Political Career of Richard Nixon

The Political Career of Richard Nixon

1. Nixon's Beginning in Politics

2. Emergence in National Politics

        A. The Hiss Case

        B. Nixon's Political Obituary

        C. Resurgence as a presidential candidate

3. The 37th President

        A. Nixon's Appointment's

        B. Foreign Policy

                 1. Nixon's plans for Europe

                 2. Vietnam

        C. Domestic Policy

4. Nixon's Second Administration

        A. Reelection

        B. Watergate

A few weeks after the United States entered World War II a young man named Richard Nixon went to Washington, D.C. In January 1942 he took a job with the Office of Price Administration. Two months later he applied for a Navy commission, and in September 1942 he was commissioned a lieutenant, junior grade. During much of the war he served as an operations officer with the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander.

        After the war Nixon returned to the United States, where he was assigned to work on Navy contracts while awaiting discharge. He was working in Baltimore, Maryland, when he received a telephone call that changed his life. A Republican citizen's committee in Whittier was considering Nixon as a candidate for Congress in the 12th Congressional District. In December 1945 Nixon accepted the candidacy with the promise that he would 'wage a fighting, rocking, socking campaign.' Jerry Voorhis, a Democrat who had represented the 12th District since 1936, was running for reelection. Earlier in his career Voorhis had been an active Socialist. He had become more conservative over the years and was now an outspoken anti-Communist. Despite Voorhis' anti-Communist stand the Los Angeles chapter of the left-wing Political Action Committee (PAC) endorsed him, apparently without his knowledge or approval. The theme of Nixon's campaign was 'a vote for Nixon is a vote against the Communist-dominated PAC.' The approach was successful. On...