Helmut "Hal" Sonnenfeldt was a senior staff member of the National Security Council from January 1969 until late 1973, serving as a close advisor to Henry Kissinger on Soviet and European affairs. Known as "Kissinger's Kissinger," he was a key architect of the Nixon administration's policy of détente with the Soviet Union during the entire White House taping period. His work focused on critical issues such as arms control negotiations and relations with Eastern European nations.
On February 25, 1971, during the signing of the Foreign Policy Message, President Richard M. Nixon and Mary D. Stifflemire, Bernice V. Alexander, Judith L. Johnson, William G. Hyland, W. Marshall Wright, Peter W. Rodman, C. Fred Bergsten, Harold H. Saunders, Nancy L. Meinking, Arnold Nachmanoff, Col. Robert M. Behr, John H. Holdridge, John Glancy, Col. Richard T. Kennedy, Winston Lord, Sheila R. Lopez, Dianne C. Matthews, Julienne L. Pineau, Dr. K. Wayne Smith, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:56 am and 11:50 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 048-003 of the White House Tapes.
On April 28, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Gerhardt Schroeder, Henry A. Kissinger, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:39 pm to 1:06 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 491-010 of the White House Tapes.
On June 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Rose Mary Woods, Alexander P. Butterfield, Stephen B. Bull, Jacob D. Beam, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:11 am to 10:56 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 516-002 of the White House Tapes.
On June 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, John B. Connally, Gen. George A. Lincoln, John N. Mitchell, David Packard, Richard M. Helms, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Gerard C. Smith, Philip J. Farley, John N. Irwin, II, Martin J. Hillenbrand, Henry A. Kissinger, Dr. K. Wayne Smith, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and William Newton, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:48 am and 11:59 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 062-002 of the White House Tapes.
On September 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Olav V, King of Norway, Arne Gunneng, Emil ("Bus") Mosbacher, Jr., Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:13 am to 11:33 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 449-004 of the White House Tapes.
On November 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), White House operator, and Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:29 am to 1:16 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 298-005 of the White House Tapes.
On November 11, 1971, Henry A. Kissinger and Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:31 am and 12:50 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 014-036 of the White House Tapes.
On November 12, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, Gen. George A. Lincoln, John N. Mitchell, John N. Irwin, II, Richard M. Helms, [Name withdrawn], Gen. John D. Ryan, Ronald I. Spiers, Gerard C. Smith, Philip J. Farley, Spurgeon M. Keeny, Jr., John J. McCloy, Gen. Royal B. Allison, J. Graham Parsons, Paul H. Nitze, Col. Richard T. Kennedy, Dr. K. Wayne Smith, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfedlt, Henry A. Kissinger, Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Gardiner L. Tucker, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 5:03 pm and 11:59 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 082-002 of the White House Tapes.
On December 1, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, Gen. George A. Lincoln, John N. Mitchell, Richard M. Helms, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, John N. Irwin, II, Martin J. Hillenbrand, David Packard, Philip J. Farley, Henry A. Kissinger, Col. Richard T. Kennedy, Philip A. Odeen, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr., William G. Hyland, and Lt. Col. Walter B. Ratliffe, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:57 am and 11:59 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 084-015 of the White House Tapes.
On March 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, Gen. George A. Lincoln, John B. Connally, John N. Irwin, II, Richard M. Helms, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Ronald I. Spiers, David M. Kennedy, Gerard C. Smith, Philip J. Farley, Spurgeon M. Keeny, Jr., [Name withdrawn], Gen. Royal B. Allison, Paul H. Nitze, Henry A. Kissinger, Col. Richard T. Kennedy, Philip A. Odeen, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and Gardiner L. Tucker, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:13 am and 11:54 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 095-002 of the White House Tapes.
On March 21, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament, John J. McCloy, William C. Foster, Kermit Gordon, James L. Killiam, Gen. Lauris Norstad, Jack Ruina, William W. Scranton, John A. Wheeler, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 3:03 pm to 4:06 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 096-002 of the White House Tapes.
On May 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Toma Granfil, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:54 pm to 1:01 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 725-034 of the White House Tapes.
On May 19, 1972, Richard M. Nixon and bipartisan Congressional leaders, including Clinton P. Anderson, Robert P. Griffin, Robert C. Byrd, Norris Cotton, J. William Fulbright, Warren G. ("Maggie") Magnuson, Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, John C. Stennis, John G. Tower, Milton R. Young, Page Belcher, Gerald R. Ford, Craig Hosmer, George H. Mahon, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, Peter M. Flanigan, Richard K. Cook, Thomas C. Korologos, John A. Scali, William P. Rogers, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, the White House photographer, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 11:59 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 101-010 of the White House Tapes.
On October 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Andrei A. Gromyko, Anatoliy F. Dobrynin, William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, Viktor M. Sukhodrev, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:08 am to 11:18 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 790-007 of the White House Tapes.
On October 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Witold Trampczynski, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:54 am to 12:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 795-003 of the White House Tapes.
On October 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., Richard K. Cook, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:19 am to 11:40 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 797-006 of the White House Tapes.
On October 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Nikolai S. Patolichev, Anatoliy F. Dobrynin, William P. Rogers, Peter G. Peterson, Peter M. Flanigan, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:40 pm to 3:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 803-018 of the White House Tapes.
On February 16, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Peter M. Flanigan, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, Sir Christopher Soames, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:46 am to 10:32 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 858-004 of the White House Tapes.
On March 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Richard K. Cook, Paul Findley, and Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:30 pm and 12:47 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 867-013 of the White House Tapes.
On March 8, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Elliot L. Richardson, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Dr. James R. Schlesinger, Philip J. Farley, U. Alexis Johnson, [David] Kenneth Rush, William P. Clements, Jr., Carl Duckett, Henry A. Kissinger, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, Philip A. Odeen, Ronald I. Spiers, and Paul H. Nitze, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:09 am and 12:05 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 117-002 of the White House Tapes.
On March 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, George P. Shultz, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, John D. Ehrlichman, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:50 am and 11:18 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 890-008 of the White House Tapes.
On April 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including William P. Rogers, Elliot L. Richardson, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Dr. James R. Schlesinger, Philip J. Farley, Donald H. Rumsfeld, [David] Kenneth Rush, Ronald I. Spiers, Bruce Clarke, Henry A. Kissinger, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, Philip A. Odeen, James Keogh, White House photographer, Jim [Last name unknown], met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 10:03 am to 11:27 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 122-002 of the White House Tapes.
On June 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Stephen B. Bull, Willam H. Henkel, Jr., John V. Brennan, Maj. Gen. John C. Bennett, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, Henry A. Kissinger, David N. Parker, Garry M. Jenkins, William G. Hyland, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:14 pm to 6:38 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 941-007 of the White House Tapes.
On June 18, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Leonid I. Brezhnev, Viktor M. Sukhodrev, Ronald L. Ziegler, members of the press, Henry A. Kissinger, William P. Rogers, Andrei A. Gromyko, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, Anatoliy F. Dobrynin, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:31 am and 3:12 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 943-008 of the White House Tapes.
On June 18, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Leonid I. Brezhnev, Viktor M. Sukhodrev, Ronald L. Ziegler, members of the press, Henry A. Kissinger, William P. Rogers, Andrei A. Gromyko, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and Anatoliy F. Dobrynin met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:32 pm to 3:12 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 944-001 of the White House Tapes.
On June 19, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and members of diplomatic delegations from the United States and the Soviet Union, including William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger, George P. Shultz, John B. Connally, Peter M. Flanigan, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, Leonid I. Brezhnev, Andrei A. Gromyko, Anatoliy F. Dobrynin, Nikolai S. Patolichev, Andrei M. Aleksandrov, Viktor M. Sukhodrev, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 4:45 pm to 6:26 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 126-003 of the White House Tapes.
On June 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, and bipartisan Congressional leaders, including Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, Hugh Scott, J. William Fulbright, Strom Thurmond, Craig Hosmer, Henry A. Kissinger, Melvid R. Laird, William E. Timmons, Peter M. Flanigan, Anne L. Armstrong, Roy L. Ash, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and Thomas C. Korologos, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 11:45 am to 12:29 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 127-001 of the White House Tapes.