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November 23, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Thursday, November 23, 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: Wednesday, November 22, 1972

Next Date: Friday, November 24, 1972

Schedule and Public Documents

  • The Daily Diary files represent a consolidated record of the President's activities. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    The President's day began at Camp David, Maryland

  • The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents made available transcripts of the President's news conferences; messages to Congress; public speeches, remarks, and statements; and other Presidential materials released by the White House.

    Digitized versions can be found at HathiTrust.

  • The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other Presidential documents.

Archival Holdings

  • Selective document listing

    President's Personal File

    The President's Personal File is essentially a President's secretary's file, kept by Rose Mary Woods, personal secretary to the President, for two purposes: (1) preserving for posterity a collection of documents particularly close to the President, whether because he dictated or annotated them, or because of the importance of the correspondent or the event concerned and (2) giving appropriate attention–letters of gratitude, invitations to White House social events, and the like–to members and important friends and supporters of the Nixon administration. This generalization does not describe all the varied materials of a file group which is essentially a miscellany, but it does identify the reason for the existence of the file group's core. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

  • 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. V, United Nations, 1969-1972

    UN Finances and Reduction of the U.S. Assessment

    Vol. IX, Vietnam, October 1972-January 1973

    Paris Negotiations Collapse, October 24-December 13, 1972

    • 120. Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Paris, November 23, 1972, 2130Z

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 857, For the President’s Files (Winston Lord)—China Trip/Vietnam, Sensitive Camp David, Vol. XXI (2). Top Secret; Flash; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Sent via Haig and Kennedy. A retyped copy bears the stamped notation: “The President has seen.” (Ibid., Kissinger Office Files, Box 26, HAK Trip Files, HAK Paris Trip Hakto, November 18–25, 1972)

    Vol. XLII, Vietnam: The Kissinger-Le Duc Tho Negotiations

    Breakdown of Negotiations, November 1972-December 1972

    • 29. Memorandum of Conversation, Paris, November 23, 1972, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 858, For the President’s Files (Winston Lord)—China Trip/Vietnam Negotiations, Sensitive, Camp David, Vol. XXI, Minutes of Meetings. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place at 108 Avenue du Général Leclerc in Gif-sur-Yvette. All brackets, except where noted, are in the original. Tab A is attached but not printed.

      In reporting to Nixon on this meeting, the general point that Kissinger made was that the 6-hour meeting “proved to be every bit as difficult as predicted.” He noted specifically that “the other side held rigidly firm that there would be only minor changes in the political chapter, and no improvements whatsoever in the text of the agreement with respect to the issue of their troops in South Vietnam.” Outside of the written text, however, Le Duc Tho had shown some flexibility and offered a deal, which Kissinger summarized as follows: “a commitment to relocate some of their forces in MR–1 [in North Vietnam] and to bring the ceasefire in Laos close to the time of the ceasefire in South Vietnam. He [Le Duc Tho] insisted that both of these arrangements should be in the form of understandings rather than firm written commitments.”

      In return, the United States would have to meet North Vietnam’s demands on the release of political prisoners held by South Vietnam, and that release would be linked to the release of U.S. prisoners of war in Communist captivity. Kissinger’s assessment of this deal was not positive: “we have received a vague commitment based on an understanding to relocate some troops from the northern part of South Vietnam and to bring the ceasefire in Laos somewhat closer to the ceasefire in South Vietnam.” In short, “barring a sudden give by the North Vietnamese, we do not have an acceptable deal.” The negative tone of the North Vietnamese had trumped the modest evidence of their flexibility. The consequence of the talks going badly, Kissinger told Nixon, was that “it is very possible that we will have face a breakdown in the talks and the need for a drastic step-up in our bombing of the North accompanied by a review of our negotiating strategy.” (Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. IX, Vietnam, October 1972–January 1973, Document 120)

      The North Vietnamese rejected Kissinger’s continued attempts to include in the text of the agreement a commitment to withdraw its troops from the South. According to the North Vietnamese official history of the negotiations, Le Duc Tho became “infuriated” at Kissinger for these attempts and, as had Kissinger, came to an overall negative assessment of the meetings, concluding: “The [November 23] discussions ended in a heavy atmosphere. No date was fixed for the next meeting. Kissinger said only that contact would be made the next morning. The situation appeared to be a stalemate.” (Luu and Nguyen, Le Duc Tho-Kissinger Negotiations in Paris, pp. 376 and 380, respectively)

    Vol. E-16, Documents on Chile, 1969-1973

    Cool and Correct: The U.S. Response to the Allende Administration, November 5, 1970-December 31, 1972

    • 125. Telegram From the Embassy in Chile to the Department of State, Santiago, November 23, 1972, 0101Z

      Summary: This telegram reported on a meeting in which Letelier urged Davis to arrange a high-level meeting between U.S. officials and Allende during Allende’s scheduled visit to New York in December. Describing Allende’s trip as a “crossroads,” Letelier noted that a meeting between the Chilean President and top U.S. policymakers was imperative.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 7 CHILE. Secret; Immediate; Exdis.

  • 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

  • The White House Communications Agency Sound Recordings Collection contains public statements that took place between 1969 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    P - Formal Presidential Remarks

    • WHCA-SR-P-721116
      Remarks by President Nixon to officers, enlisted men, and dependents of the Sequoia galley, at Camp David. (11/23/1972)

      Runtime: 4:30

      Original Format: 1/4-inch reel-to-reel audiotape. Original source type: Original.

  • The White House Communications Agency Videotape Collection contains “off-the-air” recordings of televised programs produced between 1968 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    • WHCA-5932
      Weekly News Summary, Tape II.
      ALL NETWORKS
      Runtime: 01:04:45

      14. Reasoner: Kissinger, Paris peace talks. Time Code Start: 32:20. Keywords: Paris Peace Talks, Vietnam War, treaty, treaties, negotiations, government, officials, travel, trips. Network: ABC.

      15. Reasoner/Mariano: Troops in Vietnam. Time Code Start: 32:50. Keywords: Vietnam War. Network: ABC.

      16. Reasoner/Shoumacher: Statistics on Vietnam, POWs. Time Code Start: 34:57. Keywords: Vietnam War, Vietnam Prisoner of War. Network: ABC.

      17. Reasoner/Higgins: Vietnamese women. Time Code Start: 37:34. Keywords: Vietnam War, populations. Network: ABC.

      18. Reasoner/Kaplow: Cabinet changes. Time Code Start: 40:22. Keywords: Presidents, cabinet, advisors, appointments. Network: ABC.

      19. Reasoner/Meller: Indian protests. Time Code Start: 43:20. Keywords: American Indians, Native Americans, tribes, demonstrations, rally, protests, protesters, demonstraters, demonstrators. Network: ABC.

      20. Utley/Dobyns: Paris peace talks with Kissinger. Time Code Start: 46:35. Keywords: Paris Peace Talks, Vietnam War, treaty, treaties, negotiations, government, officials, travel, trips. Network: NBC.

      21. Utley: Casualty report. Time Code Start: 48:52. Keywords: Vietnam War, killed in action, KIA, death tolls, fatalities, casualty, casualties, military, troops. Network: NBC.

      22. Utley/Streithorst: Quang Tri in Vietnam. Time Code Start: 49:40. Keywords: Vietnam War. Network: NBC.

      23. Brinkley's Journal: How much is taught in school. Time Code Start: 52:17. Keywords: schools, education, districts, teaching, studies, investigations. Network: NBC.

      24. Mudd/Kalisher: Paris peace talks, Kissinger. Time Code Start: 54:20. Keywords: Paris Peace Talks, Vietnam War, treaty, treaties, negotiations, government, officials, travel, trips. Network: CBS.

      25. Mudd: Casualty report. Time Code Start: 56:16. Keywords: Vietnam War, killed in action, KIA, death tolls, fatalities, casualty, casualties, military, troops. Network: CBS.

      26. Mudd/Morton: Cost of President Nixon's Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Time Code Start: 56:35. Keywords: Presidents, holidays, food, dinners, dining, banquets, costs, money. Network: CBS.

      27. Mudd: Farmers sue the government over wheat. Time Code Start: 58:47. Keywords: U.S., American, Soviet Union, USSR, Russia, agriculture, food, crops, products, sales, agreements, business, imports, exports, trade, Federal Bureau of Investigations, government, organizations, crime. Network: CBS.

      28. Mudd/Shaen: NATO alliance. Time Code Start: 59:35. Keywords: N.A.T.O., North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Europe, international, world, military, war, defence, defense, organizations. Network: CBS.

Context (External Sources)