Presidential Preview: Nixon’s Vice Presidency and Role in the Vietnam War, 1953–1955

Abstract

Despite President Richard M. Nixon’s own statements that his time within the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower was influential to his thinking on foreign policy, only recently has the relationship between Eisenhower and Nixon actually been examined. This article explores Nixon’s experiences as vice president under Eisenhower, including Nixon’s role in policy making. From there, this article illustrates the important role that Nixon’s time as vice president played in shaping his approach to the war in Vietnam and to the very policy‐making processes he created in his own administration to debate, produce, and implement foreign policy.