Global Presidents: Gerald Ford and the Helsinki Accords
Gerald Ford became President upon the resignation of Richard Nixon in August of 1974. He had been a member of Congress for almost 24 years and had been Vice-President since December 6, 1973. His experience in foreign policy was limited. When he became President, he intended to continue much of the policy that had been advanced during the administration of his predecessor. Ford supported Nixon's policy of détente with both the Soviet Union and China, as a means of easing the tensions of the Cold War. He continued to try to build relations with China brought about by Nixon's 1972 visit. In December of 1975 Ford took his own trip to China, where he met with Chairman Mao Tse Tung on December 2, 1975, and spoke at a Reciprocal Dinner in Beijing on December 4, 1975.
Improved US-China relations caused some nervousness on the part of the Soviets. Ford wanted to build on the progress that had been made during the Nixon administration in relations between the United States and the two major communist nations. Nixon's negotiations with the Soviets had led to the signing of the SALT I Treaty, which sought to limit the number of nuclear weapons possessed by the United States and the Soviet Union. Ford met with Soviet Leader Leonid Brezhnev at the Vladivostok Summit in November of 1974. At that time the two leaders agreed to a framework for what would become the SALT II Treaty.
Ford and Brezhnev next met again in July if 1975 at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. The trip was part of a visit by Ford to five European nations. The trip began on July 26, 1975 as Ford spent three days in West Germany, visiting the cities of Bonn and Linz am Rhein. He met with President Walter Scheel and Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. On July 28, 1975 he traveled to Poland, stopping in Warsaw and Kraków. He met with First Secretary Edward Gierek. Ford remained in Poland until July 29th, when he left for Helsinki, Finland. Ford remained in Helsinki until August 2, 1975.
In Helsinki, Ford attended the opening session of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Met with the heads of state and government of Finland, Great Britain, Turkey, West Germany, France, Italy and Spain. At the conference, the United States, Canada, and almost every European country signed an agreement that became known as the Helsinki Accords. In total, thirty-five nations signed the Accords. It was an agreement in which the signer nations agreed to uphold human rights and the sovereignty of the parties to the accords. Albania and Andorra refused to sign the agreement. The accords were non-binding and did not have the status of a treaty.
Earlier, in 1972, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) negotiations began, and had continued for over two years. Initially, none of the parties were quick to make concessions, particularly on human rights issue. In an August 1974 conversation between Ford and his National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Dr. Kissinger told Ford, concerning the CSCE, "we never wanted it but we went along with the Europeans. It is meaningless, it is just a grandstand play to the left. We are going along with it."
In the months leading up to the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, many Americans of Eastern European descent voiced their concerns that the agreement would mean the acceptance of Soviet domination over Eastern Europe and incorporation of the Baltic states into the USSR. Ford was concerned about this. He asked for clarification on this issue from the U.S. National Security Council. The Senate was also worried about the fate of the Baltic States and several Senators wrote to President Ford requesting that the final summit stage be delayed until all matters had been settled, and in a way favorable to the West. Shortly before leaving for Helsinki, President Ford met with a group of Americans of Eastern European background. He told them that U.S. policy on the Baltic States would not change. He said that he believed that the accords would improve matters because it did not allow the annexation of territory in violation of international law and called for the peaceful change of borders.
Ford called the Accords "political and moral commitments aimed at lessening tension and opening further the lines of communication between peoples of East and West." He added, "We are not committing ourselves to anything beyond what we are already committed to by our own moral and legal standards and by more formal treaty agreements such as the United Nations Charter and Declaration of Human Rights." He added, "If it all fails, Europe will be no worse off than it is now. If even a part of it succeeds, the lot the people in Eastern Europe will be that much better, and the cause of freedom will advance at least that far." Despite Ford's support for the accords however, contemporary public opinion did not change much. A majority of the mail that the White House received was against the Helsinki agreement.
When Ford met with Brezhnev, he hoped to push forward the SALT II talks, but he was unable to come to an agreement with Brezhnev. The talks would not continue until the Carter administration. Ford was criticized as being too willing to accept recognition of the Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.
After leaving Helsinki, Ford traveled to Bucharest Romania on August 2, 1975 and the next day he met with President Nicolae Ceaușescu. He visited Belgrade, Yugoslavia on August 3 and 4, where he met with President Josip Broz Tito and Prime Minister Džemal Bijedić. This was the last nation he visited on the tour before returning home.
After Ford returned from the tour, Denis Clift of the National Security Council recommended to Secretary Kissinger that a quarterly report be created by the NSC Under Secretaries Committee on Helsinki Final Act compliance. Clift believed that the administration needed to be prepared for criticism from American Eastern European ethnic groups and media if the signatories are not in compliance. Kissinger and Ford agreed and an order was issued to the committee.
Improved US-China relations caused some nervousness on the part of the Soviets. Ford wanted to build on the progress that had been made during the Nixon administration in relations between the United States and the two major communist nations. Nixon's negotiations with the Soviets had led to the signing of the SALT I Treaty, which sought to limit the number of nuclear weapons possessed by the United States and the Soviet Union. Ford met with Soviet Leader Leonid Brezhnev at the Vladivostok Summit in November of 1974. At that time the two leaders agreed to a framework for what would become the SALT II Treaty.
Ford and Brezhnev next met again in July if 1975 at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. The trip was part of a visit by Ford to five European nations. The trip began on July 26, 1975 as Ford spent three days in West Germany, visiting the cities of Bonn and Linz am Rhein. He met with President Walter Scheel and Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. On July 28, 1975 he traveled to Poland, stopping in Warsaw and Kraków. He met with First Secretary Edward Gierek. Ford remained in Poland until July 29th, when he left for Helsinki, Finland. Ford remained in Helsinki until August 2, 1975.
In Helsinki, Ford attended the opening session of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Met with the heads of state and government of Finland, Great Britain, Turkey, West Germany, France, Italy and Spain. At the conference, the United States, Canada, and almost every European country signed an agreement that became known as the Helsinki Accords. In total, thirty-five nations signed the Accords. It was an agreement in which the signer nations agreed to uphold human rights and the sovereignty of the parties to the accords. Albania and Andorra refused to sign the agreement. The accords were non-binding and did not have the status of a treaty.
Earlier, in 1972, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) negotiations began, and had continued for over two years. Initially, none of the parties were quick to make concessions, particularly on human rights issue. In an August 1974 conversation between Ford and his National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Dr. Kissinger told Ford, concerning the CSCE, "we never wanted it but we went along with the Europeans. It is meaningless, it is just a grandstand play to the left. We are going along with it."
In the months leading up to the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, many Americans of Eastern European descent voiced their concerns that the agreement would mean the acceptance of Soviet domination over Eastern Europe and incorporation of the Baltic states into the USSR. Ford was concerned about this. He asked for clarification on this issue from the U.S. National Security Council. The Senate was also worried about the fate of the Baltic States and several Senators wrote to President Ford requesting that the final summit stage be delayed until all matters had been settled, and in a way favorable to the West. Shortly before leaving for Helsinki, President Ford met with a group of Americans of Eastern European background. He told them that U.S. policy on the Baltic States would not change. He said that he believed that the accords would improve matters because it did not allow the annexation of territory in violation of international law and called for the peaceful change of borders.
Ford called the Accords "political and moral commitments aimed at lessening tension and opening further the lines of communication between peoples of East and West." He added, "We are not committing ourselves to anything beyond what we are already committed to by our own moral and legal standards and by more formal treaty agreements such as the United Nations Charter and Declaration of Human Rights." He added, "If it all fails, Europe will be no worse off than it is now. If even a part of it succeeds, the lot the people in Eastern Europe will be that much better, and the cause of freedom will advance at least that far." Despite Ford's support for the accords however, contemporary public opinion did not change much. A majority of the mail that the White House received was against the Helsinki agreement.
When Ford met with Brezhnev, he hoped to push forward the SALT II talks, but he was unable to come to an agreement with Brezhnev. The talks would not continue until the Carter administration. Ford was criticized as being too willing to accept recognition of the Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.
After leaving Helsinki, Ford traveled to Bucharest Romania on August 2, 1975 and the next day he met with President Nicolae Ceaușescu. He visited Belgrade, Yugoslavia on August 3 and 4, where he met with President Josip Broz Tito and Prime Minister Džemal Bijedić. This was the last nation he visited on the tour before returning home.
After Ford returned from the tour, Denis Clift of the National Security Council recommended to Secretary Kissinger that a quarterly report be created by the NSC Under Secretaries Committee on Helsinki Final Act compliance. Clift believed that the administration needed to be prepared for criticism from American Eastern European ethnic groups and media if the signatories are not in compliance. Kissinger and Ford agreed and an order was issued to the committee.