The Watergate Scandal: Timeline and Background
Summary
TLDRThe Watergate scandal, one of the most significant political scandals in U.S. history, began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in 1972. The Nixon administration's involvement in the subsequent cover-up, including illegal surveillance and obstruction of justice, was exposed by investigative journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Revelations of Nixon's knowledge of the cover-up and the infamous 'smoking gun' tape led to his resignation in 1974, marking the first resignation of a U.S. president and a lasting impact on American politics.
Takeaways
- 🏛️ The Watergate scandal is considered one of the biggest political scandals in American history.
- 😠 The Nixon administration's initial reaction to the Pentagon Papers was to form a covert group to prevent further leaks, known as the White House Plumbers.
- 📋 Nixon's political rivals were targeted through surveillance, tax audits, and legal actions, as part of an enemies list.
- 🔍 The Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP) engaged in questionable and illegal activities, including a slush fund for information gathering on Democrats.
- 🤫 The plan to bug the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate hotel led to the infamous break-ins.
- 👮♂️ On June 17, 1972, five burglars were arrested during the second break-in, which eventually linked back to the White House Plumbers.
- 📰 Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, with the help of 'Deep Throat,' played a crucial role in unraveling the scandal.
- 📉 Despite the scandal, Nixon was re-elected in a landslide victory in November 1972.
- 🔗 The scandal expanded as more administration figures were implicated, leading to the indictment of key aides and the official investigations by Senator Sam Ervin and Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox.
- 🎥 The revelation of Nixon's secret White House recording system and the subsequent 'smoking gun' tape confirmed his knowledge of the cover-up.
- 🚫 Nixon's refusal to release the tapes led to the 'Saturday Night Massacre,' where he dismissed the Attorney General and Special Prosecutor Cox, causing public outcry.
- 🏆 The scandal resulted in multiple arrests, new laws, a renewed interest in investigative journalism, and the first resignation of a U.S. President.
Q & A
What is the Watergate scandal?
-The Watergate scandal refers to a series of political events in the United States during the early 1970s, which led to the discovery of illegal activities by the Nixon administration, including wiretapping, break-ins, and a subsequent cover-up that ultimately resulted in President Nixon's resignation.
What were the Pentagon Papers and why were they significant?
-The Pentagon Papers were a top-secret study of U.S. government decision-making during the Vietnam War that were leaked in 1971. They revealed that administrations from Truman to Johnson had intentionally misled the public about the war's progress and scope, which led to a loss of trust in the government and heightened the climate of distrust that contributed to the Watergate scandal.
Who were the White House Plumbers and what was their purpose?
-The White House Plumbers were a covert group formed by Nixon's adviser John Ehrlichman, which included former CIA agent E. Howard Hunt and former FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy. Their purpose was to stop leaks of classified information, but they also engaged in illegal activities such as wiretapping and breaking into the offices of political opponents.
What was Nixon's Enemies List and how was it used?
-Nixon's Enemies List was a compilation of individuals, including politicians, journalists, and Hollywood actors, who were perceived as political threats to President Nixon. The administration used various tactics such as tax audits, legal action, and harassment to intimidate and discredit those on the list.
What was the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP) and its role in the scandal?
-The Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP) was formed to support Nixon's re-election campaign in 1972. John Mitchell, who stepped down as Attorney General to chair the committee, was involved in questionable and illegal activities, including maintaining a slush fund for information gathering on Democrats and approving plans for the Watergate break-in.
What happened on June 17, 1972, that was pivotal to the Watergate scandal?
-On June 17, 1972, five burglars were arrested at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel during a break-in aimed at bugging the offices and stealing information. This event marked the beginning of the unraveling of the Watergate scandal.
Who were Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, and what was their contribution to the Watergate scandal?
-Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein were investigative journalists for The Washington Post who reported on the connections between the Watergate break-in and the Nixon administration. Their work, supported by an anonymous source known as 'Deep Throat,' was instrumental in uncovering the scandal and implicating various government agencies.
Who was 'Deep Throat,' and what role did this person play in the Watergate investigation?
-'Deep Throat' was the pseudonym used for Mark Felt, the former Deputy Director of the FBI. He provided crucial information to Woodward and Bernstein, helping them to connect the Watergate break-in to the Nixon administration and to expose the cover-up.
What was the significance of the 'smoking gun' tape in the Watergate scandal?
-The 'smoking gun' tape was a White House recording that revealed President Nixon had knowledge of the Watergate cover-up since mid-1972. This evidence was critical in proving Nixon's involvement and ultimately led to his resignation.
What was the Saturday Night Massacre, and how did it impact public opinion of the Nixon administration?
-The Saturday Night Massacre occurred when President Nixon dismissed the Attorney General, his Deputy, and Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, who were pursuing the investigation into the Watergate scandal. This move was seen as an attempt to obstruct justice and led to widespread public outcry and a further erosion of trust in the Nixon administration.
What were the consequences of the Watergate scandal for President Nixon and the U.S. political landscape?
-The Watergate scandal led to President Nixon's resignation on August 8, 1974, to avoid impeachment. It also resulted in multiple arrests, the creation of new laws to prevent similar abuses of power, and a renewed interest in investigative journalism. The scandal had a profound and lasting impact on American politics.
Outlines
📜 The Watergate Scandal Unveiled
The Watergate scandal, one of the biggest political scandals in American history, began with the leak of the Pentagon Papers in 1971. This report revealed that multiple administrations had misled the public about the Vietnam War. In response, President Nixon's administration formed a covert group to prevent further leaks. This group, known as the 'White House Plumbers,' included former CIA and FBI agents. Nixon's administration targeted his political enemies, including politicians, journalists, and Hollywood actors, through various means like tax audits and legal actions. The scandal escalated when the Committee for the Re-election of the President (CRP), led by former Attorney General John Mitchell, used illegal tactics to secure Nixon's re-election, culminating in the infamous break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel on June 17, 1972.
🔍 Uncovering the Watergate Break-In and Cover-Up
Following the Watergate break-in, the FBI quickly connected the burglars to the White House. Despite Nixon's administration denying involvement, evidence began to emerge linking the break-in to the Committee for the Re-election of the President (CRP) and high-level officials. Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein played a crucial role in unraveling the case, with the help of their anonymous source 'Deep Throat,' later revealed to be FBI Deputy Director Mark Felt. The investigation implicated key figures within the administration, leading to a series of resignations and indictments. In a bid to protect himself, Nixon refused to release subpoenaed tapes, citing executive privilege, and even dismissed high-ranking officials in the infamous 'Saturday Night Massacre.' Despite his denials, the evidence mounted, leading to Nixon's resignation on August 8, 1974, and his subsequent pardon by President Gerald Ford.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Watergate Scandal
💡Pentagon Papers
💡White House Plumbers
💡Nixon's Enemies List
💡Committee for the Re-election of the President (CRP)
💡Bugging
💡FBI Investigation
💡Deep Throat
💡Saturday Night Massacre
💡Executive Privilege
💡Smoking Gun Tape
Highlights
The Watergate scandal was one of the biggest political scandals in American history.
The Nixon administration formed a covert group called the White House Plumbers to halt leaks after the Pentagon Papers were leaked.
Nixon's political rivals were recorded on an 'enemies list' and were harassed by the administration.
The Committee for the Re-election of the President (CRP) used questionable and illegal means, including a slush fund for information gathering on Democrats.
A plan was approved to bug and steal information from the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel.
Five burglars were arrested during the second break-in at the Watergate Hotel on June 17, 1972.
The FBI quickly linked the arrested burglars to E. Howard Hunt, who had connections to the White House Plumbers.
Nixon ordered his chief of staff to instruct the CIA to block further FBI investigation into the Watergate break-in.
Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein reported on the Hunt connection with confirmation from their anonymous source, Deep Throat.
Deep Throat, later revealed to be former FBI Deputy Director Mark Felt, was instrumental in unraveling the Watergate case.
By September 1972, the burglars, Hunt, and Liddy were indicted by a grand jury despite connections to the scandal.
In April 1973, four top Nixon aides lost their jobs due to their involvement in the cover-up.
Official investigations led by Senator Sam Ervin and Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox proved the connection between the burglary and the White House and CRP.
Nixon assistant Alexander Butterfield revealed the existence of Nixon-installed recording devices throughout the White House.
Nixon refused to release the subpoenaed tapes, citing executive privilege.
The 'Saturday Night Massacre' occurred when Nixon dismissed the Attorney General, his deputy, and Cox.
In November 1973, Nixon declared in a speech that he was not a crook and had earned everything he had.
The Watergate tapes were finally released in July 1974, with an 18-minute erased section proving controversial.
The 'smoking gun' tape undeniably proved Nixon knew about the cover-up since mid-1972.
Nixon was forced to resign or face impeachment, and did so on August 8, 1974.
Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon exactly one month after taking office following Nixon's resignation.
The Watergate scandal resulted in multiple arrests, the creation of new laws, renewed interest in investigative journalism, and the first resignation of a U.S. president.
The Watergate scandal undoubtedly changed American politics forever.
Transcripts
this was one of the biggest political
scandals
in american history welcome to
watchmojo.com
and today we'll be learning more about
the watergate scandal
the thing that's so appalling to me
is that the president when this whole
idea was suggested to him
didn't in righteous indignation rise up
and say
get out of here you're in the office of
the president of the united states
how can you talk about blackmail and
bribery and keeping witnesses silent in
mid-1971
the pentagon papers were leaked that
report proved that administrations from
truman to johnson
had intentionally expanded their vietnam
war efforts
in contrast to what the public was told
the nixon administration
then panicked and formed a covert group
to halt leaks
nixon adviser john ehrlichman assembled
the white house plumbers
and included former cia agent e howard
hunt
and former fbi agent g gordon liddy
soon the president's political rivals
were recorded on nixon's enemies list
politicians journalists and even
hollywood actors nixon feared could stop
his re-election were included and were
harassed by the administration with tax
audits
legal action and more prior to the 1972
election
the republicans created a committee for
the re-election of the president
or crp john mitchell stepped down as
attorney general to chair that committee
the crp used questionable and illegal
means to achieve their goal
for example mitchell kept a slush fund
to subsidize information gathering on
the democrats
ultimately a plan was approved to bug
and steal information
from the democratic national committee
headquarters at the watergate hotel
on june 17 1972 during the second of
these break-ins the burglars were
arrested
the democratic national committee is
trying to solve a spy mystery
it began before dawn saturday when five
intruders were captured by police
inside the offices of the committee in
washington the fbi quickly linked those
arrested with
hunt because of hunt's connection to the
plumbers nixon ordered his chief of
staff bob haldeman to instruct the cia
to block further fbi investigation into
the finances behind the watergate
break-in
the cover-up began mr nixon
did you know about the burglary
of our democratic national headquarters
at the watergate
the nixon administration then officially
denied involvement in the burglary
however more clues emerged that
conflicted with this
aside from the hunt connection one of
the burglars was a republican party aide
and a paper trail led to the crp on june
20th washington post journalist bob
woodward and carl bernstein reported on
the hunt connection with confirmation
from their anonymous source
deep throat this team was instrumental
in unraveling the watergate case
and in implicating the justice
department the fbi
the cia and the white house in 2005
deep throat was revealed as former fbi
deputy director
mark felt by september 1972
the burglars hunt and liddy were
indicted by a grand jury despite
connections to the scandal
nixon was decisively re-elected that
november
the burglars pleaded guilty before hunt
and liddy went to trial in early 73.
the scandal soon exploded when many of
the administration's important figures
were implicated
in april four top nixon aides lost their
jobs due to their involvement in the
cover-up
haldeman erlichman attorney general
richard kleindinst
and white house lawyer john dean
official investigations began
in mid-1970 led by senator sam irvin
and special prosecutor archibald cox
they proved the connection between the
burglary and the white house and crp
dean became a valuable witness when he
divulged nixon knew about the cover-up
in july nixon assistant alexander
butterfield
explosively revealed the existence of
nixon installed recording devices
throughout the white house
those tapes were subpoenaed however
nixon refused to release them
citing executive privilege this
principle of confidentiality of
presidential conversations
is at stake in the question of these
tapes
i must and i shall oppose any efforts to
destroy this principle
which is so vital to the conduct of this
great office
to save himself nixon dismissed the
attorney general his deputy and cox in
the saturday night massacre
public outcry followed and nixon
responded with one of his most quoted
speeches
in november 73. people have got to know
whether or not their president is a
crook
well i'm not a crook i've earned
everything i've got
by march the watergate 7 were indicted
many spent
time in prison and though nixon was
named he remained
unindicted the watergate tapes were
finally released in july
1974. an 18-minute erased section proved
controversial
of the exposed facts it was found that
some involved in the break-in
had received hush money most importantly
the smoking gun tape
undeniably proved nixon knew about the
cover-up since mid-1972
nixon was forced to step down or face
impeachment
on august 8 1974 nixon resigned
and was replaced by gerald ford exactly
one month later
ford officially pardoned him this
controversy resulted in multiple arrests
the creation of new laws renewed
interest in investigative journalism
and the first resignation of a u.s
president the watergate scandal
undoubtedly changed american politics
forever
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