Nelson Rockefeller • The Phone Call • Meeting Richard Nixon • Encounters at the Pierre Hotel
II. Period of Innocence: The Transition
Getting Acquainted • The Uneasy Team • Getting Organized • Turning to Substance
III. The Convictions of An Apprentice Statesman
An Historian’s Perspective • The American Experience • Problems of a New Equilibrium
PART TWO: 1969: THE START OF THE JOURNEY
IV. European Journey
Nixon Visits Europe • Malaise of the Western Alliance • London and the “Special Relationship” • Bonn and Berlin and the Enigma of Germany • Rome Interlude • The Colossus of de Gaulle
Introduction to Anatoly Dobrynin • The Enduring Philosophical Problem of US-Soviet Relations • Reflections during the Transition Period • Public and Congressional Attitudes: A Spring Flurry • The Channel • Preparing for SALT • East-West Trade • Eastern Europe: Nixon’s Visit to Romania • Conclusion
First Signals • The Ussuri River Clashes • Rumors of War • Triangular Politics
VII. Defense Policy and Strategy
Defense and the Strategic Balance • The Defense Debate • Antiballistic Missiles (ABM) • Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicles (MIRV) • The Attack on the Defense Budget • Strategic Doctrine • Tactical Nuclear Weapons • One and a Half Wars • The Nixon Doctrine
VIII. The Agony of Vietnam
My Exposure to the Quagmire • What We Found • North Vietnamese Attacks and Cambodian Bombing • Diplomacy for a Peace Settlement • The Vance Mission • Return to the Treadmill • The Beginning of Troop Withdrawals • A Secret Meeting with Xuan Thuy • Another Reassessment • The Unpacifiable Doves • Groping for a Strategy
The EC-121 Shootdown • The US-Japanese Alliance • The Okinawa Negotiation • The Textile A Fiasco
X. Words and Shadows: Evolution of Middle East Strategy
Initiatives Galore • Middle East Visitors • Diplomacy: Ever-New Proposals • Yet Another Initiative • Golda Meir • The Rogers Plan • The Evolving Strategy
XI. The Uneasy Alliance: Europe and the United States
Dilemmas of Europe’s Success • Consultations • De Gaulle’s Departure and European Unity • The Common Defense: The American Perception • East- West Relations in Europe • Berlin and Brandt’s Ostpolitik • European Security Conference • European Leaders Visit Washington: 1970 • Second Thoughts about the Common Market
PART THREE: 1970-1971: FROM TURMOIL TO HOPE
XII. The War Widens
Return to Secret Negotiations • Special Adviser Le Duc Tho and the First Round of Talks • Laos Interlude • The Overthrow of Sihanouk • The April 20 Troop Withdrawal Announcement • The Attack on North Vietnamese Sanctuaries • The Elusive Communist Headquarters and Other Battles • The Domestic Travail • The Balance Sheet,
XIII. The Soviet Riddle: Europe, SALT, and a Summit
Hot and Cold • The Riddle of Soviet Conduct • Ostpolitik • SALT and the Defense Debate • Pursuing a Moscow Summit
XIV. Middle East 1970
The Kosygin Letter • Soviet Soldiers and Missiles Appear in Egypt • An American Diplomatic Initiative • Cease-fire and Standstill • Israel Bows out of Negotiations
XV. The Autumn of Crises: Jordan
Crisis in Jordan • Iraqi-Jordanian Showdown • Hijacking Crisis • Showdown with the Guerrillas • The Syrian Invasion
XVI. The Autumn of Crises: Soviet Submarine Base at Cienfuegos
A Message from Moscow • A Flotilla Heads for Cienfuegos • The Showdown • Resolution of the Crisis
XVII. The Autumn of Crises: Chile
Salvador Allende • Influence and Intervention: The 40 Committee • The Chilean Election of 1970 • The Coup That Never Was • Allende Inaugurated
XVIII. An Invitation to Peking
The End of the Warsaw Channel • Triangular Relationships • The Pakistani Channel • Ping-Pong Diplomacy • Plans and Aberrations
“Polo I”: Prelude • The Middle Kingdom: First Meeting with Chou En-lai • The Announcement That Shook the World • “The China Card” • China at the United Nations • “Polo II” • The United Nations
XX. US-Soviet Relations: Breakthrough on Two Fronts
The Polish Riots • The Channel Becomes Operational • The SALT Negotiations and the May 20 Agreement • The Berlin Negotiation • The Summit Finally
XXI. The Tilt: The India-Pakistan Crisis of 1971
Origins of Tragedy • Two Cyclones • Military Crackdown • The Crisis Accelerates • The Soviet-Indian Friendship Treaty • Contacts with the Bangladesh Exiles • Mrs. Gandhi Comes to Washington • War between India and Pakistan • The War Spreads • Climax: A Fateful Decision • The Aftermath
XXII. Crisis in the Alliance: The Mansfield Amendment and the Economic
Mediterranean Journey • De Gaulle’s Funeral and Heath’s Visit • The Mansfield Amendment: The Old Guard Steps into the Breach • The Economic Crisis: The Second “Nixon Shock” • High-Level Consultations: The Final Round
XXIII. Vietnam 1970-71: Forcing Hanoi’s Hand
Madame Binh’s Eight Points • The Setting of a Strategy • The Laos Operation • Lam Son 719: The Military Operation • The Marches on Washington • The Negotiations Are Resumed • The South Vietnamese Presidential Election • Revealing the Secret Talks
PART FOUR: 1972: FROM WAR TO PEACE
XXIV. Nixon’s Trip to China
The Haig Mission • Arrival: The Handshake • Mao Tse-tung • Walks, Talks, and Toasts • The Shanghai Communiqué • Assessments
XXV. Hanoi Throws the Dice: The Vietnam Spring Offensive
Invasion • The Buildup • Diplomatic Maneuvers • What Strategy?
XXVI. The Secret Trip to Moscow
Preparing the Summit • Leonid Brezhnev • Conversations with Brezhnev and Gromyko • A Disagreement with the President
XXVII. The Showdown: Mining of North Vietnamese Harbors
Preparing for Decision • The May 2 Secret Meeting • The Mining of North Vietnam • The Summit in the Balance • Postlude
XXVIII. The Moscow Summit
Richard Nixon in the Kremlin • Greetings and Meetings • The Soviet Power Structure: Kosygin and Podgorny • Round One on SALT: Brezhnev and Nixon • Confrontation at the Dacha • The SALT Negotiations Conclude • Gromyko and the Middle East • What Did the Summit Accomplish?
XXIX. Summit Aftermath
A Visit to the Shah of Iran • Return through Warsaw • The Soviet Grain Deal • European Attitudes
The Death of Nasser • The Idea of an Interim Settlement • The Phantom Memorandum • Becoming Involved • Backchannel Explorations • Egypt Opens a Secret Channel to the United States
XXXI. From Stalemate to Breakthrough
Hanoi’s Discomfiture • Testing the Stalemate • A Visit to Saigon • Interlude: Meetings of September 15 and 27 • The Breakthrough: The October 8 Meeting
XXXII. The Troubled Road to Peace
Interlude in Paris, 1364 • Consultation with Thieu, • First Rumblings • Showdown with Thieu • The Journey Home
XXXIII. “Peace Is at Hand”
Hanoi Goes Public • Election Interlude • Haig Visits Saigon Again • The Meetings with Le Duc Tho Resume • The December Talks: Breakdown of the Negotiation • The Christmas Bombing • Negotiations Resume • The January Round • Thieu Relents
XXXIV. Peace At Last
Postlude
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