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Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

Microform: Confidential US State Department Central Files, Soviet Union, Foreign Affairs, 1945-59


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0099 KCLMA MF 361-72; MF 412-421

Held at: Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London

Title: Microform: Confidential US State Department Central Files, Soviet Union, Foreign Affairs, 1945-59

Date(s): 1945-1959, 1985

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 35 reels

Name of creator(s): US Department of State, 1945-59

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The US Department of State is the lead US foreign affairs agency. It advances US objectives and interests through formulating, representing, and implementing the foreign policy of the President of the United States. The US Secretary of State, the ranking member of the Cabinet and fourth in line of presidential succession, is the President's principal adviser on foreign policy and the person chiefly responsible for US representation abroad. The 1947 National Security Act created the National Security Council, which assisted the President on foreign policy and co-ordinated the work of the many agencies involved in foreign relations. During the Cold War, new foreign affairs agencies were placed under the general policy direction of the Secretary of State: the US Information Agency, the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and the US Agency for International Development. US Department of State country missions assist in implementing the President's constitutional responsibilities for the conduct of US foreign relations. The Chief of Mission, with the title Ambassador, Minister, or Charge d'Affaires, and, the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) are responsible for and head the mission's "country team" of US Government personnel. The Country Team includes diplomatic officers representing consular, administrative, political, economic, cultural, and legal affairs, as well as all the representatives from agencies other than the Department of State. These are the people responsible for the day to day work of the mission. Department of State employees at missions comprise US-based political appointees, career diplomats, and Foreign Service nationals. The last are local residents, who provide continuity for the transient American staff and have language and cultural expertise. The Confidential US State Department Central Files, Soviet Union, Foreign Affairs, 1945-59 microfilm collection includes files relating to Soviet foreign affairs prepared for the President of the United States by this field of State Department regional experts.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

A themed microfilm collection relating to US State Department interpretations of Soviet foreign affairs, 1945-1959. Included in the collection are US State Department files relating to the repatriation of German prisoners of war from the Soviet Union following World War Two; Soviet boundary disputes involving the People's Republic of China, Bulgaria, Hungary, Iran Romania, and Turkey; Soviet economic, non-aggression, and peace treaties with the People's Republic of China; Soviet funds raised from enemy property in Germany and Austria; Soviet political relations with the Republic of South Korea and the People's Republic of Korea; Soviet alliances or friendship treaties with Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Austria, Bulgaria, Burma, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Pakistan, Syria, Thailand, and the United States, 1945-1959.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

Arranged according to subject: 'General' or 'International Relations'; 'Bilateral Relations' with states other than the US; and 'US- Soviet Bilateral Relations'. Arranged chronologically therein

Conditions governing access:

Open, subject to signature of reader's undertaking form.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies may be printed off the microfilm for research purposes and are charged at the cost to the Centre. Enquiries concerning the copyright of the original material should be addressed to University Publications of America, Inc., 4520 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD, 20814-3389, USA

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Summary guide entry on-line at http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/top.htm, and published detailed catalogues available in hard copy in the Centre's reading room, Paul Kesaris and Robert Lester (eds.), Confidential US State Department Central Files, Soviet Union, Foreign Affairs, 1945-1949 and Confidential US State Department Central Files, Soviet Union, Foreign Affairs, 1950-1954 (University Publications of America, Bethesda, MD, 1985).

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

University Publications of America, Inc., Bethesda, MD, with published fully indexed guides edited by Paul Kesaris and Robert Lester.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Date(s) of descriptions: Date of compilation: Jul 1999


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Alliances | Foreign relations | International relations
Arms control | Disarmament | Peace
Boundaries | Territorial rights | Rights of states | International law
Communism | Collectivism | Political doctrines
Diplomacy | Foreign relations | International relations
East West relations | International relations
Government departments | Central government | Public administration | Government
International economic relations | Economic relations | Interdependence
International instruments | International law
War prisoners | War victims | International conflicts

Personal names
Acheson | Dean Gooderham | 1893-1971 | US Secretary of State
Dulles | John Foster | 1888-1959 | US Secretary of State
Eisenhower | Dwight David "Ike" | 1890-1969 | General | President of the United States
Khrushchev | Nikita Sergeyevich | 1894-1971 | Prime Minister of the USSR
Truman | Harry S | 1884-1972 | US President

Corporate names
US Department of State

Places
Austria | Western Europe | Europe
Bulgaria | Eastern Europe
China | East Asia
Germany | Western Europe | Europe
Hungary | Eastern Europe
Iran, Islamic Republic | Middle East
Korea | East Asia
Romania | Eastern Europe
Turkey | Middle East
USA | North America
USSR | Eastern Europe
Americas
Asia
Caribbean