Vietnam and the Road to Watergate: Lessons from the Johnson and Nixon Tapes
Register for this Spring 2023 course on the new NYU SPS Academy of Lifelong Learning website.
The Vietnam War is unique because the key decisions were made in a single room where most of the conversations were recorded. In this two-session class, mixing excerpts from tapes with public events, this class will explore this window into history, through such turning points as the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, Johnson's tortured decision to escalate the war, his dismissal of antiwar protesters as "mentally diseased," and his belated recognition that his presidency had been destroyed by the war. Then, listen as Johnson discovers, at the end of the 1968 campaign, that his new bid for peace is being sabotaged by opposing candidate Nixon himself. Once Nixon takes office, explore his struggle to contain the wave of protests set off by the invasion of Cambodia, culminating in Kent State. Finally, see Nixon respond to the shock of the Pentagon Papers leak by forming the Plumbers, setting the stage for the Watergate scandal that would consume his presidency. Spring 2023 tuition is $149.
You'll Walk Away with
- An understanding of key moments that led to the Vietnam War and Watergate
- Knowledge about Lyndon B Johnson’s and Richard Nixon’s presidencies
Ideal for
- History enthusiasts
- All members of the community—working, retired, and in between
NO open sections available for this course at the moment. Please check back next semester.