Nixon White House Tapes › Topic
Nixon Tapes on Willy Brandt
30 conversations · frequently with Nixon, Kissinger, Woods, Butterfield
President Nixon and Alexander Butterfield met to coordinate the logistics and guest list for an upcoming state dinner honoring West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. Nixon expressed frustration with the size and formality of previous diplomatic dinners, insisting on a larger guest list of approximately 80 people to minimize his personal interaction with attendees. The President directed Butterfield to streamline the event's physical arrangements to ensure a static, less demanding environment for himself.
President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield discussed logistical arrangements for an upcoming bipartisan congressional briefing, focusing on venue constraints and the exclusion of Blair House due to its current unavailability. Nixon mandated a streamlined approach for the associated reception, explicitly restricting the event to drinks only and prohibiting the serving of hors d'oeuvres. Additionally, the pair confirmed that Arthur F. Burns would be included on the guest list for an upcoming dinner honoring Willy Brandt.
President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield discussed the guest list for an upcoming dinner with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. Nixon expressed dissatisfaction with the overrepresentation of government officials, ordering that future events prioritize business supporters instead to ensure a more favorable atmosphere. Butterfield confirmed that Charles Colson’s suggestions had been integrated to rectify the current list and agreed to limit state personnel in future guest planning.
President Nixon and his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, discussed administrative arrangements regarding his upcoming schedule and communication with First Lady Pat Nixon. Nixon directed Woods to inform the First Lady that his afternoon meeting with the Quadriad and a subsequent dinner with Secretary John B. Connally would delay his return home. The two also briefly reviewed plans for an upcoming dinner with Willy Brandt scheduled for the following day.
President Nixon met with Henry Kissinger and U.S. negotiator Kenneth Rush to review high-stakes foreign policy developments, including progress on secret channels regarding the People's Republic of China and sensitive negotiations over Berlin. The discussion emphasized the need to link various diplomatic issues, such as the Berlin Agreement and Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction (MBFR) talks, to prevent the Soviets from isolating or dividing Western allies. Nixon directed the team to maintain strategic pressure and prepare for an upcoming meeting with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, while acknowledging the importance of Rush's role in the ongoing negotiations.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to coordinate the President's upcoming schedule and prioritize preparation time for an important meeting with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. They evaluated the necessity of a meeting with Arthur K. Watson and discussed timing adjustments for an event involving the Association of Real Estate Boards. Ultimately, the two agreed to postpone the Watson meeting to ensure Nixon had sufficient time to review briefing materials for his diplomatic engagements.
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull to coordinate logistical preparations for the upcoming arrival of West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. The brief discussion centered on necessary arrangements for the diplomatic visit. No further substantive policy decisions were recorded during this short administrative interaction.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to prepare for an upcoming press conference by reviewing potential inquiries regarding the President's meeting with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. The discussion centered on foreign policy and economic issues, including Berlin negotiations, Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction (MBFR), NATO relations, and international monetary policy. Nixon commended Secretary of State William P. Rogers for his briefing work, and Ziegler concluded the session to prepare for his own press briefing.
President Nixon and Secretary of State William P. Rogers discuss the administration's strategic response to the publication of the Pentagon Papers, specifically praising Rogers' recent press statement regarding the breach of foreign diplomatic security. The two men agree to reframe the documents as the "Kennedy-Johnson papers" to shift focus away from the current administration. Additionally, they discuss an upcoming meeting with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and express concerns regarding the judicial handling of the temporary injunction against the New York Times by Judge Murray I. Gurfein.
Henry Kissinger requested that the White House operator place an urgent call to Egon Bahr, a key aide to West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. Kissinger directed the operator to coordinate with his office to obtain the necessary contact information to reach Bahr. This effort highlights ongoing high-level diplomatic communications between the Nixon administration and the West German government.
Henry Kissinger and Egon Bahr discussed President Nixon's dissatisfaction with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt’s toast at a recent White House function, which the President perceived as focused on domestic politics and ambiguous regarding Vietnam. Kissinger urged Bahr to encourage Brandt to make more positive, public statements regarding U.S.-West German cooperation during his upcoming meetings with the press and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Bahr agreed to convey these concerns to the Chancellor, framing the request as a private diplomatic effort to clarify the relationship and dispel any lingering misunderstandings.
President Nixon and Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Elliot L. Richardson exchanged Christmas greetings and reflected on the recent signing of the National Cancer Act of 1971. The President commended Richardson and his team for their role in securing favorable legislation for the initiative, expressing guarded optimism regarding its potential for medical progress. Nixon also briefly mentioned his upcoming travel to Florida, where he was scheduled to meet with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt.
President Nixon initiated this brief, informal phone call to exchange Christmas greetings with his friend and associate, John A. Mulcahy. The discussion touched upon the President's upcoming trip to Florida, specifically mentioning his scheduled meeting with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. The conversation concluded with pleasantries regarding Mulcahy’s family and an agreement to meet in the near future.
President Nixon initiated a holiday phone call to George and Lenore Romney to exchange Christmas greetings and commend the recent television special featuring Julie Nixon Eisenhower. Beyond personal pleasantries, the discussion touched on the President's upcoming travel schedule to Florida to meet with Willy Brandt. Nixon also expressed appreciation for Romney's recent work on housing issues, prompting an agreement for Romney to coordinate a follow-up meeting with John Ehrlichman.
President Nixon spoke with his daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, to discuss his recent schedule and personal matters during the post-Christmas period. The conversation covered his upcoming travel plans to Florida, his meetings with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and his interest in the Washington Redskins football team. The call served primarily as a brief familial check-in regarding the President's professional engagements and leisure activities.
Henry Kissinger and Ambassador Kenneth Rush discuss the volatile political situation in West Germany, specifically the intense pressure on Willy Brandt and Rainer Barzel to hold an immediate vote on the Moscow agreement. Kissinger explores the possibility of delaying this vote by one week to facilitate broader diplomatic maneuvering, including a potential presidential message linked to Soviet cooperation regarding the Vietnam blockade. Rush advises against direct American intervention, warning that such a move would be severely misunderstood and damaging to U.S.-German relations during a period of domestic political disarray.
President Nixon directs Rose Mary Woods to notify his associates that his upcoming Florida trip will be delayed by one week to accommodate Henry Kissinger’s return from Paris and to coordinate with his Cabinet’s return from abroad. The two also discuss the impending resignation of U.S. representative Gordon H. Scherer, which stemmed from a disagreement with State Department instructions regarding a treaty for the protection of journalists. Nixon agrees to consult with George H.W. Bush on the matter and mandates that a congratulatory telegram be sent to West German Chancellor Willy Brandt regarding his electoral victory.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the strategic signaling of the administration's foreign policy following a meeting with German Ambassador Rolf Pauls. They evaluated the diplomatic necessity of pressing Chancellor Willy Brandt to ensure consistency between his private and public stances. Additionally, the President authorized an intensified aerial bombing campaign in Cambodia, insisting that strikes must be operationally significant rather than targeting minor assets like individual trucks.
President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull and Manolo Sanchez to review and streamline the upcoming presidential schedule, specifically concerning Congressional meetings and the logistics for West German Chancellor Willy Brandt’s state visit. The participants decided to scrub non-essential appointments to focus on key bipartisan leadership meetings and official diplomatic protocol. The discussion also touched on administrative coordination involving Henry E. Petersen and William E. Timmons regarding pending legislative matters.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull reviewed the presidential schedule for the remainder of the week to facilitate a potential trip to Florida. They discussed consolidating various congressional and policy meetings, including the Labor Management Advisory Board, to clear the President's calendar by Thursday noon. Nixon requested the inclusion of a short Cabinet meeting and a session with the White House staff before his departure.
President Nixon received a call from Secretary of Commerce Frederick B. Dent, who expressed his support and praise for the President's recent televised speech regarding the Watergate scandal. The two discussed the importance of showing strong leadership and maintaining administrative unity during this challenging period. Nixon concluded the brief exchange by confirming the rescheduling of an upcoming Cabinet meeting to Wednesday to accommodate the arrival of West German Chancellor Willy Brandt.
President Nixon met briefly with an unidentified individual to coordinate minor scheduling adjustments. The discussion centered on managing the President's upcoming agenda, specifically regarding the arrival of West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and a meeting with personal secretary Rose Mary Woods. The brief exchange resulted in the implementation of a short delay to accommodate these priority appointments.
President Nixon met briefly with an unidentified individual to discuss logistical details regarding an upcoming engagement with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. The brief exchange focused on coordinating the protocol for the President's meeting with the Chancellor as he arrived at the White House. No major policy decisions were reached during this short interaction.
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.
President Nixon and his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, discuss the implementation of attendance limits for White House staff at official social events. The conversation focuses specifically on the guest list for the upcoming state dinner for West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. During the discussion, they evaluate the inclusion of Peter M. Flanigan, noting his involvement in ongoing treaty negotiations.
President Nixon and television producer Paul W. Keyes discuss the logistics for an upcoming musical performance by The Carpenters, focusing on sound quality and their planned German-language greeting for Willy Brandt. The conversation then pivots to the public reception of Nixon's recent Watergate speech, with Keyes reporting positive feedback from the West Coast regarding the President’s acceptance of responsibility. Keyes encourages Nixon to continue incorporating religious and emotional rhetoric in his public messaging, which the President agrees is an effective strategy.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss the potential appointment of David Packard to a high-level position, evaluating his qualifications, political alignment, and rapport with Kissinger. The conversation also covers the success of Nixon’s recent meetings with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and Egon Bahr, including the tone of Nixon's comments regarding the Soviet Union. Nixon concludes by reinforcing the administration's commitment to upcoming Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), instructing Kissinger to maintain high morale and execute their diplomatic strategy.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinate the logistical details for an upcoming meeting with West German officials, including Chancellor Willy Brandt and Foreign Minister Walter Scheel. The discussion focuses on scheduling a photo opportunity to occur at the end of the session to avoid any appearance of conflict. Additionally, the pair briefly touches upon administrative concerns, including the roles of Vice President Spiro Agnew and John Connally, alongside ongoing developments regarding the Watergate scandal and Cabinet-level appointments.
President Nixon met with Thomas Hart to coordinate logistical details for an upcoming visit from West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. The discussion focused on finalizing the meeting schedule and clarifying the roles and attendance of Secretary of State William P. Rogers and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. They specifically reviewed the timing of a planned photo opportunity to ensure smooth transitions for the participating officials.
President Nixon met with an unidentified individual in the Oval Office to coordinate logistics regarding a potential meeting with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt. The discussion focused primarily on determining Brandt's current location and scheduling details for a forthcoming encounter. No further administrative or policy decisions were documented during the brief interaction.