Welcome to the Gerald Ford Leadership in World Diplomacy website. Select a country below for more information.
Gerald Ford’s political career, spanning nearly three decades, took place during the Cold War. From his military service in WWII to his first visit to South Vietnam as a young Congressman from Michigan and his final state visit to China as President, he experienced the international issues that affected the world. When he was sworn in as 38th President of the United States on August 9, 1974, following Richard Nixon’s resignation, Ford’s presidential plate overflowed with both domestic and international issues. Among those issues were U.S. – Soviet relations, from his SALT II negotiations with Leonid Brezhnev and the human rights aspects of the Helsinki Accord; the Middle East peace process; and his decisions regarding the final days of our long involvement in Vietnam. The world watched to see how Gerald Ford would respond.

In each of the five areas on our map you will find a brief summary of the foreign policy issues, key players, a timeline and a sampling of primary source materials available at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.

The materials attached provide a glimpse into the process of diplomacy. They include Memcons (Memorandum of Conversations), reports, draft agreements, briefing materials, correspondence, maps, cartoons, photographs, and artifacts. We encourage you to utilize these materials to learn more about each area of the world as well as the diplomatic process.