Germany and Berlin, 1969–1972


151. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 690, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Berlin), Vol. II. Secret; Nodis. Sent for information. Drafted by Sonnenfeldt on December 22; approved by Kissinger on January 4. The meeting was held in Kissinger’s office at the White House. Another memorandum of the conversation, drafted by Hillenbrand, is in the National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 28 GER B. For Pauls’ report on the meeting, see Akten zur Auswärtigen Politik der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, 1970, Vol. 3, pp. 2305–2309. Kissinger also met Ehmke privately both before (12:05 to 12:38 p.m.) and after (4:40 to 5:11 p.m.) the meeting. (Record of Schedule; Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76) Although no record of the private discussions has been found, Ehmke published an account in his memoir, Mittendrin: Von der Groben Koalition zur Deutschen Einheit, pp. 140–142. See also Willy Brandt, People and Politics, p. 289.


153. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H–Files), Box H–179, NSSM 111. Secret; Nodis. Sent for action. A stamp on the memorandum indicates that the President saw it. Sonnenfeldt forwarded it to Kissinger under cover of a December 18 memorandum. “Before dealing with Brandt’s ostensibly procedural proposal,” Sonnenfeldt explained, “there is urgent need for a new study within the NSC system of the status of the Berlin talks and of courses open to us in the New Year. If we are going to marathon negotiations, we will need to review both substance and tactics, particularly since we may well come under new pressures from Bonn to accept a broad agreement on principles and then turn the negotiations over to Bahr and Kohl. In view of the growing internal problems within the Government on Ostpolitik and mounting German resentment it is also urgent for the NSC system to reexamine problems that will be coming along quite soon if there is a Berlin agreement, and also examine the consequences if there is no agreement.” According to an attached routing slip, the memorandum was returned to Sonnenfeldt on December 28 for “further action.” (Ibid.)


154. Letter From the Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim in Germany (Fessenden) to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Hillenbrand)

Source: Department of State, EUR/CE Files: Lot 85 D 330, Amb/DCM Correspondence, 1970. Secret; Eyes Only Addressee. Drafted by Fessenden.


155. Intelligence Information Cable

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 685, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. VIII. Secret. No Foreign Dissem; Controlled Dissem; Background Use Only; Routine. Prepared in the CIA. Kissinger initialed the cable indicating that he had seen it. An unidentified NSC staff member wrote the following summary for Kissinger in the margin: “Ehmke reports on this trip to the US: —reassured there is no crisis in confidence; —you, Sonnenfeldt, Hillenbrand assured him Acheson spoke for himself (?); —source close to Chancellor may have been source of info for NY Times article; —French have rejected Brandt proposal for continuous 4 power talks; —Bahr wants to move faster than Ehmke.”


156. National Security Study Memorandum 111

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 365, Subject Files, National Security Study Memoranda (NSSM’s) Nos. 104–206. Secret; Nodis. No drafting information appears on the memorandum. A copy was also sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Sonnenfeldt forwarded the text as an attachment to a December 18 memorandum to Kissinger; see footnote 1, Document 153.


157. Memorandum From William Hyland of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 685, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. VIII. Secret; Limdis. Sent for information. Kissinger initialed the memorandum indicating that he had seen it.


158. Letter From President Nixon to German Chancellor Brandt

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL GER W–US. No classification marking. Although no drafting information appears on the letter, Rogers attached the text to a December 23 memorandum for the President. (Ibid.) Kissinger forwarded both in a December 30 memorandum to Nixon (see footnote 3 below). On January 4 the Department pouched the letter to the Embassy for delivery and transmitted the text by telegram. (Telegram 629 to Bonn, January 4; National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL GER W–US) In telegram 84 from Bonn, January 5, Fessenden reported delivering the letter that morning to Bahr, who said he would forward it to Brandt on vacation in Kenya. According to Fessenden, “Bahr read the letter quickly and was obviously pleased with its contents. He noted particularly the favorable comments on the Warsaw Treaty and the comments on future procedure for the Berlin talks, which he said was generally in line with German views.” (Ibid.) See also Dokumente zur Deutschlandpolitik, 1969–1970, Nr. 265, pp. 1038–39.


159. Note From the Soviet Leadership to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 490, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger 1971, Vol. 4 [part 2]. No classification marking. David Young of the NSC staff sent the note at 12:37 p.m. to Kissinger in San Clemente. (Ibid., Box 714, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Vol. XII) In a covering message, Young reported: “I went to the [Soviet] Embassy and picked the note up at 10:50 a.m. When Vorontsov handed the note to me, he said the Ambassador would appreciate your calling him after you had read the note so he could expand on it orally over the phone and that this would probably be helpful for you to have before you discussed the matter with the President.” For further background, see Document 160. Hyland prepared a memorandum analyzing the note for Kissinger; Kissinger later incorporated Hyland’s analysis in a memorandum to the President (Document 166). In his memoirs, Kissinger recalled his response to the Soviet note: “I recommended to Nixon that we return a positive reply which would insist on Soviet guarantees of access and a clearly defined legal status for West Berlin. And I proposed linking the Berlin negotiations to progress in SALT;SALT in turn we would make depend on Soviet willingness to freeze its offensive buildup. Nixon approved.” (White House Years, p. 802)


161. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 685, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. VIII. Secret; Sensitive; (Outside System).


162. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 691, Europe, Germany (Berlin), Vol. III. Secret; Sensitive. Sonnenfeldt drafted the memorandum, which is unsigned, on January 12.


163. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–179, NSSM 111. Secret. Sent for action. Haig initialed the memorandum, indicating that he had seen it.


164. Intelligence Information Cable

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 685, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. VIII. Secret; No Foreign Dissem; Controlled Dissem; No Dissem Abroad; Background Use Only; Routine. Prepared in the CIA.


166. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 490, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 4 [Part 2]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Sent for information. No drafting information appears on the memorandum. Most of the analysis was taken verbatim from a January 6 memorandum prepared by Hyland. (Ibid., Box 691, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Berlin), Vol. III) Butterfield stamped the memorandum indicating that the President had seen it.


167. Message From the German State Secretary for Foreign, Defense, and German Policy (Bahr) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Office Files, Box 60, Country Files, Europe, Egon Bahr, Berlin File [3 of 3]. Top Secret. The message, translated here from the signed German original by the editor, was forwarded to Kissinger in a January 25 memorandum; see footnote 2 below. In an attached handwritten note to Haig on January 29, Sonnenfeldt remarked: “I assume that no written response to Bahr is needed since the two will blast off together during the weekend anyway.” For the meeting between Kissinger and Bahr that weekend, see Document 172.


168. Memorandum From V. James Fazio of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 60, Country Files, Europe, Egon Bahr, Berlin File [3 of 3]. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Haig initialed the memorandum. For published accounts of the Fazio trip, see Kissinger, White House Years, p. 807; and Bahr, Zu meiner Zeit, p. 354.


170. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Security Council, Senior Review Group Files, Box 96, SRG Meeting 2–10–71, Berlin Negotiations. Secret; Nodis. Sent for information. Haig attached a handwritten note to the memorandum: “HAK, Art [Downey] updated this for your use on weekend,” an apparent reference to Kissinger’s meeting with Bahr on Sunday, January 31; see Document 172.


172. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 60, Country Files, Europe, Egon Bahr, Berlin File [3 of 3]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Sent for information. According to another copy, Kissinger and David Young drafted the memorandum on February 2. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS 37, Geopolitical File, Soviet Union, Dobrynin, Chronological File (“D” File), Feb. 1971–Jan. 1977) Butterfield stamped the memorandum indicating that the President had seen it. For their memoir accounts of the meeting, see Kissinger, White House Years, pp. 805–810; and Bahr, Zu meiner Zeit, pp. 354–356.


173. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 28 GER B. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Repeated to Berlin, London, Paris, and Moscow. In a February 4 memorandum forwarding the text of the telegram to Kissinger and Haig, Sonnenfeldt commented: “The basic choice we have to make is whether a partial recognition, in writing, by the Soviets of our conception of our rights is better than none at all—the present situation. If we judge that it is worse we had better get out of the talks now. In practice of course the Soviets are likely to laugh this draft out of court precisely because it would require them to recognize Western actions as a matter of right which in the past they have acquiesced in (when they were not harassing) but have never underwritten in legal form. On the contrary, it is their position that no such rights exist. In addition, the draft requires them to accept, in writing, responsibilities they have never accepted before.” (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 58, Country Files, Europe, Berlin, Vol. 1)


174. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 60, Country Files, Europe, Bahr/Rush—Backup. Secret. Sent for information. According to another copy, Hyland drafted the memorandum. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, CL 11, Chronological File, 1969–75, 2 Jan.–16 Feb. 1971)


175. Briefing Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Hillenbrand) to the Under Secretary of State (Irwin)

Source: Department of State, S/S Files: Lot 82 D 126, Briefing on NSSM 111–Wednesday 2/10/71–11:30 am. Secret. Drafted by Sutterlin on February 8 and cleared by Spiro and Brower. The memorandum is an uninitialed copy.


176. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Security Council, Senior Review Group Files, Box 96, SRG Meeting 2–10–71, Berlin Negotiations. Secret; Nodis. Sent for information. No drafting information appears on the memorandum. The NSC staff also prepared talking points for the meeting as well as an analytical summary of the discussion paper. (Both ibid.)


177. Notes of the Senior Review Group Meeting

Source: National Security Council, Jeanne Davis History, Jeanne Davis Handwritten Notes from SRG & WSAG Meetings, 1969–1976. No classification marking. No formal minutes of the meeting have been found. The editor transcribed the text printed here from Davis’ handwritten notes.


179. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 28 GER B. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to Berlin, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and Stuttgart.


180. Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Ambassador to Germany (Rush)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 59, Country Files, Europe, Ambassador Rush, Berlin, Vol. 1 [2 of 2]. Top Secret; Eyes Only. The message was sent through the special Navy channel in Frankfurt. An attached note indicates that “Ambassador Rush will be at his home at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 13, German time, to receive message or telephone call from Captain Holschuh.” Kissinger sent a nearly identical message to Bahr on February 14; the differences in the text are noted in footnotes below. (Ibid., Box 60, Egon Bahr, Berlin File [3 of 3]) For an explanation of how the special channel to Rush and Bahr operated, see Document 171. Copies of the messages between Kissinger and Rush are also in Department of State, Bonn Post Files: Lot 72 F 81, Berlin Negotiations—Amb. Kenneth Rush.