Nixon+Primer

=Richard Nixon = 

Overview [[image:richard-nixon.jpg width="193" height="200" align="right"]]
Richard Nixon was born in California in 1913. He attended Whittier College and Duke University Law School before starting his law practice. In 1942, he enlisted in a four-year term of service in the United States Navy, which included a 14-month tour of duty in the Pacific. By his discharge in 1946, he had reached the rank of lieutenant-commander. In 1950, Nixon was elected to serve in the United States Senate. Then in 1952, General Eisenhower selected Nixon to be his running mate at the age of 39. In 1960, he lost narrowly in the political race to John F. Kennedy, and in 1962, he lost the race for Governor of California. Finally, in 1968, he beat Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and third-party candidate George C. Wallace for President.

Accomplishments
His major accomplishments came in his quest for global security. In 1972, he made visits to Beijing and Moscow, which relieve tensions between the China and the U.S.S.R. His meetings with Russian leader Leonid I. Brezhnev created a treaty to limit strategic nuclear weapons. In January 1973, he announced an accord with North Vietnam to end American involvement in Indochina. In his 1972 bid for office, Nixon defeated Democratic candidate George McGovern by one of the widest margins in history. However, his administration ended in what is now known as the Watergate Scandal.

Issues Affecting Presidency
The most notable issues facing Nixon's presidency was the Watergate Scandal. It was reported that people within Nixon's campaign staff had broken in to the democratic campaigns office at the Watergate Hotel. Although Nixon initially denied any involvement in the crime, it was later found that he did attempt to cover the scandal up. He was re-elected in the 1972 campaign, but facing almost certain impeachment, Nixon became the first president to resign the office in August of 1974. In addition, as a result to unrelated scandals, Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew resign. This led to Nixon's last presidential order of appointing the Congress approved Minority House Leader Gerald R. Ford as Vice-President, and his successor.

Conclusion
Nixon's presidency faced a wide variety of scandals and political issues. He successfully opened trade with Communist China. He also relieved tension during the middle of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Although his presidency ended with the Watergate Scandal, he went on to become known as a elder statesmen. He wrote the book //The Real War,// which was part of a three book volume that included his memoirs. On April 22, 1994, Nixon died, at the age of 81, by a stoke.

(2009-10.1.2.J)

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