President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to discuss the status of Vietnam cease-fire negotiations, the upcoming release of prisoners of war (POWs), and preparations for the President's press conference. They analyzed international geopolitical trends, including the impact of foreign elections and historical lessons from the Versailles Treaty on modern power dynamics. During the meeting, Ronald Ziegler joined to coordinate messaging for the press, while administrative discussions regarding ambassadorial appointments were also addressed.
On March 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:40 am to 10:25 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 414-013 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 414-13
Date: March 2, 1973
Time: 9:40 am-10:25 am
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
International Conference on Vietnam
-Congressional delegation
-Kissinger’s recommendations
-William P. Rogers
-Gerald R. Ford, Hugh Scott
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-President’s statement
-International recognition
-Negotiations
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR], People’s Republic of China
[PRC], Hanoi
-Prearranged documents
-Morning, afternoon sessions
-Paris
-State Department briefings
-Cease-fire agreement
-Breach
-Signatory’s response
-Reconvention of conference
-Compared with Geneva Conventions, United Nations [UN]
-US response
-“De-Americanize the peace”
-Viet Cong
-News summary
-Prisoners of war [POWs] release
-North Vietnam compared to South Vietnam
-Timing
-President’s statement
Leaks
-Malcolm Smith’s book on John F. Kennedy
Kissinger
-White House dinner
-Farewell party
-Roger Macon
-Mrs. Roger Macon
-Dwight Davis
-Davis Cup
-Frank [Marquis?] Childs
-Editor of Sunday Times
-Opinions of President
-Conversation with Hugh S. Sidey
-Article about President
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-Personality compared to John F. Kennedy
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 9:40 am.
Food
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 10:25 am.
-President’s foreign policy
-Humaneness
-National self-determination [?]
-Support
The President
-Joseph C. Kraft
-Comparison of President to George S. McGovern
-President’s progressive policies
-Domestic politics
-Radicals as status quo
-McGovern supporters
-Voter participation
-Shopkeepers
World trends
-John M. (“Jack”) Lynch
-Election
-Left politics
-1972 election in US
-US foreign policy
-Communist states
-Respectability
-Willy Brandt
-Election victory
-Disaster for US
-US role
-Statements
-Ostpolitik
-President’s opposition
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-1969 election
-Party politics
-Results
-Parliament
Vietnam negotiations
-Cease-fire violations
-President’s statement
-Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam
-Kissinger’s assessment
-Joint Economic Commission [?]
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 9:40 am.
Preparation for press briefing
Monetary information
L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III [?]
Ziegler’s press briefing
-Rowland Evans-Robert D. Novak column
-Office of Economic Opportunity
-[First name unknown] Phillips
-Staff
-John B. Connally switching parties
International Conference on Vietnam
-Agreement
-Paris
-Signature
-Timing
-President’s press conference
POWs' release
-Press reports
Length of President's upcoming press conference
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-Frank Cormier
Ziegler left at an unknown time before 10:25 am.
Preparation for press conference
-POWs’ release
-Sudan
-Blackmail
-Retrieving hostages
-Middle East
-Arms sales
-Airplanes
-Israel
-Balance of power
-Press statement
-Peace
-John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
-Golda Meir
-Political ability
-Age
-Reelection
-Moshe Dayan
-Election
-Compared with Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.
-President’s preference
-Yitzak Rabin
Social function attended by President
-Jews [?]
-R. Sargent Shriver [?], [First name unknown] Fischer
-Jewelry
-Value
-President’s dinner conversation with Alice Walker [?], Irving Kristol, William F.
(“Billy”) Graham
-Meeting with Meir
-Policy
-Joseph W. Alsop
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Versailles Treaty
-Retribution compared to reconciliation
-Balance of power
-Germany, Russia, Austro-Hungarian Empire
-German rearmament
-Balkanization
-Russian Revolution
-Britain’s withdrawal
-France
-Maginot Line
-US neutrality
-Kellogg-Briand Pact
Preparation for press conference
-Vietnam negotiations
-POWs’ release
-Contingencies
Van Cliburn
-Performance March 1, 1973
-Frederic Chopin
-USSR visit
President’s, Kissinger’s visit to Israel [?], Cairo
-Reception in Israel
Middle East peace negotiations
-Egypt
-General principles
Lynch
-Irish elections
French elections
-Run-off election
-Communist Party compared to Gaulist, Socialist parties
Ambassadorial appointments
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-Rogers [?]
-Kissinger’s conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Ambassador to Israel
-Kenneth B. Keating’s appointment
-President’s viewpoint
-Exception
-John Sherman Cooper
-Impairments
-Ceremonial country
-Robert J. McCloskey
-Mrs. Yitzhak Rabin
-John S. D. Eisenhower
-Book
-Compared with McCloskey and Keating
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[Previous Deed of Gift Privacy (D) rereviewed on 10/11/2019. Segment cleared for release.]
[Privacy]
[414-013-w001]
[Duration: 2s]
Ambassadorial appointments
-John S. D. Eisenhower
-Problem
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Ambassadorial appointments
-Israel
-Tolerance
-Pakistan
Kissinger left at 10:25 am.
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(rev. Mar.-09)This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.