USA HISTORY

THE 1970S 1969 1979

FOREIGN POLICIES OF PRESIDENT NIXON

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
What do many find Nixon’s greatest accomplishment to be?
A
opening of relations with Cuba
B
opening of relations with Communist China
C
Watergate
D
ending the Vietnam War
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Nixon’s 1972 visit to China ushered in a new era of U.S.-China relations and effectively removed China as a Cold War foe. The Nixon administration signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Soviet Union and organized a conference that led to the signing of the Helsinki Accords after Nixon left office.

Detailed explanation-2: -The seven-day official visit to three Chinese cities was the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC; Nixon’s arrival in Beijing ended 25 years of no communication or diplomatic ties between the two countries and was the key step in normalizing relations between the U.S. and the PRC.

Detailed explanation-3: -In 1970, he signed the National Environmental Policy Act and established the Environmental Protection Agency, which was charged with coordinating and enforcing federal environmental policy. During his presidency, Nixon also signed the Clean Air Act of 1970, and the Clean Water Act.

Detailed explanation-4: -Nixon signed the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1969, Nixon announced a groundbreaking foreign policy doctrine that called for the United States to act within its national interest and keep all existing treaty commitments with its allies.

Detailed explanation-5: -Basically, Nixon played China and the Soviet Union off of each other. By improving relations with China, Nixon felt he could drive a wedge in between China and the Soviet Union (the two most powerful communist nations in the world) and therefore improve the United States’s relationship with both of them.

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