Richard Nixon Legacy

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Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States of America, he served from January 20,1969 to August 9, 1974 (Funk & Wagnalls). Nixon is widely regarded as one of the most controversial presidents in all of history, he is the only president in history to resign the office of the presidency (Barone). Amid the controversy the Nixon administration is notable for creating change in American political, military, and diplomatic history (Funk & Wagnalls). Nixon is almost universally praised for his foreign policy ideas, most notably he 's credited with nuclear arms control agreements with the Soviet Union and the diplomatic opening to China (Baone). However most of his legacy is clouded by the Watergate Scandal and the bribery scandal …show more content…
Nixon was born on January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California, his parents were poor, so he had to work hard and study in his childhood (Funk & Wagnalls). Nixon has said he showed a strong interest in politics ever since he was young, he suffered his first political loss when he ran for student body president of his high school (Miles). Nixon worked his way up, attended law school, joined the Navy during World War II, and earned his way up the ranks to eventually become a commander in the Navy (Baone). It was in 1952 that Nixon’s political career began to gain national traction, he was nominated by Dwight D. Eisenhower to be his running mate in the 1952 presidential election. Nixon had served as representative for California and then later a senator from California before he was named the vice presidential candidate. During his time in the House of Representatives and the Senate he gained a reputation for being tough as nails and was firmly anti-communist (Funk & …show more content…
One of Nixon’s biggest accomplishments is endings America’s involvement in Vietnam (Barone). Nixon’s biggest claim during election was that he "end the war and win the peace" in regards to the war in Vietnam(Nguyen). Nixon took the chances he could to improve our relationship with the Soviet Union and build a relationship with The People’s Republic of China. He hoped the easing the tension after cold war would give him some political capital (Bew). His plan was to use his new relationships with China and the Soviet Union to help end the war in Vietnam, he would play China against the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union against China, and both against North Vietnam. During his administration his also made historic trips to the middle east and China (Nguyen). The Nixon administration improved the climate of the international environment

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