Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 908 › Conversation 908-012

Nixon & Kissinger on Willy Brandt and European security

Tuesday, May 1, 1973 · 10:34 AM–10:36 AM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]Conversation908-012 on Tape 908StartTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 10:34 AMEndTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 10:36 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 908-012 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to coordinate the agenda for an upcoming visit with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. The discussion centered on discouraging European efforts to weaken defense ties with the United States via the European Security Conference, with Nixon emphasizing the importance of keeping Europe aligned with American security interests. This strategic messaging was intended to bolster Brandt’s domestic political position against leftist factions within his own government.

Audio

Download MP3 · 4.0 MB

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah, the way we'll do it is that they'll take a picture of you and...
Right.
And then, after a few minutes, that bar and I will come in.
Fine.
Oh, I believe you.
The major thing to get across to them is they have a tendency to say that defense is the only bond we have.
Now, that sounds very tough.
But that means that if they can find a substitute for it through European Security Conference, they can squeeze us out of Europe.
And whatever you can say as strongly as you feel on the danger of neutralizing Europe and spreading Europe from America will strengthen Brandt against his own leftists.
I mean, we shouldn't say that Brandt is not a crucial one, but I think that the government is going to have to reach to some of the points
I'm still thinking.
You believe that's all it says, huh?
It was made one day.
All right.
That is it.
That can't be the answer to that account, is it?
I'll wait outside until the pictures are taken and submitted.
Yeah, I know.
You said it, boy.
You might as well go back out and check your records right outside of the way you walked over me.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 1, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:34 am to 10:36 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 908-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 908-012

Date: May 1, 1973
Time: 10:34 am-10:36 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

       Order

       President’s schedule
              -Willy Brandt
                      -Photograph
              -Kissinger and Egon Bahr

       President’s forthcoming meeting with Brandt
              -Europe’s defense
                       -United States [US] role
                       -European Security Conference
                              -Brandt’s domestic position
                                      -Leftists [?]
                                      -President’s support
              -Consultation
                       -Concessions

       Anatoliy F. Dobrynin’s schedule
              -Letter
              -Agreements
              -United States [US]-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] summit
                      -Announcement [?]

An unknown man entered and Kissinger left at 10:36 am.

       President’s schedule

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

               -William P. Rogers

The unknown man left at 10:36 am.

Also recorded on May 1, 1973

  • 908-008 10:14 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:14 am to 10:26 am.
  • 908-009 10:26 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:26 am and 10:27 am.
  • 908-010 10:26 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:26 am and 10:27 am.
  • 908-011 10:27 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:27 am and 10:34 am.
  • 908-025 10:36 AM · 1 min — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:36 am and 10:44 am.
  • 908-013 10:44 AM · 1 hr 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Willy Brandt, unknown person(s), Henry A. Kissinger, Egon Bahr, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:44 am to 12:24 pm.
  • 908-014 12:26 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:26 pm and 12:27 pm.
  • 908-015 12:27 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:27 pm to 12:39 pm.

All 181 conversations from May 1, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 908-012, May 1, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/908-012 (accessed October 15, 2026).