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March 22, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Wednesday, March 22, 1972, pulls together various records created by the federal government and links to additional resources which can provide context about the events of the day.

Previous Date: Tuesday, March 21, 1972

Next Date: Thursday, March 23, 1972

Schedule and Public Documents

Archival Holdings

  • The H. R. Haldeman Diaries consists of seven handwritten diaries, 36 dictated diaries recorded as sound recordings, and two handwritten audio cassette tape subject logs. The diaries and logs reflect H. R. Haldeman’s candid personal record and reflections on events, issues, and people encountered during his service in the Nixon White House. As administrative assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, Haldeman attended and participated in public events and private meetings covering the entire scope of issues in which the Nixon White House engaged in during the years 1969-1973. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

  • The National Archives Catalog is the online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records. It is the main way of describing our holdings and also provides access to electronic records and digitized versions of our holdings. 

    The Catalog searches across multiple National Archives resources at once, including archival descriptions, digitized and electronic records, authority records, and web pages from Archives.gov and the Presidential Libraries. The Catalog also allows users to contribute to digitized historical records through tagging and transcription.

    Nixon Library Holdings

    All National Archives Units

National Security Documents

  • The President's Daily Brief is the primary vehicle for summarizing the day-to-day sensitive intelligence and analysis, as well as late-breaking reports, for the White House on current and future national security issues. Read "The President's Daily Brief: Delivering Intelligence to Nixon and Ford" to learn more.

  • The Foreign Relations of the United States series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Visit the State Department website for more information.

    Vol. IV, Foreign Assistance, International Development, Trade Policies, 1969-1972

    Commodities and Strategic Materials, 1969-1972

    Vol. XIV, Soviet Union, October 1971-May 1972

    Preparing for Moscow and Nixon's Trip to China, January 1-March 29, 1972

    • 67. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon, Washington, March 22, 1972

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 493, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1972, Vol. 10. Secret. The notation “Action: Sonnenfeldt” appears on the memorandum. Rogers also sent a summary of his discussion with Dobrynin in telegram 49839 to Moscow, March 23. (Ibid.) An attached covering note indicates that Haig transmitted the telegram to Kissinger via backchannel message WH21106, March 23. In a March 16 memorandum to Nixon, Rogers wrote: “I intend to hold one of the regular meetings with Ambassador Dobrynin on Monday in preparation for your visit to Moscow.” (Ibid.) In a March 18 memorandum to Nixon, Kissinger wrote: “There is no indication of what the Secretary plans to take up. I believe Dobrynin understands what topics are to be pursued in what channel.” (Ibid.) An attached note from Special Assistant Bruce Kehrli to Kissinger, March 29, reads: “The attached was covered with the President verbally by HRH [Haldeman].” Hillenbrand sent a March 17 briefing memorandum to Rogers in preparation for his meeting with Dobrynin. (Ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL US–USSR) Hillenbrand had met with Dobrynin on March 14 and covered the same issues. His report appeared in an undated memorandum from Rogers to the President. (Ibid.) It was also transmitted in telegram 49710 to Moscow, March 23. (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 493, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1972, Vol. 10)

    • 68. Memorandum From President Nixon to his Chief of Staff (Haldeman), Washington, March 22, 1972

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, President’s Personal Files, Box 3, Memoranda from the President, Memos–March 1972. No classification marking. This memorandum was transcribed from a dictation by Nixon. Haldeman and Nixon discussed this issue in a conversation on the morning of March 21. “Maybe the Soviets are playing a game,” Nixon conjectured. “Add Poland on given that it’s a good thing to do on the domestic level.” But he did question Haig’s assertion that there was a strong foreign policy reason for taking the side trip. (Ibid., White House Tapes, May 21, 1972, 10:19–10:34 a.m., Oval Office, Conversation No. 690–7)

    Vol. XXIX, Eastern Europe, 1969-1972

    Finland

    Poland

    • 155. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to President Nixon, Washington, March 22, 1972

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 481, Presidentʼs Trip Files, Presidentʼs Poland Trip 1 Jun 72. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information. Attached was a routing slip from Bruce Kehrli of the NSC staff to Kissinger, March 28, that reads: “Bob Haldeman covered this verbally with the President and General Haig.”

    • 156. Conversation Between President Nixon and his Chief of Staff (Haldeman), Washington, March 22, 1972

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Executive Office Building, Conversation No. 324–22. No classification marking. According to his Daily Diary, Nixon met with Haldeman between 11:01 a.m. and 12:47 p.m. (Ibid., Presidentʼs Daily Diary) The editors transcribed the conversation printed here specifically for this volume. This is part of a larger conversation that covered multiple topics. Haldeman summarized this portion of the meeting in his diary: “He [Nixon] wants to be sure that I go to work on Haig and Henry [Kissinger], through him, to make the point that some of our decisions have got to be made on the basis of the effect they will have on the election. For example, P[resident] feels strongly we should go to Poland after the Russian trip, while Henry is equally strongly opposed to that, so weʼve got to convince Henry that his position isnʼt right, which may be hard to do.” (The Haldeman Diaries: Multimedia Edition)

    Vol. XXIX, Eastern Mediterranean, 1969-1972

    Greece

    Vol. E-7, Documents on South Asia, 1969-1972

    U.S. Relations with India and Pakistan, 1972

    • 238. Letter From President Nixon to Pakistani President Bhutto, Washington, March 22, 1972

      Nixon discussed his trip to China. He also offered Bhutto the assurance that “We will continue to demonstrate our concern for the well-being and the security of the people of Pakistan and help you through this extremely difficult post-war period.”

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 760, Presidential Correspondence File, Pakistan, President Bhutto. No classification marking. A copy of Bhutto’s March 1 letter to Nixon, in which he discussed his impending trips to New Delhi and Moscow, is ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 15–1 PAK. Nixon’s letter to Bhutto was transmitted to Islamabad on March 23 in telegram 49845. (Ibid., POL 15–1 US/Nixon)

  • The Kissinger telephone conversation transcripts consist of approximately 20,000 pages of transcripts of Kissinger’s telephone conversations during his tenure as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1969-1974) and Secretary of State (1973-1974) during the administration of President Richard Nixon. Visit the finding aid for more information.

    Digitized versions can be found in the National Archives Catalog.

Audiovisual Holdings

Context (External Sources)