Download end of the Cold War

1970s – 1980s
• Nixon was afraid he would not get re-elected in 1972
Election
• His campaign team, “CRP,” (Committee to Re-Elect the
President) is determined to discredit the Democratic Party
• 5 men break in to the Democratic Headquarters at the
Watergate Building Complex – plan to steal documents &
wiretap office – they are arrested
• series of illegal acts begin, to cover-up involvement of
CRP in break-in
• Two Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward & Carl
Bernstein, begin to investigate cover-up
• Senate begins an investigation…the big question: “What
did the president know and when did he know it?”
• Senate discovers that Nixon had taped all of his presidential
conversations
• Senate demands copies of tapes – a year long battle ensues
• several White House officials are fired & V.P Spiro Agnew
resigns (Gerald Ford is appointed as V.P)
• In 1974 Nixon releases edited versions of tapes – Supreme
Court orders Nixon to surrender unedited versions
• Senate impeaches (accuses) President of three crimes
• obstruction of justice
• abuse of power
• Contempt of Congress
• Nixon releases tapes, but parts have been “accidently” erased
• Nixon resigns & Gerald Ford becomes President
• Americans are totally disillusioned with government
1974 – 1977
Republican
Best Known For:
• pardoning President Nixon (prevented a trial)
• economic policies that triggered the worst recession
in 40 years
• last American troops & advisors left South Vietnam
• signed the Helsinki Accords (attempt at establishing
cooperation between Eastern & Western Europe)
1977-1981
Democrat
Best Known For:
• National Energy Act (attempt to encourage energy
conservation and reduce reliance on foreign oil)
• Lack of economic plan which contributed to rising
inflation & decline in standard of living
• attempted to promote peace around the world
• problems in Middle East (Soviet Invasion of
Afghanistan & Iran Hostage Crisis)
1981-1989
Republican
Best Known For:
• Reaganomics (economic policy of budget cuts, tax
cuts, increased defense spending)
• end of the Cold War
COLD WAR
• Economic, Political, and Military Battles
• Between U.S. & U.S.S.R
• Competition to be the #1 “superpower”
• Began in 1945 and ended in 1991
• Affected world events for almost 50 years
1945
U.S. Detonates Atomic Bomb
1946
Iron Curtain Speech
1947
Marshall Plan
1948 1949
Berlin Blockade and Airlift
1949
USSR Detonates A-Bomb
1949
NATO Formed
1950
Korean War Begins
1953
Khrushchev in Power
1955
Warsaw Pact
1956
Hungarian Uprising
1957
Soviets launch Sputnik
1961
Berlin Wall Built
1962
Cuban Missile Crisis
1964
Vietnam War
1970s
Détente
1979
USSR Invades Afghanistan
1989
 Soviet communism weakening
 East German communist leaders
ousted
 East and West Berliners begin to tear
down wall
 German voters re-unify Germany with a
democratic government
Mikhail Gorbachev
• Wanted to end Cold War
• Domestic Reforms:
• Glasnost:
• “openness”
• Ended censorship & encouraged discussion
of government
• Perestroika:
• “Restructuring” of government and economy
CAUSES
 Cold War “battles” drain resources (money and
people)
Ethnic tensions lead to independence movements
 Gorbachev’s Reforms:
• cause economic turmoil (shortages, high prices
and unemployment)
• Glasnost allows for criticism of government critics call for changes
 Gorbachev resigns in 1991
 1992 President Bush & Boris Yelstin (Russian
President) sign an official treaty ending the Cold
War
EFFECTS
 Soviet Union breaks up into independent
countries (with mostly democratic
governments)
 Independent countries have to deal with a
variety of problems:
• civil wars
• corruption
• economic reforms
• ethnic tensions
 U.S. is left as the #1 Superpower – but now
that we won what is our new role in the
world?
Countries outlined in
black are all new,
independent countries