The Watergate Scandal

How did Nixon’s role in the Watergate Scandal

impact the United States politics and the

Vietnam War?

Essential Question

KEY WORDS

• Scandal

• Nixon

• Watergate building

• Espionage operations

• Vietnam War

What is the Watergate Scandal?

OVERVIEW

June 1972-

• Start of the political scandal

• Espionage operations

• Headquarters of Democratic

National Committee called

Watergate in Washington D.C.

August 1974-

• Ended with Nixon’s

retirement

What is the Watergate Scandal?

BACKGROUND

• Hostile politics in the 1960s due to

the Vietnam War (1955-1975)

• In 1972 President Nixon was

running for re-election

• Americans were divided into pro or

against the Vietnam War

• A strong presidential campaign

could lead to an easier election

• Nixon suffered from paranoia

What is the Watergate Scandal?

A group of burglars penetrated into the Watergate building to:

• Steal copies of top-secret documents • Wiretap the office’s phones• Place microphones

The robbery

The robbery

June 1972-

• The burglars were arrested while they were trying to break into the office

• The security guard saw them and called the police

• The burglars had copies of the re-election committee’s White House in their belongings

VOCAB

• Hush money

• FBI

• Abuse of presidential power

• Obstruction of justice

• Saturday Night Massacre

Nixon’s role in the Scandal

He tried to hide the scandal after the arrest of the burglars:

• He raised “hush money” for the burglars

• He tried to stop the FBI from investigating the crime

• He destroyed evidence

• He fired staff members

Nixon’s role in the Scandal

Nixon made a speech saying

that he had nothing to do

with the Watergate

espionage.

Americans believed him and

he was re-elected.

Nixon’s role in the Scandal

Discuss with a partner what you think Nixon’s role was

during the Watergate scandal.

Focus Questions:

• Was he involved? If yes, how?

• Is it a coincidence that he was running for re-

elections at the same time?

• Was he guilty? Or was he not?

Nixon’s role in the Scandal Guilt or not?

• Conspirators related to the crime

confessed because of the pressure

• The Senate found out that Nixon secretly

taped every conversation that took place

in the Oval Office

• Nixon fired a member of the staff named

Cox to sabotage his investigations

(Saturday Night Massacre)

• Eventually Nixon decided to consign the

tapes

Nixon’s role in the ScandalThe truth came to light

VOCAB

• Hush money- money paid to someone to prevent them from disclosing

embarrassing or discreditable information

• FBI- Federal Bureau of Investigation; an agency of the Justice Department

responsible for investigating violations of Federal laws

• Abuse of presidential power- when the President exploits his power to

take advantages

• Obstruction of justice- any attempt to hinder the discovery or punishment

of anyone who has committed a crime

• Saturday Night Massacre- when President Nixon fired the independent

special prosecutor Archibald Cox trying to sabotage his investigations

Nixon’s role in the Scandal

Nixon’s reaction, August 1974

Nixon announces his resignation

http://www.history.com/topics/watergate/videos/nixon-announces-his-resignation

Discuss with a partner what Nixon talks about in his resignation speech and what reasons he gives to the United States to justify his decision.

Group discussion

Discuss with a partner:Why do you think President Nixon resigned? What are the real reasons that made him take this decision?

Remember what the burglars were arrested for and what was happening in the United States while Nixon was running for re-elections.

Group discussion #2

Nixon never confessed, but he stated that he made wrong decisions: “I was wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate, particularly when it reached the stage of judicial proceedings and grew from a political scandal into a national tragedy. No words can describe the depth of my regret and pain at the anguish my mistakes over Watergate have caused the nation and the presidency, a nation I so deeply love, and an institution I so greatly respect.”

Nixon’s comment

VOCAB

• Ethics in Government Act

• Freedom of Information Act

Consequences

Negative political and social effects:

• Americans started to think more critically about the presidency

• It created cynicism and distrust towards the government and the new presidents

Consequences- Socially

1974-

The Congress limited the president’s power

• To wage undeclared war

• To access to government information

• The Freedom of Information Act, the disclosure of previously secret

documents held by the government

• The Ethics in Government Act, the authorisation to release

documents of the history of individuals who have been hired by the

president to work in the executive branch

Consequences- Politically

• The Watergate Scandal involved the American establishment that carried on the Vietnam War

• As President Nixon’s credibility decreased, his policies started to be criticised

• It became clear that a victory was unachievable

• The peace movement had its best chance to finally end the war (Indochina Peace Campaign)

• The IPC pressured the Congress to end the US military involvement

• The war ended in early 1975

Impact on the Vietnam War

Essential Question:

How did Nixon’s role in the Watergate Scandal impact

the United States politics and the Vietnam War?

Reflective Question