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Richard Nixon
Born: January 9, 1913 Died: April 22, 1994 Political Party: Republican Terms in Office: January 20, 1969 - August 9, 1974 Vice Presidents: Spiro Agnew (1969-1973), Gerald Ford (1973-1974)

The thirty-seventh president of the United States of America, Mr. Richard Nixon, was a bold man who came into office ready to make changes and help the country. Although Nixon is well-known for the Watergate Scandal, his actions during the presidency were successful and rewarding, for the most part. I would like to award President Nixon with a higher grade, however; I feel he deserves a B- because the Watergate Scandal and his dealings with the situation.

While entering into office, President Nixon's main goal was to end the Vientnam War. Nixon hoped to end the war with "Vietnamization," in which he would withdraw the 540,000 American troops in South Vietnam over an extended period of time. However, at the same time, the fighting extended into Vietnam's neighbor, Cambodia, so that the United States could demolish the North Vietnam's refuge. On June 29, 1970, Nixon ordered a removal of troops becaue of the violent protests that were occuring in the United States. During the war, President Nixon's national security advisor, Henry Kissinger, was involved in consultations to help end the war. Then, in January 1973 North Vietnam and the United States signed a peace treaty. During his presidency, Nixon was also able to improve relations with China and ease the tension with the Soviet Union. In February of 1972, Nixon visited China and created a better, friendlier connection between America and China. Nixon also visited Moscow in May 1972 and was able to relax the agitation between China and the Soviet Union.

Richard Nixon's relationship with Congress was pretty calm throughout most of his terms as president, but towards the end, it began to turn. When Nixon called for the invasion into Cambodia and the bombing of North Vietnam during the war, the Democratic Congress criticised hime, even though these decisions saved many lives. Later, in June of 1972, President Nixon tried to close the FBI's investigation of the Watergate break-in. During the Watergate investigation, Congress severely cut off the aid to South Vietnam. After the Watergate scandal, Congress was not pleased with Nixon, nor was the rest of the nation. This cause President Nixon to resign so that he could not be impeached.

Presdient Nixon's action with the most positive outcome were his dealings with foreign affairs. Nixon created better relations with China and the Soviet Union. He visited China in 1972 and improved the relationship between the United States and Bejing, as stated before. Also, after visiting Moscow and meeting with the Soviet Union, the Anti-Ballistic Missle Treaty was created, along with the Great Grain Deal of 1972. The Anti-Ballistic Missle Treaty was an agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States that limited both of them to just two clusters of defensive missles. The Great Grain Deal of 1972 was a three-year arrangement in which the United States agreed to sell the Soviets at least 750 million dollars worth of wheat, corn, and other cereals. The greatest foreign affair that President Nixon delt with, of course, was the Vietnam War. Nixon was able to bring home the American troops and end the war using "Vietnamization" and other techniques. Although many lives were already lost during the war, Nixon managed to save many lives as well, American and South Vietnamese.

The action with the most negative outcome, and what Nixon is probably most known for, unfortunately, is the Watergate Scandal. Five men working for the Republican Committee for re-election of President were caught breaking into the Watergate Hotel and bugging the rooms, on June 17, 1972. The Watergate Scandal was investigated over a time period of twenty-six months. Nixon recorded the actual conversations on audiotapes, but he refused to hand them over, even though he claimed he had nothing to hide. Though, eventually, the tapes were retrieved by the press, courts, investigative agencies, and the Congressional committees, and the illegal and unethical activites were revealed. Because of the information that was uncovered, the Judiciary Committee voted to impeach President Nixon, in late July, 1974. However, Nixon dodged his impeachment by resigning from presidency on August 9, 1974.

A few of Nixon's action had an impact on the future of America. Nixon's foreign affair policies created great relations with China, which led to many successes. After President Nixon visited Bejing, China and improved their relationship, there was a very significant shift in the balance of power in the Cold War. This alliance between China and the United States ultimately led to the end of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Thus, a long-lasting friendship was created. President Nixon also impacted the future of America when he established the Nixon Doctrine. This doctrine proclaimed that the United States would honor its existing defense commitments at that time, but in the future, all foreign nations would have to fight their own wars without a large amount of American troops.

In Conclusion, America was better off after Richard Nixon's presidency. Nixon created better foreign relationships for the United States, and ended the Vietnam War and the Cold War with the help of the nation's new friend. The only reason I feel that President Nixon deserves a B- is becase of the Watergate Scandal. Although it really only ruined Nixon's reputation and did not actually harm the nation, he was very wrong for what he did. Therefore, because of Nixon's positive and negative actions and his accomplishments during his presidency, I award President Richard Nixon with the grade of a B-.

Sources: Admission, His Own. "Richard Nixon." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 28 May 2010. .//Corporate Scandals Exposed Side Menu//. Web. 28 May 2010. ."Nixon In China." //America - Engaging the World - America.gov//. 01 Apr. 2006. Web. 28 May 2010. ."Presidents: Richard Nixon." //American History and World History at Historycentral.com the Largest and Most Complete History Site on the Web//. Web. 28 May 2010. [].