Exactly 50 years ago, on August 9, 1974, yes the political adventure ended di Richard Nixon as the 37th president of the United States. Nixon, re-elected in 1972 for a second term, found himself forced to resign following one of the political scandals most serious in American history: the Watergate. The Republican politician, already considered a controversial figure, was overwhelmed by burning revelations and by two years of unstoppable political pressure, culminating in the launch of the impeachment proceedings.
Nixon was first and, so far, only US president to resign before the end of his mandate. His resignation occurred four days after the impeachment, in a context in which the president realized that he could no longer count on sufficient political support to continue governing. He was replaced by Vice President Gerald Ford who granted him a presidential pardon on September 8.
The Watergate scandal: from the Washington complex to impeachment
Watergate, a name that recalls cWashington building complex in which the events triggering the scandal occurred, represents one of the darkest chapters in the political history of the United States. All It began on the night of June 17, 1972, when five men were arrested as they attempted to install spying devices in the offices of the Democratic National Committee, located right in the Watergate Complex. These men, indicted for espionage, were connected to the Nixon Reelection Committee.
Thanks to 'journalistic investigation conducted by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, one emerged complex network of illegal activities and cover-ups orchestrated by the Nixon administration. These included illegal wiretapping, political sabotage and obstruction of justice. The investigation shed light on practices that they aimed to consolidate Nixon's power and weaken the opposition, in particular the pacifist movements and the Democratic Party.
The ensuing trial led not only to the sentencing of the five men arrested, but also of other figures close to the president, forcing Nixon to give up his closest collaborators in an attempt to save his presidency. However, the pressure continued to grow, culminating in the opening of impeachment proceedings, an event that led Nixon to resign on August 8 1974, effective the following day.
Gerald Ford's farewell speech and transition
On August 9, 1974, Richard Nixon officially resigned, handing over the resignation letter to the Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. That same day, in a nationally televised address, Nixon declared that he "no longer has a strong enough political base" to continue as president.
Gerald Ford, then vice president, assumed the presidency the same day Nixon resigned. The succession was historic, since Ford became the first president of the United States not directly elected by the people. The new president immediately faced a nation divided and shaken by recent events. On September 8, 1974, Ford granted Nixon a presidential pardon for "every crime he may have committed" during his presidency, in an attempt to definitively close the wound opened by Watergate and promote national reconciliation.
The political legacy of Richard Nixon
Despite the scandal that marked his political career, Nixon is also remembered for other actions and decisions made during his presidency. Among these, his foreign policy is particularly relevant. Nixon was a fervent anti-communist, but at the same time opened a historical dialogue with China, using this new relationship as leverage in competing with the Soviet Union. Furthermore, he started a progressive US disengagement from the Vietnam War, while opting for a strategy that included intensive bombing and covert operations rather than an immediate troop withdrawal.
Domestically, Nixon gave a partial support for civil rights and promoted the first, albeit bland, environmental policies in the United States. However, his presidency is also tainted bysupport for the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet in Chile, which further fueled criticism of his authoritarian and interventionist vision of international politics.
Life after the White House
After leaving the presidency, Richard Nixon devoted his later years to rebuild your public image. He wrote nine books and traveled abroad as an elder statesman, earning himself partial rehabilitation in the eyes of some. Despite this, his figure always remained controversial, indelibly marked by the Watergate scandal.
Nixon suffered a debilitating stroke on April 18, 1994 and died four days later, aged 81.
