Germany and Berlin, 1969–1972
122. Telegram From the Mission in Berlin to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 38–6. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Repeated to Bonn and to Belgrade for Hillenbrand.
123. Paper Prepared in the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, EUR/CE Files: Lot 80 D 225, Bonn Group Study, Nov 23 1970. Secret. Drafted by Sutterlin and Skoug. The paper was a revision of a paper originally prepared for discussion by the NSC on September 15; the meeting, however, was postponed. On October 12 Jeanne W. Davis, NSC Staff Secretary, circulated the revised pages to serve as the basis for discussion at the NSC meeting on October 14. (Ibid., Central Files 1970–73, POL 1 EUR E–GER W) Copies of the original version are ibid. and ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 684, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. VII.
124. Memorandum for the Record
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 684, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. VII. Secret. Sent for information. Drafted by Hyland on October 16 and cleared by Sonnenfeldt. Kissinger initialed the memorandum on October 22, indicating that he saw it. The time of the meeting is from Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, which notes a brief interview with the President (1:03–1:18 p.m.). (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76) No substantive record of the conversation between Nixon and Strauss has been found.
125. 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–029, NSC Meeting—European Security 10/14/70. Secret. Sent for information. The date of the memorandum is from another copy. (Ibid., White House Special Files, President’s Office Files, Memoranda to the President, Beginning October 11, 1970) No drafting information appears on the memorandum. Sonnenfeldt forwarded a draft and talking points for the meeting to Kissinger on October 12. In a covering memorandum Sonnenfeldt explained that, in accordance with Kissinger’s instructions, “the papers now place heavy stress on the problems associated with Ostpolitik, both its failure and its ‘success,’ and, more importantly, with the current Berlin negotiations.” (Ibid., NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–029, NSC Meeting 10/14/70 European Security)
126. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Security Council, Minutes File, Box 119, NSC Minutes 1970 Originals. Secret; XGDS. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room at the White House. The memorandum is based on an attached set of handwritten notes by Richard T. Kennedy, which were transcribed by a secretary and edited by Peter Rodman in January 1975.
127. Letter From German Chancellor Brandt to President Nixon
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 753, Presidential Correspondence File, Germany, Chancellor Willy Brandt, May–Dec 1970. Confidential. The text printed here is the translation by the Department, which was transmitted through the German Embassy and attached to an October 16 memorandum from Eliot to Kissinger. For the text in German, see Akten zur Auswärtigen Politik der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, 1970, Vol. 3, pp. 1757–1758. In an October 22 memorandum forwarding the letter to Kissinger, Sonnenfeldt wrote that Brandt’s main message “seems to be his concern that a deterioration in American-Soviet relations will upset his own grand design in Central Europe.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 753, Presidential Correspondence File, Germany, Chancellor Willy Brandt, May–Dec 1970)
128. 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 684, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. VII. Secret; Nodis. Sent for information. Kissinger initialed the memorandum indicating that he had seen it.
130. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL GER E–GER W. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Repeated to London, Paris, Moscow, Berlin, and USNATO.
131. 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–220, NSDM 91. Secret; Nodis. Sent for action.
132. Message From President Nixon to German Chancellor Brandt
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 753, Presidential Correspondence File, Germany, Chancellor Willy Brandt, May–Dec 1970. Personal and Confidential. Drafted by Lord. Haig forwarded the message on October 31 for “immediate delivery to the Chancellor or an official in his office with immediate access to him.” (Ibid.) No original or signed copy has been found. Although he had initially maintained that a letter was not necessary, Sonnenfeldt argued in an October 30 cable to Kissinger that, due to speculation about the meeting between Nixon and Gromyko, it had become “important to get a message to Brandt setting out our version of the talks.” “The Soviets,” he added, “will continue to plant the seed of confusion and distrust with respect to the Gromyko meeting with the President. Our continued silence is only serving the Soviets.” (Ibid.) In a November 2 memorandum to Kissinger, Haig suggested the following item for discussion with the President: “Tell President of your message to Brandt covering discussion with Gromyko. (Rush may be upset about channel and could complain to Rogers. Hal will talk to him this a.m.).” (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Top Secret Chronological File 1969–1975, Box TS 2) For a copy of the message, as received by Brandt on November 1, see Dokumente zur Deutschlandpolitik, 1969–1970, Nr. 220, pp. 835–836.
133. 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 364, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking. No drafting information or time is on the transcript, although “a.m.” appears in the heading. All omissions are in the original. According to a typed note, the transcriber “missed beginning of conversation—had to answer another phone.” McCloy was in New York; Kissinger in Washington.
134. 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 684, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. VII. Secret; Nodis; Sensitive; (Outside System). Sent for action.
135. 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 690, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Berlin), Vol. II. Secret. Urgent; sent for information. Kissinger initialed the memorandum indicating that he had seen it. According to another copy, Downey drafted the memorandum. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 9, Chronological File, 1969–75, 11 Oct–20 Nov. 1970)
136. National Security Decision Memorandum 91
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H–Files), Box H–220, NSDM 91. Secret; Limdis. Copies were sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of Central Intelligence. No drafting information appears on the memorandum. Sonnenfeldt forwarded a draft to Kissinger on October 29 (see Document 131). Kissinger revised the text; substantive changes are noted in footnotes below. The Department forwarded the final text to the Embassy in Bonn on November 11. (Telegram 185369 to Bonn, November 11; National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 1 EUR E–GER W)
138. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Helms to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1324, NSC Secretariat, NSC Unfiled Material, 1970 [4 of 11]. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only.
139. Memorandum Prepared by the National Security Council Staff
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 690, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Berlin), Vol. II. Secret. No drafting information appears on the memorandum. Sonnenfeldt forwarded it as an attachment to a December 1 memorandum to Kissinger. Noting that the meeting on November 23 had been “particularly unproductive,” Sonnenfeldt wrote that the meeting scheduled for December 10 “should provide us with a better basis to assess where things stand.” Kissinger initialed this memorandum indicating that he had seen it.
140. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: Dean Gooderham Acheson Papers, Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library, Box 68, Folder 173. No classification marking. Drafted by Acheson. No official record of the meeting has been found. The time of the meeting is from the President’s Daily Diary. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Central Files)
141. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL GER W–USSR. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Repeated to Berlin.
142. Memorandum of Conversation
Source: National Archives, RG 59, EUR/CE Files: Lot 91 D 341, POL 39.5, 1970 Four Power Talks, Dec. Commentary on Talks. Secret; Limdis. Drafted by Dean on December 12. The meeting was held at Ambassador Rush’s residence. Van Well also drafted a memorandum of conversation; see Akten zur Auswärtigen Politik der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, 1970, Vol. 3, pp. 2251–2254.
144. 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 690, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Berlin), Vol. II. Secret. Urgent; sent for information. Kissinger initialed the memorandum indicating that he saw it. According to another copy, Downey drafted the memorandum. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 10, Chronological File, 1969–75, 21 Nov.–31 Dec. 1970)
145. Letter From German Chancellor Brandt to President Nixon
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 753, Presidential Correspondence File, Germany, Chancellor Willy Brandt, May–Dec. 1970. No classification marking. The source text is the official translation from the Department of State, which Eliot forwarded as an attachment to a memorandum to Kissinger on December 18. (Ibid.) The letter was delivered to the White House on December 16; see Document 146. For the original German text, see Dokumente zur Deutschlandpolitik, 1969– 70, pp. 982–83. For the nearly identical version Brandt sent Heath on December 15, see Akten zur Auswärtigen Politik der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, 1970, Vol. 3, pp. 2273–2275. For memoir accounts of the letter to Nixon, see Bahr, Zu meiner Zeit, p. 354; Kissinger, White House Years, p. 800; and Sutterlin and Klein, Berlin, pp. 130–131.
146. 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; Nodis; Sensitive. Sent for information. According to another copy, Sonnenfeldt drafted the memorandum. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 10, Chronological File, 1969–75)
148. 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 690, Country Files, Europe, Germany (Berlin), Vol. II. Secret. Sent for information. Haig initialed the memorandum indicating that he had seen it.
149. Telegram From the Embassy in Germany to the Department of State
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 38–6. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to Berlin.
150. 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 58, Country Files, Europe, Berlin, Vol. 1 [2 of 2]. Secret; Nodis; Sensitive; (Outside System). Sent for action. According to another copy, Sonnenfeldt drafted the memorandum. (Ibid., Box 685, Country Files, Europe, Germany, Vol. VIII)