Office of the Historian

35. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon1

Washington, October 17, 1969.

SUBJECT

  • State Department Analysis of New German Coalition Policies

Secretary Rogers wanted your attention called to the attached analysis of the possible foreign and defense policies of the new coalition of Social Democrats (SPD) and Free Democrats under Brandt’s leadership.2

The analysis makes the following points:

  • —that any German government’s freedom of action will be constrained by the obvious factors of its existence as a divided country; by its geographical position; by the security concerns of the USSR; and, in the case of the new coalition, by the fragile base of its parliamentary majority;
  • —policy toward the East will nevertheless be of primary concern; it will focus on signature of the NPT, evolution of a formula for renouncing the Munich agreement, some form of acceptance of the Oder-Neisse line with Poland, and greater flexibility in dealing with East Germany, though short of formal recognition;
  • —to prevent a widening of the gap between the two Germanies and hopefully to close it, the SPD will increase contacts with the East, seek diplomatic relations with East European governments and continue talks with the USSR on the mutual renunciation of force;
  • —in the West, Brandt will press for British entry into the Common Market, but will not be in a position to put great pressures on France;
  • —as for relations with the US there is no reason to expect wide divergencies to develop; the SPD, however, is somewhat suspicious that we are biased in favor of the Christian Democrats.

The memorandum from State recommends a visit by Brandt fairly soon, and I will be sending you a separate memorandum on this.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 682, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. III. Confidential. Sent for information. According to another copy of this memorandum, Hyland drafted it on October 14. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 287, Memoranda to the President, 1969–1974, Oct.–Dec. 1969) Sonnenfeldt forwarded a draft to Kissinger on October 7; in his cover memorandum, Sonnenfeldt commented that the State paper was “workmanlike but somewhat superficial” and probably did not contain “anything the President has not already heard.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 682, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. III) In accordance with Kissinger’s handwritten instructions, Sonnenfeldt revised the draft on October 14 to include a summary of the State paper. (Ibid.) A note indicates that the memorandum was returned from the President on October 21. Kissinger later wrote that State had submitted a “thoughtful paper” and that he agreed with its conclusion that “under an SPD–FDP coalition an active all-German and Eastern policy will have the first priority.” (White House Years, p. 408)↩
  2. Attached is an October 6 memorandum from Eliot to Kissinger, noting that Rogers had requested that the enclosed paper be brought to the President’s attention. (Also in National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 15 GER W)↩