Secret White House Tapes

908-13

About this recording

908-13
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • Willy Brandt
  • UNKNOWN
  • Henry A. Kissinger
  • Egon Bahr
  • Manolo Sanchez
May 1, 1973
Conversation No. 908-13

Date: May 1, 1973
Time: 10:44 am - 12:24 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Willy Brandt. The recording began at an unknown time while the
conversation was in progress.


May Day

-Riots, demonstrations

-West German holiday

-Compared to Labor Day

-Parades

-New York

-Communists


West Germany elections

-Communists

-Brandt’s previous victory


An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 10:44 am.

Photographers

Henry A. Kissinger

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 10:50 am.

Brandt’s schedule

-National Press Club

-Senate Foreign Relations committee

-13-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-Travel
-New York
-Reception at embassy
-Airplane flight

West Germany economy

-Inflation


An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 10:44 am.

Press photographs

-Frequency


Kissinger

Photographs

-State dinner

-Grand Ballroom

-Color

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 10:50 am.

Year of Europe

Ostpolitik

Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR]

President’s schedule
-Brandt
-Meeting with Leonid I. Brezhnev
-President’s domestic problems
-Compared to Die Spiegel affair [Speigel-Affare]

Domestic politics

-Campaigns

-14-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

Year of Europe
-US-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] summit
-MBFR
-Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe [CSCE]
-President’s travel to Europe
-West Germany

Berndt von Staden

-Estonia

-Wife

-Experience in US


Kissinger and Egon Bahr entered at 10:50 am.

Greetings

Bahr

-Kissinger


President’s, Brandt’s political experience

-Domestic problems

-“Big play”

-Comeback

-Previous meeting

-Bonn

Agenda

-Bi-lateral relations

-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]

-Economics

-Middle East

-Energy problems
-Oil dependence

US-Europe relations

-President’s request for Brandt’s view

-US Congress

-15-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-Budget cuts

-MBFR, CSCE

-Japan

-Kissinger’s speech
-Economic power


*****************************************************************


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

[National security]

[Duration: 7 s ]



JAPAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************


US-Europe relations
-NATO

-Unilateral troop reductions

-MBFR

-Off-set agreement
-State Department, Foreign Office
-George P. Shultz, Helmut H. W. Schmidt
-Role of Finance Ministers
-Schmidt’s previous role as Defense Minister
-Renewal
-State Department, Foreign Office roles compared to Treasury
-Military and economic independence

-NATO and MBFR

-Kissinger’s speech

-16-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-International Monetary Fund [IMF] meeting in Nairobi, Kenya
-Meeting of Finance Ministers
-Preparation
-Reform
-Role of Great Britain, France
-Trade policy
-US Congress
-Trade bill
-European Economic Community [EEC]

-Commission policy

-West Germany’s, Great Britain’s position

-Trade liberalization
-France, West Germany
-Agriculture compared to industry
-Gen. Charles A. J. M. de Gaulle
-Great Britain’s entry
-Trade liberalization
-France
-Free trade compared to protectionism
-EEC
-Common compared to national foreign policies

-Trade, defense, foreign policy

-Paris Conference

-European Union
-US reaction
-President’s visit
-EEC compared with NATO
-Precedent
-NATO meeting reflecting Head of State quality
-Meeting with Georges J. R. Pompidou, Brandt, Edward R.
G. Heath
-Brussels
-Informal meetings about trade, monetary policy
-EEC Chairman’s attendance
-“Big Four”

-Timing

-17-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 10:50 am.

Refreshment

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:24 pm.

Europe
-President’s possible visit
-Schedule
-Individual countries
-Summit
-Brussels
-Atlantic Charter
-France
-Brandt’s forthcoming speech to National Press Club and Senate Foreign
Relations Committee
-Discussions with President
-Herbert G. Klein and Ronald L. Ziegler
-Pompidou and Heath
-NATO input
-Duration
-President’s possible visit
-Schedule
-National capitals
-Brussels
-Scandinavia
-NATO meeting
-West Germany, France, Great Britain, and Italy
-Heath, Pompidou, Brandt, Guilio Andreotti
-Politics
-Elections
-Italy
-Constitutions
-Terms of office
-France, West Germany
-Elections
-1976
-18-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-West Germany, US, France
-President’s visit
-EEC
-Council

-Foreign Ministers

-Chairman [?]

-Commission
-President
-Francois-Xavier Ortoli
-Council Meeting
-President’s chairmanship
-Pompidou’s objection
-Bahr
-Otto von Bismark
-NATO and EEC meetings

-William P. Rogers, Walter Scheel

-Foreign Ministers

-European voting bloc

-US problem

-Informal discussions

-Dinner party

-Demonstrations

-Vietnam War

-Great Britain’s, France’s response

-President’s meeting with Pompidou

-Timing

-Iceland

-Azores
-President’s, Brandt’s experience
-Compared to Greenland
-Brandt’s meeting with Heath
-President, Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Brandt’s meeting with Pompidou
-President
-Kissinger’s contact with Sir Burke Trend
-Consensus
-Heath and Pompidou
-19-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-NATO compared with EEC

West Germany’s bi-lateral relations
-East Germany
-Ratification
-Czechoslovakia

-Munich Agreement

-USSR support

-Scheel

-CSCE Foreign Ministers’ meeting

-Helsinki

-USSR, Warsaw Pact

-Hungary and Bulgaria

-Diplomatic relations

-Warsaw Pact agreement

-Czechoslovakia

-USSR

-Meeting with Brezhnev

-Kissinger

-Agreements, principles of cooperation

-Cultural and scientific exchange

-Air traffic

-Political exchange

-France
-Meeting with Brezhnev

-Status of Berlin

-East Germany’s Communist Party

-Relations with USSR, West Germany
-CSCE

-Helsinki

-Vienna

-Brezhnev’s letter to President
-Dates for Foreign Ministers’ meeting
-Pompidou, Brandt
-Andrei A. Gromyko’s appointment to Politburo
-Foreign Minister
-CSCE results
-20-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-Reply to Brezhnev’s letter

CSCE
-USSR viewpoint
-Detente
-Disintegration
-Romania, Poland, Hungary
-Problem of euphoria
-Danger
-Helsinki talks

-NATO

-Integration


Neo-isolationism in US
-President’s meeting with Congress
-NATO, foreign aid
-Past agenda
-Vietnam War

-Peace agreement

-Moscow, Peking summits

-Internationalists
-John J. McCloy, [First name unknown] Clay [?], Dean G.
Acheson

-Unilateral disarmament

-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield

-Disagreement

-Vietnam

-Europe

-Pacifism, Communism

-Impact of US domestic politics


US-Europe relations
-NATO
-US credibility

-Neo-isolationism

-Economic confrontation

-Military cooperation
-21-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-Impact of domestic politics
-West Germany, US

-Public opinion

-Post-World War II generation

-Idealism compared with realism

-Public statements

-Hope

-Negotiations with USSR

-Leadership
-Brandt
-President
-Public support

-Congressional relations

-Brandt

-West Germany’s strength

-Ostpolitik

-US role in Europe

-President

-Congressional relations

-Bi-partisan Congressional leadership meeting
-Moscow, Peking summits
-Vietnam War
-Isolationism
-US strength
-Compared to Brezhnev
-Impact of domestic politics
-Public opinion problems
-Detente
-USSR
-Trade
-Wheat, gas, scientific exchanges

-Confrontation

-Quid pro quo

-USSR’s objectives
-US-Europe divisiveness
-Impact of domestic politics
-Public opinion
-22-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-West Germany
-Anti-Americanism
-Polls
-Brandt’s speech at National Press Club
-Contents
-US military in West Germany
-Nuremberg
-Delegations to US ambassador
-Bonn
-F. J. Strauss
-[Christian Socialist Union]
-Compared to West Germany military
-Land use issues
-Peasants
-Opposition
-Social Democratic Party Congress
-Brandt’s foreign policy
-Support and opposition
-Pacifism
-NATO
-USSR
-Brezhnev
-Goals
-Divisiveness between Western Europe and US
-NATO and Warsaw Pact alliances
-Contradictions
-Romania
-Stability
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-USSR Communist Party Central Committee resolution
-Population of Siberia


*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
-23-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

[Duration: 49 s ]


PRC


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

*****************************************************************


US bilateral relations with PRC, USSR

US-Europe relations

-USSR viewpoint

-Berlin
-US presence
-Berlin Agreement
-US role

-MBFR and CSCE

-Changes since 1969

-MBFR

-Superpowers compared to “indigenous” forces
-Georg Leber [Defense Minister]
-Domestic considerations
-West Germany compared to Czechoslovakia and Poland
-NATO
-Symbolic cut
-Kissinger and Bahr consultations
-Defense ministers
-US studies

Middle East

Josip Broz Tito
-24-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

*****************************************************************


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

[National security]

[Duration: 6 s ]



INTELLIGENCE


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

*****************************************************************


Josip Broz Tito

-Stroke

-Brandt’s meeting

-Lifestyle

-Elizabeth II [Elizabeth, Queen of England]

-Whiskey

-Yugoslavia’s political integrity

-Message for President

-Middle East
-Anwar El-Sadat’s problems
-Egypt’s military
-Electability
-Mammer Qaddafi
-Libya
-Religious fanatic
-Nationalist
-Morocco
-Hassan II [Hassan, King of Morocco] [Moulay]
-Brandt’s meeting when foreign minister
-Military deployment

Middle East
-25-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-Syria, Iraq
-Military build-up
-Brandt’s meeting with [Unintelligible name]
-Baghdad

-Political negotiations

-Tito

-Meetings with Nahum Goldmann
-Jewish World Congress
-Influence in Israel
-Impact on Yugoslavia [?]

-Foreign Ministers’ meeting

-Bahr and Kissinger

-US negotiation efforts

-Arabs



*****************************************************************


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

[National security]

[Duration: 9 s ]



NEGOTIATIONS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

*****************************************************************


Middle East

-US negotiation efforts

-Talks
-Leaks
-Publicity
-Brandt’s visit
-26-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-Scheel’s trip to Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon
-Brezhnev’s vist to West Germany
-Brandt’s visit to Israel
-Postponement due to elections
-Arab opposition and support
-Hafiz Ismail
-Sadat
-Request for Brandt’s moderating influence
-Israel’s election
-Oil
-World consumption
-Energy crisis if regional instability
-Peace negotiations
-US role

-President’s priority

-Israel’s survival

-Critique of intransigence
-Pressure on Israel

-Golda Meir

-Settlement

-West Germany’s support

-Israel’s position

-Territory

-Security guarantee

-Palestinians, Arabs, USSR

-USSR’s military support

-US military support

-Sixth Fleet
-Inevitability
-US public opinion
-Aid to Israel
-Balance of power
-Congressional support
-New York Times position
-USSR’s role

-Brezhnev

-Domestic political opposition

-27-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-Cooperation with US
-Imposed settlement
-Israel’s opposition
-Pressure on Israel, Egypt
-Intransigence
-Support for Eygpt
-Expulsion of USSR’s military advisors
-Support for Sadat
-Cooperation with US
-US role

-Private talks

-Pressure on Israel

-Compared to Egypt

-Palestinians



*****************************************************************


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

[National security]

[Duration: 30 s ]



PALESTINIANS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

*****************************************************************


Middle East

-Peace negotiations

-Israel
-Abilities
-Ethos
-Election
-28-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-President’s meeting with Meir
-US military aid
-Air planes
-Military
-Courage
-Historical example
-Masada

-US-West Germany’s efforts


Energy
-US-West Germany meeting
-Kissinger and Bahr
-President’s message to Congress on energy policy
-Domestic issues
-US study
-President’s Statement on Energy and Natural Resources
-US market regulation
-Free competition
-Standard Oil of New Jersey, Texaco
-Compared to West Germany, Great Britain, Japan
-Producing nations
-Consuming nations
-Condominium [?]
-Competition
-Iran
-Mohammed Reza Pahlavi [Shah of Iran]
-Libya
-Algeria
-Expropriation
-France
-El Paso Natural Gas
-US influence
-Industry regulation
-US corporations
-International cooperation compared to competition between consuming
nations

-US and France

-29-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)

Conversation No. 908-13 (cont’d)

-Netherlands and Japan
-Production
-Price
-Saudi Arabia
-Kissinger’s meeting with Minister of Oil Production


*****************************************************************


BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

[National security]

[Duration: 10 s ]



OIL PRODUCTION AND INVESTMENT


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

*****************************************************************


Energy

-US policy

-Diversification

-Coal

-Delay

-Compared to West Germany

State dinner

-President’s remarks, Brandt’s remarks


The President et al. left at 12:24 pm.
-30-


NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM


Tape Subject Log

(rev. October-2012)
Secret White House Tapes |

908-13

More Richard M. Nixon Recordings

View all Richard M. Nixon tapes
910–1
audio icon
909–1
audio icon
432–10
audio icon
909–10
audio icon
432–11
audio icon
909–11
audio icon
909–12
audio icon
432–12
audio icon
432–13
audio icon
909–13
audio icon