Today Mr. Bruns reviewed a little about the Watergate Scandal and then we got into blog discussions/notes about President Gerald Ford.
President Gerald Ford (Republican) 38th, 1974-1977:
- Nixon's Vice President
- Took over when Nixon resigned
- Only Vice President and President to never be elected
- Had two assassination attempts within three weeks
- Pardoned Richard Nixon so that he wouldn't have to go to jail like everyone else that was involved
- Offered conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War draft dodgers who had fled to countries such as Canada
- "Whip Inflation Now" called for Americans to reduce their spending and consumption in an attempt to stop inflation
- Education for All Handicapped Children Act (1975) established special education in school throughout the US
- Continued detente with the USSR
Ford wanted to help South Vietnam when North Vietnam invaded in 1974 but Congress refused - By April 1975, all of Vietnam became communist
- Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act was passed to allow refugees to immigrate to the US
Definitions Dealing With The Cold War:
- Policy of Containment:
- Policy out of the US using economic and military strategy to slow the spread of communism
- The policy was created after the Soviet Union tried to spread communism into Western Europe, Vietnam, China, Korea, Afghanistan, and others
- Tried to contain communism
- Policy was also there so the US could have a better influence on other countries
- It was also a way to make America's security for secure and to better it
- Domino Effect:
- If something started in one area, it would continue to spread
- Was promoted by the US between 1950 and 1980
- Showed that smaller countries involved in communism would influence other countries around it into communism
- If one country fell to communism, the next one would, and the next, and the next
- Fear of the domino effect led to our policy of containment
- Iron Curtain Speech:
- Given by Winston Churchill in 1946
- The Iron Curtain was describing differences and separation between the Allies and Europe
- The "curtain" was there from the end of WWII in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989
- Because of the Iron Curtain the state of both sides began doing their own thing
- Marshall Plan:
- Plan made during George Marshall's speech in 1947
- Was a plan to make a difference in the economy between 1947-1951
- It was originally made to help European countries and make the economy stronger
- Later it was offered to the Soviet Union but they wouldn't accept it
- Basically there to bring European countries back from economic problems and bring countries together
- We had to make sure these countries got strong again to prevent them from falling to communism
- When countries are in hard times, this is when radical leaders take over
- Truman Doctrine:
- Policy set by Harry Turman in his 1947 speech
- The speech was agreeing to support Turkey and Greece with their struggle against the Soviet Union
- They would help with military and economic aid to prevent them from becoming communist like the Soviet Union was trying to pull them into
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