush
money
- money paid to someone to prevent them from disclosing embarrassing or discreditable informationFBI- Federal Bureau of Investigation; an agency of the Justice Department responsible for investigating violations of Federal laws
Abuse of presidential
power
- when the President exploits his power to take advantages
Obstruction of
justice
- any attempt to hinder the discovery or punishment of anyone who has committed a crime
Saturday
Night
Massacre
- when President Nixon fired the independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox trying to sabotage his investigations
Nixon’s role in the ScandalSlide14
Nixon’s reaction, August 1974Slide15
Nixon announces his resignation
http://www.history.com/topics/watergate/videos/nixon-announces-his-
resignationSlide16
Discuss with a partner
what Nixon talks about in his resignation speech and what reasons he gives to the United States to justify his decision.
Group discussionSlide17
Discuss with a partner:
Why do you
think President Nixon
resigned? What are the real reasons that made him take this decision?Remember what the burglars were arrested for and what was happening in the United States while Nixon was running for re-elections.
Group discussion #2 Slide18
Nixon never
confessed, but he stated that he made wrong
decisions:
“I was wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate, particularly when it reached the stage of judicial proceedings and grew from a political scandal into a national tragedy. No words can describe the depth of my regret and pain at the anguish my mistakes over Watergate have caused the nation and the presidency, a nation I so deeply love, and an institution I so greatly respect.”
Nixon’s comment Slide19
VOCAB
Ethics in Government Act
Freedom of Information Act
ConsequencesSlide20
N
egative
political and social
effects:Americans started to think more critically about the presidencyIt
created
cynicism and distrust towards the government and the new presidents
Consequences- SociallySlide21Slide22
1974-
The Congress
limited
the president’s powerTo wage undeclared war To access to government
information
The Freedom of Information Act
, the disclosure of previously secret documents held by the
government
The
Ethics in Government Act
,
the
authorisation to release documents of the history of individuals who have been hired by the president to work in the executive
branch
Consequences- PoliticallySlide23
The Watergate
Scandal involved the American establishment
that carried on the Vietnam War
As President Nixon’s credibility decreased, his policies started to be criticisedIt became clear that a
victory was
unachievable
The peace movement had its
best chance
to
finally end the war (
Indochina Peace
Campaign)
The
IPC
pressured the Congress to end the US
military
involvement
The
war
ended
in
early
1975
Impact on the Vietnam WarSlide24
Essential Question:
How did Nixon’s role in the Watergate Scandal impact the United States politics and the Vietnam War?
Reflective Question