--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that without Watergate we would…" description: "\"I believe that without Watergate we would have had an extraordinary period of success with a strong Nixon and a still vital Brezhnev in power.\" — Henry..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/henry-a-kissinger-1068_believe_i-believe-that-without-watergate-we-woul_2322715.jpg" --- # I believe that without Watergate we would have had an… ![“I believe that without Watergate we would have had an extraordinary period of success with a strong Nixon and a still vital Brezhnev in power.” quote by Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/henry-a-kissinger-1068_believe_i-believe-that-without-watergate-we-woul_2322715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/henry-a-kissinger-1068_believe_i-believe-that-without-watergate-we-woul_2322715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/henry-a-kissinger-1068_believe_i-believe-that-without-watergate-we-woul_2322715.jpg) > “I believe that without Watergate we would have had an extraordinary period of success with a strong Nixon and a still vital Brezhnev in power.” [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Speculates that Watergate prevented a strong Nixon‑Brezhnev partnership, altering history. **In simple terms:** Watergate altered political trajectories. Key Takeaway Consider unintended political outcomes. Themes politics history counterfactual leadership Mood analytical speculative Type historical political When to use this quote - diplomacy - strategic planning - educational curricula - media commentary Key Concepts international relations policy analysis Questions to Reflect On - What if Watergate never happened? - How do scandals reshape leadership? A Different Perspective Counterfactuals are speculative. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Watergate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-watergate-1871278/) [Brezhnev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brezhnev/) [Extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nixon/) [Nixon Vital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nixon-vital-5558101/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Strong Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-nixon-5558102/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Watergate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watergate/) [Watergate Extraordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watergate-extraordinary-5558100/) ## Related quotes > [I believe Watergate shows that the system did work. Particularly the Judiciary and the Congress, and ultimately an independent prosecutor working in the Executive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-woodward/i-believe-watergate-shows-that-the-system-did-work-particularly-the/) [Bob Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-woodward/) > [Moscow has changed. I was here in 1982, during the Brezhnev twilight, and things are better now. For instance, they've got litter. In 1982…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/moscow-has-changed-i-was-here-in-1982-during-the-brezhnev-twilight/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [ \[In Moscow\] we got through to \[Soviet leaders\] Brezhnev and Kosygin on the telephone. 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What they think of me after I’m dead and gone in one generation will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kuan-yew/it-s-irrelevant-to-me-what-young-singaporeans-think-of-me-what-they/) [Lee Kuan Yew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kuan-yew/) > [One of the surprising things that Brezhnev said when we were in our talks, was - when I proposed that we make these changes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-surprising-things-that-brezhnev-said-when-we-were-in-our/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Brezhnev wasn't a minus for the history of our country, he was a huge plus, He laid a foundation for the country's economics and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonid-brezhnev/brezhnev-wasn-t-a-minus-for-the-history-of-our-country-he-was-a-huge/) [Leonid Brezhnev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonid-brezhnev/) > [Leonid Brezhnev did not understand the enormous political importance of the decision to produce and afterwards deploy the SS-20s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-schmidt/leonid-brezhnev-did-not-understand-the-enormous-political-importance/) [Helmut Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-schmidt/) ## More by Henry A. 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Perhaps the greatest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/john-paul-ii-was-one-of-the-greatest-men-of-the-last-century-perhaps/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Does anyone have any questions for my answers?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/does-anyone-have-any-questions-for-my-answers/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Taiwan will probably not declare independence. The question isn't independence. The issue is whether Taiwan will declare itself as a sovereign separate state. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/taiwan-will-probably-not-declare-independence-the-question-isn-t/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [China is a country with a record of continuous self-government going back 4,000 years, the only society that has achieved this. 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