Richard Nixon's Presidency

     Over 30 years has past till Richard Nixon’s presidency but he is still remembered as one of the scandalous presidents of the United States. Nixon became 37^th president of the Unites States in 1969. He was well respected but not very likable. Nixon was highly intelligent. He is also famous for being very good public speaker. Nixon surrounded himself with only trusted people. One of the people that Nixon trusted most was Henry Kissinger, who was his national security advisor than he became Secretary of State.

     Richard Nixon was really good politician and he had many successes on his foreign policy. One of the most important successes of Nixon’s foreign policy can be considered the fact that he took the United States out of the Vietnam War, by keeping Americans out of the danger.

     Another very important thing that Nixon has done was to improve relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. After years of bad relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States Nixon established a policy of Détente, which focused on weapon limitations and peace between two nations. Nixon’s visit to Moscow became the first time that the leaders of two nations met each other in Moscow. Nixon also made another very important trip to China. Later U.S recognized the government of the People’s Republic of China. American Ping-Pong team, by accepting China’s invitation to visit PRC became the first Americans to be allowed into communist China since Chinese Civil War.

    During Israel’s War against Arabs, America, by the order of President Nixon, highly supported Israel, not only military but also politically. This event had really serious consequences on American economy. Because of America’s support to Israel, Arab nations declared that they would not sell oil to the United States anymore. This was the first time that Arab nations would use economy as a political weapon.

     Despite all the success and failures that Richard Nixon had on his foreign policy, while talking about him people still first mention his involvement in Watergate Scandal. On 17 June 1972, 5 men were arrested while trying to bug the headquarters of the Democratic Party inside of Watergate building. One of the men arrested was the head of security for the Republican Party, James McCord.

      Nixon kept denying his involvement in Watergate scandal but finally on 27 July 1974, The House Judiciary Committee approved Articles of Impeachment against Richard Nixon. Nixon thought that the Senate would not vote to remove him, but when the so called “smoking gun tape” became public, Nixon realized that he would not survive the vote in the Senate. So, on 9 August 1974, Richard Nixon resigned, becoming the first American president to resign. Although 30 government officials went to prison for their role in Watergate, Richard Nixon was not one of them. After becoming a president Gerald Ford gave Nixon a full Pardon.

     Watergate events also had moral impact on population. People started not to trust politicians as much as they did before.

     I think that Richard Nixon has done many important things for U.S. that should always be mentioned, and one thing I’m pretty sure that he should not be remembered as the worst presidents of United States. He has done a lot for the United States and he deserves respect.