1970s Foreign Policy: Nixon, Ford, Carter

Détente and China

• Who’s Involved? President Nixon, Brezhnev, the US, and the Soviet Union

• What happened? The Watergate scandal, in which agents were caught breaking into Democratic headquarters, ended Nixon’s Presidency. Nixon was forced by the Supreme Court to hand over his tapes of White House conversations, which revealed that he had lied about his ties to the break - in and its cover - up. 

• How did it affect the United States? It opened the way for later US - China trade, for the entry of Communist China into the United Nations, and for the normalization of relations between China and the rest of the world. 

OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)

• Who’s Involved? Founded in Baghdad, Iraq, with a singing agreement with the Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela

• What happened? Even after the war ended, OPEC members continued to raise their oil prices, contributing to inflation in the United States at a time of high unemployment 

• How did it affect the United States? Americans had to wait in long lines at gas stations because of fuel shortages

PANAMA Canal Treaty 

• Who’s Involved? President Carter and Panama 

• What happened? During the Cold War and even in Vietnam, past presidents had been willing to back dictators to stop the spread of Communism. 

• How did it affect the United States? This agreement promised to hand over the Panama Canal to the government of Panama in 1977. 

Chile and General Pinochet

• Who’s Involved? President Nixon, Kissinger, General Pinochet, and Salvador Allende

• What happened? They opposed the government of Salvador Allende, a socialist leader elected in Chile, who bega nationalizing copper mines. 

• How did it affect the United States? General Pinochet seized power in a military coup and established a brutal dictatorship. 

Vietnam and Saigon 

• Who’s Involved? Vietnam and Saigon and the U.S.

• What happened? Ford was forced to stand by passively when North vietnamese Communist forces finally took over South Vietnam

• How did it affect the United States? Vietnamese who had cooperated with the UNited States were left at the mercy of their sworn enemies, the vietnamese Communists which were difficult times for the United States 

Camp David Accords

• Who’s Involved? Israel, United States and Egypt

• What happened? Established a framework for a historic peace treaty concluded between Israel and Egypt

• How did it affect the United States? It created a stronger security and economic relationship between the United States and the parties to the agreements

Helsinki Accords 

• Who’s Involved? Western and Eastern Europe

• What happened? This agreement recognized the existing borders of Europe in an attempt to preserve peaceful relations between Western and Eastern Europe 

• How did it affect the United States? Provided basis for later action by anti-Communist dissidents in Eastern Europe.

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)

• Who’s Involved? President Carter, Soviet Union, Afghanistan, Muslim rebels, Israel, and Palestines  

• What happened? In 1979, Soviet leaders launched an invasion of Afghanistan, where Muslim rebels were attacking the pro - Soviet government.

• How did it affect the United States? In retaliation, President Carter stopped US grain sales to the Soviet Union and refused to let the United States participate in the Moscow Olympics.

Afghanistan and the Soviet Union 

• Who’s Involved? President Carter, Soviet Union, and Afghanistan

• What happened? During 1979 -1989 the Afghan -  Soviet war happened. This happened when the Soviet Union sent troops to Afghanistan for military and political control. 

• How did it affect the United States? There was tension between the Soviet Union and the US because of the invasion of Afghanistan ending the détente.

Iran Hostage Crisis 

• Who’s Involved? United States and Iran 

• What happened? Iranian students and other followers of Khomeini seized the stuff in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held them as hostages. President Carter was unstable to obtain their release, and the hostages were held captive for more than a year 

• How did it affect the United States? The fall of Vietnam and the hostage crisis all seemed to confirm the collapse of American power and the weakness of American leaders