美國 冷戰中的美國  (1913年元月9日～1994年四月22日)

開端 終結 在位 1969年 1974年  傳記 biography： 《領袖們》

　　理查德·米爾豪斯·尼剋鬆（Richard Milhous Nixon，1913年1月9日－1994年4月22日），第36任美國副總統（1953年－1961年）與第37任美國總統（1969年－1974年）。尼剋鬆是美國史上唯一當過兩屆總統與兩屆副總統的人，但也是唯一於在位期間，以辭職的方式離開總統職位的美國總統。
　　
　　生平
　　政治生涯
　　
　　1946年，尼剋鬆當選美國衆議員，開始了他的政治生涯。他在1952年與1956年兩度與德懷特·D·艾森豪威爾搭檔參選並獲得勝利，在1953年到1961年間，擔任了兩屆副總統職務。1960年尼剋鬆競選總統，以微弱票差被約翰·肯尼迪擊敗，又在1962年競選加利福尼亞州州長時落敗而暫時離開國傢權力中樞。1968年尼剋鬆重返政壇，在當年的美國大選中順利當選為美國第46屆（第37任）美國總統，1972年又連任第47屆總統。他在1974年8月因“水門事件”事件曝光之後（授權非法闖入民主黨在水門飯店的總部，並下令掩蓋事件真相，事後福特總統給予尼剋鬆特赦，以便緩解全美上下在尼剋鬆總統因水門事件辭職後出現的分歧。）被迫辭去總統職務，成為唯一以辭職離任的美國總統。
　　
　　尼剋鬆生性多疑，在美國政壇有“難以捉摸的迪剋”（Tricky Dick）綽號。尼剋鬆在1959年7月莫斯科舉行的美國國傢展覽會（American National Exhibition）開幕式上，與時任蘇聯部長會議主席的赫魯曉夫之間展開過一場關於東西方意識形態和核戰爭的論戰，史稱“廚房辯論”。在任期內，將美國軍隊撤出了越南，逐漸結束了那場使國傢陷入危機的戰爭。透過乒乓球活動嘗試與中華人民共和國建立外交關係，並支持其進入聯合國，史稱“乒乓外交”，改善了中國大陸與美國的關係。尼剋鬆於1972年2月訪問中國大陸，是美國總統第一次訪問一個與美國沒有正式外交關係的國傢，對中國大陸的7天訪問被稱為“改變世界的一周”。當時，尼剋鬆率團訪問了北京、杭州、上海三個城市，並在杭州西湖邊的園林中與周恩來草簽了轟動世界的《中美聯合公報》。中華人民共和國與美國兩國關係正常化，美中蘇三角外交的態勢開始形成，在很長一段時間裏成為决定國際形勢發展的重要因素之一。
　　
　　晚年
　　
　　尼剋鬆有兩個女兒，長女帕特裏夏·尼剋鬆嫁給平民愛德華·考剋斯，儘管此人的祖先可以追溯到主持喬治·華盛頓宣誓就任第一屆美國總統的羅伯特·利因斯頓法官，尼剋鬆依然覺得自己的愛女嫁的門不當戶不對。尼剋鬆的次女朱莉·尼剋鬆則嫁給了德懷特·D·艾森豪威爾的獨孫戴維·艾森豪威爾。
　　
　　1994年4月18日，尼剋鬆在新澤西州傢中突患中風，4月22日在紐約康奈爾醫療中心逝世，享年81歲。在他的墓碑上雕刻着這樣一句話：“歷史所能賦予的最高榮譽是和平締造者”。
　　
　　他先後撰寫出版了《尼剋鬆回憶錄》、《領袖們》、《1999：不戰而勝》、《超越和平》等著作。

　　Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States (1969–1974) and is the only president to resign the office. He was also the 36th Vice President of the United States (1953–1961).
　　
　　Nixon was born in Yorba Linda, California. After completing undergraduate work at Whittier College, he graduated from Duke University School of Law in 1937 and returned to California to practice law in La Mirada. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the United States Navy, serving in the Pacific theater, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant commander during World War II. He was elected in 1946 as a Republican to the House of Representatives representing California's 12th Congressional district, and in 1950 to the United States Senate. He was selected to be the running mate of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Republican Party nominee, in the 1952 presidential election, becoming one of the youngest vice presidents in history. He waged an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1960, narrowly losing to John F. Kennedy, and an unsuccessful campaign for Governor of California in 1962; following these losses, Nixon announced his withdrawal from the political scene. In 1968, however, he ran again for president of the United States and was elected.
　　
　　The most immediate task facing President Nixon was a resolution of the Vietnam War. He initially escalated the conflict, overseeing incursions into neighboring countries, though American military personnel were gradually withdrawn and he successfully negotiated a ceasefire with North Vietnam in 1973, effectively ending American involvement in the war. His foreign policy initiatives were largely successful: his groundbreaking visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972 opened diplomatic relations between the two nations, and he initiated détente and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the Soviet Union. On the domestic front, he implemented new economic policies which called for wage and price control and the abolition of the gold standard. He was reelected by a landslide in 1972. In his second term, the nation was afflicted with economic difficulties. In the face of likely impeachment for his role in the Watergate scandal, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. He was later pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford, for any federal crimes he may have committed while in office.
　　
　　In his retirement, Nixon became a prolific author and undertook many foreign trips. His work as an elder statesman helped to rehabilitate his public image. He suffered a debilitating stroke on April 18, 1994, and died four days later at the age of 81.