The Cold War, a term that describes tense relations between United States-led democratic nations and Soviet Union-led communist nations, began shortly after the end of World War II. A communist rebellion in China during the late 1940s deposed the democratic government there and further escalated the Cold War. It was during this period that Richard Nixon entered politics and was elected to the House of Representatives based on his strong anticommunist views. Nixon served with the House Un-American Activities Committee that brought communists to trial, had a well-publicized public argument while he was vice president with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, and continued to speak out against communism during his campaign for the presidency in 1968.

It was very surprising, then, that as president, Nixon improved American relations with the Soviet Union and China. His trip to China in 1972 marked the first exchange of...