Germany and Berlin, 1969–1972
361. Message From the State Secretary for Foreign, Defense, and German Policy in the German Federal Chancellery (Bahr) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser Files, Kissinger and Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, Box 35, West Germany–Egon Bahr Communications. Top Secret. The message translated here from the original German by the editor, is in response to one from Kissinger, undated but probably sent on April 28; see footnote 5, Document 359.
362. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Hillenbrand) to Secretary of State Rogers
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL GER W–US. Secret. Drafted by Sutterlin. The memorandum is uninitialed.
363. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and John J. McCloy
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 368, Telephone Conversations. No classification marking.
364. Backchannel Message From President Nixon to Secretary of State Rogers in London
Source: Department of State, S/S Files: Lot 73 D 443, WPR—President Nixon. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The message was sent at 0403Z on May 4 (11:03 p.m., EST, May 3). Rogers was in London May 3 and 4 for consultations with British leaders on the President’s trip to Moscow at the end of the month.
365. Memorandum for the Record
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 687, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Bonn), Vol. XII. Confidential; Nodis. Sent for information. Drafted by Sonnenfeldt. According to an attached correspondence profile, Kissinger noted the memorandum on May 20.
366. Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Rush)
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Recording of Conversation Between Kissinger and Rush, May 8, 1972, Time Unknown, White House Telephone, Conversation 024–4. The editor transcribed the portion of the conversation printed here specifically for this volume. The exact time of the conversation is unknown. Kissinger placed the call during a meeting with Nixon and Haldeman from 1:36 to 2:35 p.m. in the Executive Office Building. (Record of Schedule; Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76) During the telephone call, Nixon and Haldeman continued their own discussion; a tape is in the National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation Between Nixon, Haldeman, and Kissinger, May 8, 1972, 1:15–2:30 p.m., Executive Office Building, Conversation 336–8. Two instances when Nixon can be clearly heard on the telephone recording, apparently commenting on that conversation, are noted in footnotes 4 and 5 below.
367. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 372, Telephone Conversations. No classification marking.
369. Paper Prepared by the National Security Council Staff
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 487, President’s Trip Files, For the President’s Personal Briefcase, May 1972 [Part 2]. Secret; Exclusively Eyes Only. Butterfield stamped the paper to indicate that the President had seen it. The paper was part of the President’s briefing material for the Moscow summit, which began on May 22.
370. Memorandum for the Record
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 687, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Bonn), Vol. XII. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information. Drafted by Livingston on July 22. According to an attached routing slip, Kissinger approved the memorandum on July 26.
371. 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 303, Agency Files, USUN, Vol. X [Part 3]. Confidential. Sent for information. Kissinger initialed the memorandum; an attached routing slip indicates that it was noted by him on September 7. According to another copy, Livingston drafted the memorandum. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Chronological File, 1969–75, Box CL 26)
372. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 24, HAK Trip Files, HAK European Trip Sept. 1972, FRG Memcons Brandt, Strauss (Originals), Eyes Alone. Confidential; Eyes Only. Kissinger, an avid soccer fan, was in Munich to attend the Olympic Games. The meeting was held at the Arabaella House.
373. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Country Files, Box 74, Europe, USSR, HAK Trip to Moscow Sept. 1972, Memcons (Originals). Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the Kremlin. Kissinger visited Moscow from September 10 to 13 for “a general review of all aspects of US-Soviet relations.” (Kissinger, White House Years, p. 1271)
374. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 495, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1972, Vol. 13. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held at the Soviet Embassy. Gromyko, who had recently attended the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, was in Washington for his third annual review of U.S.-Soviet relations at the White House.
376. Telegram From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) in Paris
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, HAK Trip Files, Box 23, HAK’s Secret Paris Trip, HAKTO/TOHAK, October 7–12, 1972. Secret; Exclusively Eyes Only. Haig was in Paris with Kissinger for secret peace talks with North Vietnamese negotiator Le Duc Tho.
377. Message From the German State Secretary for Foreign, Defense, and German Policy (Bahr) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser Files, Kissinger and Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, Box 35, West Germany–Egon Bahr Communications. Top Secret. The message, translated here from the original German by the editor, was received in Washington on October 11 at 1457Z. No time of transmission is on the message.
380. 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 721, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Vol. XXVI. Secret; Background Use Only. Sent for information. Kissinger initialed the memorandum indicating that he had seen it.
381. 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 692, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Berlin), Vol. V. Secret; Exclusively Eyes Only. Urgent; sent for information. Kissinger and Haig both initialed the memorandum indicating that they had seen it. The memorandum is largely based on the reporting in telegrams 14751 and 14756 from Bonn, October 28 and 30, respectively. (Both National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 38–6)
382. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and William Hyland of the National Security Council Staff
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 374, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking.
383. 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 687, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Bonn), Vol. XII. Confidential. Urgent; sent for action. Haig initialed the memorandum indicating that he had seen it.
384. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 12–6 GER W. Confidential; Priority; Exdis.
385. Backchannel Message 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 26, HAK Trip Files, HAK Paris Trip, TOHAK [2 of 2]. Confidential. Kissinger was in Paris for private discussions with Le Duc Tho to negotiate a settlement of the Vietnam War. A memorandum from Kissinger, briefly summarizing Sonnenfeldt’s message, was forwarded to the President on November 20. (Ibid., NSC Files, Box 47, President’s Daily Brief, November 17–30, 1972)
386. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 689, Country Files, Europe, East Germany, Vol. I. Confidential. Sent for information. Butterfield stamped the memorandum to indicate that the President had seen it.
387. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 687, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Bonn), Vol. XII. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Sent for information. Butterfield stamped the memorandum to indicate that the President had seen it. No drafting information appears on the memorandum. Sonnenfeldt forwarded a draft to Kissinger on December 14. (Ibid.)
388. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 689, Country Files, Europe, East Germany, Vol. I. Confidential. Sent for information. Butterfield stamped the memorandum to indicate that the President had seen it; according to a typewritten note attached to a copy, Nixon still had the memorandum as of December 26. (Ibid.) In a memorandum forwarding a draft to Kissinger on December 19, Sonnenfeldt wrote: “We have now reached the stage where the State Department is about to initiate contacts with the GDR. Steps in this direction so far have been made without overall guidance from us, except on the Four-Power Declaration, and indeed without the President having been fully informed. The contact with the GDR now proposed by State will put us on the path to diplomatic relations. I think the time has therefore come to give Secretary Rogers Presidential guidance for the steps which he proposes to take.” (Ibid.)