Archives Unbound:
International Relations
 
Archives Unbound: International Relations

Diplomatic history, global foreign affairs, activists and activism, war and conflict, and colonialism are just some of the topics featured in these collections. Researchers can study the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, global trade and commerce, European Colonialism in the early twentieth century, U.S. Foreign Policy, and the origins of the Cold War, among other topics.

Diplomatic History

British Foreign Office: United States Correspondence, 1930-1934 - This collection in The National Archives at Kew covers British foreign affairs concerning the United States. The General Political Correspondence for the United States of America, in F.O. 371, consists primarily of communications between the Foreign Office and various British embassies and consulates in North America. Governmental, political, military, economic, and cultural topics concerning Anglo-American relations are chronicled.

British Foreign Office: United States Correspondence, 1935-1937 - This collection in The National Archives at Kew covers British foreign affairs concerning the United States. The General Political Correspondence for the United States of America, in F.O. 371, consists primarily of communications between the Foreign Office and various British embassies and consulates in North America. Governmental, political, military, economic, and cultural topics concerning Anglo-American relations are chronicled.

British Foreign Office: United States Correspondence, 1938-1940 - This collection in The National Archives at Kew covers British foreign affairs concerning the United States. The General Political Correspondence for the United States of America, in F.O. 371, consists primarily of communications between the Foreign Office and various British embassies and consulates in North America. Governmental, political, military, economic, and cultural topics concerning Anglo-American relations are chronicled.

British Foreign Office: United States Correspondence, 1941-1943 - This collection in The National Archives at Kew covers British foreign affairs concerning the United States. The General Political Correspondence for the United States of America, in F.O. 371, consists primarily of communications between the Foreign Office and various British embassies and consulates in North America. Governmental, political, military, economic, and cultural topics concerning Anglo-American relations are chronicled.

British Foreign Office: United States Correspondence, 1944-1945 - This collection in The National Archives at Kew covers British foreign affairs concerning the United States. The General Political Correspondence for the United States of America, in F.O. 371, consists primarily of communications between the Foreign Office and various British embassies and consulates in North America. Governmental, political, military, economic, and cultural topics concerning Anglo-American relations are chronicled.

British Foreign Office: United States Correspondence, 1946-1948 - This collection in The National Archives at Kew covers British foreign affairs concerning the United States. The General Political Correspondence for the United States of America, in F.O. 371, consists primarily of communications between the Foreign Office and various British embassies and consulates in North America. Governmental, political, military, economic, and cultural topics concerning Anglo-American relations are chronicled.

Carter Administration and Foreign Affairs - The documents include: 1946: Problem of half caste children of British women and U.S. coloured soldiers; problems relating to G.I. brides; Mr. Churchill’s speech at Fulton, Missouri; relations between British and U.S. troops in Germany; Republican opposition to U.S. policy at United Nations meetings; opinion in U.S. on loan to Britain; U.S. elections; Communist infiltration into U.S.; establishment of single department of Defense; socialization of German industry; enquiry into Pearl Harbor disaster; labor industrial relations and manpower in U.S.; U.S. request for airfield facilities in India and Burma; letter to Mr. Attlee regarding British policy in Siam; Mr. Attlee’s recent statements on Palestine; reported impending fusion of Communist and Social Democratic parties in Berlin; publication of Manchester Guardian Weekly in U.S. 1947: Anglo-American military cooperation: views expressed by New York Times on questions of British policy concerning (a) Palestine, and (b) Greece; U.S. copyright law: ending publications in America supporting Soviet views; G.I. bridge legal aid scheme; plans for U.S. economic aid to Western Europe; views of Mr. Harriman; speech by Mr. Marshall on U.S. aid to World Recovery; U.S. legislation extending rent controls and abolishing certain controls on building; appointment of special sub-committee of Un-American Activities Committee; dismissal of U.S. civil servants suspected of “disloyalty”; foreign policy report for August 15th: reorganization of State Dept.; report on U.S. Presidential Committee on Civil Rights; elimination of trade barriers between U.S. and U.K.; proposal of joint celebration of Magna Carta Day by U.S. and U.K.; strategic importance of Middle East to the U.S.; speech by Truman on Greece and Turkey. 1948: Strategy and Tactics of World Communism; copy of article entitled “Prospects for Stability in our Foreign Policy” by James Reston in Foreign Affairs; Presidential elections: Truman’s prospects; proposed flight of U.S. aircraft over the U.K. to Germany; Senate Committee hearings on European Recovery Program; British reactions to Marshall aid; U.S. hemisphere defense; the presence of Soviet submarines in American waters; survey of American opinion on Soviet and Communist threats; among many other records.

Cold War: Voices of Confrontation and Conciliation - For almost fifty years, the United States and the Soviet Union were engaged in the Cold War. This global stalemate emerged after both nations had been allies against Hitler during World War II. What political events precipitated the Cold War? What scientific and technological developments fueled the arms race that characterized the Cold War? What new institutions were created by the Cold War, and how were existing institutions reshaped by it? How did the Cold War condition society and culture? How did it shape the foreign policies of the U.S. and the Soviet Union? What did--and does--"the end of the Cold War" mean for citizens in the United States and the former Soviet Union? The answers to these questions and more are available in this collection of oral histories from the "behind-the-scenes" decision and policymakers.

Dean Gooderham Acheson Papers - The Dean Gooderham Acheson (1893–1971) papers are a rich source of information on the policies, thoughts, and accomplishments of the secretary of state who guided American foreign policy from 1948-1953. The papers, which span the period 1898-1978, are especially full for the period after Acheson left public office in 1953 until his death in 1971. Acheson considered these papers to be his private papers, as opposed to the papers he created professionally as a lawyer and publicly as a civil servant. In his private life, Acheson was able to offer a candid view of events during the Cold War without having to temper his words due to political considerations.

Ford Administration and Foreign Affairs - This collection offers online access to the microfilm series, “Gerald R. Ford and Foreign Affairs.” Included here are Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific and Presidential Correspondence and Conversations with Foreign Leaders. Many significant foreign policy events are covered here. Among these are the wars and their aftermath in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos; seizure of the Mayaguez and subsequent investigations into the administration’s handling of the incident; and the normalization process with the People’s Republic of China. Other major topics are U.S. military bases and the presence of American troops, especially in Thailand, the Philippines, Diego Garcia, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Korea. General topics covered include trade, arms transfers, mutual defense agreements, and meetings between American and foreign leaders. Materials relating to Southeast Asia concern intelligence reports on the situation in Vietnam and Cambodia, the administration’s request of Congress for supplemental assistance, and contingency planning for the evacuation of Americans and refugees. After the fall of Saigon, the focus is on refugee resettlement, disposition of American military equipment left in Vietnam, and consideration of America’s policy interests and presence in the region under the new circumstances.

George H. W. Bush and Foreign Affairs: Bosnia and the Situation in the Former Yugoslavia - The war in Bosnia and Herzegovina came about as a result of the breakup of Yugoslavia. In Yugoslavia, the national Communist party, officially called Alliance or League of Communists of Yugoslavia, was losing its ideological potency, while nationalist and separatist ideologies were on the rise in the late 1980s. Crisis erupted with the weakening of the Communist system at the end of the Cold War. This was particularly noticeable in Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to a lesser extent in Slovenia and the Republic of Macedonia. Throughout 1991 international and national political maneuvering failed to prevent Bosnia from slipping into civil war. This collection consists of comprehensive materials related to the former Yugoslavia, particularly Bosnia, and U.S. presidential decision-making. Documents constitute the complete FOIA request listed as 1998-0102-FL: Records on Bosnia and the Former Yugoslavia.

George H. W. Bush and Foreign Affairs: Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Reunification of Germany - When East Germany opened its borders and Germans tore down the Berlin Wall separating East and West Berlin in early November 1989, it marked a symbolic end to Communist rule in Eastern Europe. In the minds of many, the Cold War was over. This collection provides an in-depth analysis of the events leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall and its implications for U.S.-German relations. Documents include 1999-0393-F: Records of Memcons and Telcons between President Bush and Helmut Kohl concerning the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Reunification of Germany; and FOIA 2001-1166-F: Records on the Fall of the Berlin Wall and German Unification.

George H. W. Bush and Foreign Affairs: The Middle East Peace Conference in Madrid - This collection comprises materials related to the planning and organization of the October 1991 Middle East Peace Conference in Madrid. It consists of correspondence, memoranda, cables, diplomatic dispatches, reports, studies, maps, and printed material that document all aspects of staging the conference as well as the conference itself. The materials detail the role of the United States in convening the peace conference and the interactions and positions of the various parties involved. Subjects include the Persian Gulf War; Operation Desert Shield; Oil; public opinion; Intifada; U.N. Security Council Resolutions; Land for Peace concept; Palestinians; Palestine Liberation Organization; among other topics.

George H. W. Bush and Foreign Affairs: The Moscow Summit and the Dissolution of the USSR - When George H. W. Bush became president in 1989 the United States had already begun to see a thawing of relations with the Soviet Union. President Bush spoke of softening relations in his inaugural address, claiming that "a new breeze is blowing," and adding that "great nations of the world are moving toward democracy through the door to freedom." This collection provides an in-depth analysis of the events leading up to the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. and its implications for U.S.-Soviet relations. The collection consists of three FOIA files from the Bush Library. The first file contains material related to the Moscow summit and the coup in August 1991 against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. This file contains cables sent to the White House situation room concerning day-by-day developments and conversations between President Bush and other foreign leaders. The second file, which concerns the dissolution of the Soviet Union, highlights the Bush administration’s response to the dissolution and the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Documents here concern economic and humanitarian support, diplomatic recognition of the republics, aiding the transition to democratic governments and market economies, and defense issues, particularly the fate and control over the former Soviet Union's nuclear arsenal. The last FOIA file contains materials on the meeting between President Bush and President Mikhail Gorbachev in Malta (December 2–3, 1989) and the subsequent meetings between President Bush and NATO leaders in Brussels (December 3– 4, 1989).

Japan: Records of the U.S. Department of State Relating to Political Relations, 1930-1939 - The year 1931 stands as a major turning point in Japan’s modern history. In September 1931 Japanese armed forces overran Manchuria, committing their government to a course of direct action in Asia and, ultimately, to the rejection of the structure of international relations which had emerged in the 1920s. By 1940 Japan was caught up in a cycle of extreme nationalism, isolation, and ultimately war with the United States. This archive charts a key decade in U.S.-Japanese relations. It is one of three digital collections based on the microfilm title Records of the U.S. Department of State Relating to United States Political Relations with Japan, 1930-1954. The source material contains Decimal File 711.94.

Japan: Records of the U.S. Department of State Relating to Political Relations, 1940-1944 - This archive traces the outbreak of the U.S. war with Japan in December 1941 through 1944. It is one of three digital collections based on the microfilm title Records of the U.S. Department of State Relating to United States Political Relations with Japan, 1930-1954. The source material contains Decimal File 711.94.

Japan: Records of the U.S. Department of State Relating to Political Relations, 1945-1949 - Japan in the summer of 1945 was a nation exhausted by war. The Allied Occupation, dedicated to political and social reform, thoroughly transformed the country in a remarkably short time. This is one of three digital collections based on the microfilm title Records of the U.S. Department of State Relating to United States Political Relations with Japan, 1930-1954. The source material contains Decimal File 711.94.

Johnson Administration and Foreign Affairs - This collection offers online access to the microfilm series, “Lyndon B. Johnson and Foreign Affairs, 1963-1969.” Included here are White House Central Files which consist of the Foreign Affairs Subject Files and the National Defense Subject File on the Vietnam War. The collection enumerates policies, responses, and recommendations from the president’s advisers and cabinet members on handling the growing conflict in South Vietnam, its effects on domestic policies, and the public’s reaction to the war. The files document the Johnson administration's escalation of the war from a commitment of sixteen thousand advisers in November 1963 to that of over five hundred thousand combat troops at the end of 1968. The archive details controversial issues such as the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the initiation of regular bombing attacks on North Vietnam, the decision to commit large numbers of combat troops to South Vietnam, and efforts to maintain public support for the war.

Nixon Administration and Foreign Affairs - This collection offers online access to the microfilm series, "The Nixon Administration and Foreign Affairs, 1969-1974." Included here are the White House Central Files consisting of the Foreign Affairs Subject Files and the Foreign Affairs Subject Series. The National Security Council Files include China and Vietnam Negotiations and the President’s Trip Files. The archive details the worldview of foreign policy during President Nixon’s administration and chronicles the realism that both the president and his policy advisers used in mentally ordering the world and in formulating policy. It highlights the diplomacy that the administration employed to achieve “Vietnamization,” détente with the Soviet Union, and other objectives. Realism, triangular diplomacy, and linkage-making provided President Nixon with an understanding of world strategy and a negotiating approach that fueled his pursuit of détente and accommodation.

Press Conferences of the U.S. Secretaries of State, 1922-1974 - This collection reproduces the transcripts of all the press conferences held by the U.S. secretaries of state from Charles Evan Hughes (1862–1948; 44th Secretary of State, 1921–1925) through Henry Kissinger (b. 1923; 56th Secretary of State, 1973–1977). These conferences are an important record of official U.S. foreign policy and its global influence from the interwar years to the Cold War and détente.

U.S. and Castro's Cuba, 1950-1970: The Paterson Collection - The declassified records that comprise this collection provides a detailed account of the diplomatic, economic, military, and cultural relationship between the United States and Cuba in the era of Fidel Castro (1926–2016). Included are extensive official records gathered from presidential libraries, government archives, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of State (DOS). The collection was originally built by historian Thomas G. Paterson (b. 1941) during his more than 25 years of research and writing on U.S.-Cuba relations in the Cold War period.

U.S. Middle East Peace Policy and America's Role in the Middle East Peace Process, 1991-1992 - This collection contains Bush Presidential Records from a variety of White House offices. These files consist of letters of correspondence, memoranda, cover sheets, notes, distribution lists, newspaper articles, informational papers, published articles, and reports from the public, the Congress, Bush administration officials, and other various federal agencies primarily regarding the American Middle East peace policy and the United States’ role in the many facets of the Middle East peace process.