Impeached even without Watergate

Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

Impeached even without Watergate by Steve Payne

Author says: would Richard Nixon still have faced impeachment in a timeline with no Watergate Scandal? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

On August 15^th, 1973:

the continued bombing of North Vietnam after the cut-off deadline set by the Case-Church Amendment created an escalation in the crisis between the legislative and executive functions in the US Government that would finally be resolved by the impeachment of President Richard Nixon.

"Nixon's attempt to "impound" funds Congress had refused to appropriate for the war was among the impeachment charges considered by the Ervin committee". - readers commentThe critical issue was the divergent assessments of the conflict that had emerged from the Eastertide Offensive. Because prior to March 30th, 1972 Nixon had been publically committed to American withdrawal from Vietnam. Of course the American public had long since detected a disparity between Nixons words and actions, particularly after the Laos "incursion", an escalation which enraged the anti-war movement and provoked the Kent State University demonstration. And the authority of the Presidency had been challenged by the Congressional repeal of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolutions which had served as the basis for the intervention in 1965.

Nixon continued to emphasise the success of Vietnamisation throughout the LAM SON 719 and Eastertide Campaigns. And whilst the ARVN Forces had demonstrated their ability to defend South Vietnam, it was self-evident that US naval and air power was required to prevent the Soviets and Chinese resupplying the NVA during such an invasion.

The Eastertide Campaign had been a disaster for the NVA, and Nixon had pressed the advantage with agreement on the Paris Peace Accords ahead of his re-election. By signing that document, the US was committed to dismantling all of its bases in South Vietnam. The US Congress banked that committment by reintroducing the Case-Church Amendment (which had previously been defeated), demanding an end to American military involvement in Southeast Asia with no funds available after August 15th, 1973. Planning a slower withdrawal of forces, Nixon and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger lobbied frantically to have the deadline extended. A decision point was now reached, whether to confront the US Congress, or abandon South Vietnam to its fate.

Author says lacking the necessary Congressional support, Nixon signed the Case-Church Amendment into law. In this scenario his authority is not weakened by Watergate,and he decides to lock horns with the US Congress.n 2009, to view guest historian's comments on this post please visit the Today in Alternate History web site.