Office of the Historian

List of Abbreviations

Editor’s Note: This list does not include standard abbreviations in common usage; unusual abbreviations of rare occurrence which are clarified at appropriate points; and, those abbreviations and contractions which, although uncommon, are understandable from the content.

  • AC, Azione Cattòlica (Catholic Action)
  • Actel, series indicator for telegrams from Secretary of State Acheson while away from Washington
  • AC and W, Air Communications and Weather (Group), United States Navy
  • AD/E, Office of the Assistant Director for Europe, Mutual Security Agency
  • ADN, Allianza Democratica Nazionale (National Democratic Alliance)
  • AD/S, Office of the Assistant Director for Supply, Mutual Security Agency
  • AEW, atomic energy warfare
  • AFL, American Federation of Labor
  • AFP, Agence France Presse
  • AGIP, Azienda Generale Italiana di Petroli (Italian General Petroleum Agency)
  • AHA, Ad Hoc Assembly
  • AIOC, Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
  • AMG, Allied Military Government
  • AMS, Auxiliary Minesweeper
  • AR, Annual Review
  • ARAMCO, Arabian-American Oil Company
  • ARS, Action Républicaine et Sociale, French political party
  • ASIC, Associated States of Indochina
  • ASNE, American Society of Newspaper Editors
  • BC, British Columbia
  • BNA, Office of British Commonwealth and Northern European Affairs, Department of State
  • B/P, balance of payments
  • BUSHIPS, Bureau of Ships, Department of the Navy
  • CA, circular airgram
  • CA, Consultative Assembly
  • CARE, Committee for American Relief for Europe
  • CCC, Commodity Credit Corporation, Department of Agriculture
  • CCS, Combined Chiefs of Staff
  • CD, Christian Democrat; Christian Democratic Party; Council Deputies
  • CDU, Christlich-Demokratische Union (Christian Democratic Union)
  • CE, Council of Europe
  • CERP, Current Economic Reporting Program
  • CFM, Council of Foreign Ministers
  • CFTC, Confédération Française des Travailleurs Chrétiens (French Confederation of Christian Workers)
  • CGIL, Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (General Confederation of Italian Labor)
  • CGT, Confédération Générale du Travail (General Confederation of Labor)
  • CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
  • CINCEUR, Commander in Chief, Europe
  • CINCNORTH, Commander in Chief, Northern Area
  • CIO, Congress of Industrial Organizations
  • circr, circular
  • CISL, Confederazione Italiana dei Sindicati Lavoratori (Italian Confederation of Workers’ Unions)
  • CISNAL, Confederazione Italiana dei Sindicati Nazionale Lavoratori (Italian Confederation of National Unions)
  • CM, Committee of Ministers
  • CNO, Chief of Naval Operations
  • COCOM, Coordinating Committee
  • Codel, telegram series indicator for Congressional delegation travel
  • C of E, Council of Europe
  • Coled, series indicator for telegrams from the Office of the United States Observer to the Interim Committee of the European Defense Community and the United States Representative to the European Coal and Steel Community
  • Cominform, Communist Information Bureau
  • Confindustria, Confederation of Italian Industry
  • Contel, Consulate telegram
  • Cotel, Country Team telegram
  • CP, Communist Party
  • CPF, Communist Party in France
  • CPR, Chinese People’s Republic
  • CSC, Coal and Steel Community
  • CUSSAT, Canada–United States Scientific Advisory Team
  • CY, calendar year
  • DA, Department of Army
  • DADCMI, Department of the Army policy for disclosure of classified military information
  • DC, Democrazia Cristiana (Christian Democratic Party)
  • Def, Department of Defense
  • DefMin, Defense Minister; Defense Ministry
  • Defto, series indicator for telegrams to the Department of Defense
  • Depcirtel, Department of State circular telegram
  • Deptel, Department of State telegram
  • Depto, series indicator for telegrams from the Office of the United States Deputy Representative on the North Atlantic Council, at London
  • DEW, distant early warning (line)
  • DM, Deutsche Mark
  • DMPA, Defense Materials Procurement Agency
  • DMS, Director for Mutual Security
  • DOD, Department of Defense
  • DOT, dependent overseas territories
  • DPA, Defense Production Administration
  • DPB, Defense Production Board
  • DPC, Defense Production Committee
  • DRS, Division of Research for the USSR and Eastern Europe, Department of State
  • DRW, Division of Research for Western Europe, Department of State
  • Dulte, series indicator for telegrams from Secretary of State Dulles while away from Washington
  • E, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, Bureau of Economic Affairs
  • EAD, Eastern Affairs Division, Berlin Element, HICOG
  • ECA, Economic Cooperation Administration
  • ECE, Economic Commission for Europe
  • EDC, European Defence Community
  • Edcol, series indicator for telegrams to the Office of the United States Observer to the Interim Committee of the European Defense Community and to the United States Representative to the European Coal and Steel Community
  • EDF, European Defense Force
  • Embdes, Embassy despatch
  • Emboff, Embassy officer
  • Embtel, Embassy telegram
  • ENI, Ente Nazionale degli Idrocarburi (National Hydrocarbon Trust)
  • EPC, European Political Community
  • EPU, European Payments Union
  • ERS, European Regional Staff, Office of the Assistant Director for Europe, Mutual Security Agency
  • EUCOM, European Command, United States Army
  • EUR, Bureau of European Affairs, Department of State
  • EXIM, Export-Import (Bank)
  • FAO, French agricultural organizations
  • FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • FCN, Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation (Treaty)
  • FE, Far East
  • FEB, Financial Economic Board
  • FedRep, Federal Republic of Germany
  • Fiat, Fabrico Italiana degli Automobili Torino, Italian automobile company
  • FILM, Federazione Italiana Lavoratori del Mare (Federation of Italian Seamen)
  • FILP, Federazione Italiana Lavoratori dei Porti (Federation of Italian Port Workers)
  • FINSIDER, Societa Finanziaria Siderurgica (Italian Iron and Steel Finance Corporation)
  • FIOM, Federazione Italiana Operai Metallurgici (Federation of Italian Steel-workers)
  • FNSEA, Fédération Nationale des Syndicats d’Exploitants Agricoles (National Federation of Farmers’ Unions)
  • FO, Force Ouvrière (Workers Force)
  • FOA, Foreign Operations Administration
  • FOB, freight on board
  • FonAff, Foreign Affairs
  • FonMin, Foreign Minister, Foreign Ministry
  • FonOff, Foreign Office
  • FPC, Federal Power Commission
  • FPT, French political talks
  • FRC, Federal Records Center
  • FS, Foreign Service
  • FTT, Free Territory of Trieste
  • FY, fiscal year
  • FYI, for your information
  • G–2, United States Army Intelligence
  • GA, General Assembly, United Nations
  • GATT, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  • GER, Bureau of German Affairs or Office of German Affairs, Department of State
  • Globecom, the United States Air Force system for long-range, point-to-point and air-to-ground communications
  • GMT, Greenwich Mean Time
  • GNP, gross national product
  • GOI, Government of India
  • GSA, General Services Administration
  • HA, High Authority
  • HICOG, United States High Commissioner for Germany
  • HICOM, High Commission(er)
  • HK, Hong Kong
  • HMG, Her (His) Majesty’s Government
  • HQUSAF, Headquarters, United States Air Force
  • IAC, Intelligence Advisory Committee
  • IAR, International Authority for the Ruhr
  • IBRD, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank)
  • IC, Indochina
  • ICFTU, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
  • ID, Iniziativa Democratica (Democratic Initiative, a leftist corrente (current) within the Italian Christian Democratic Party)
  • IDF, Icelandic Defense Force
  • IFAP, International Federation of Agricultural Producers
  • IIA, International Information Administration
  • IJC, International Joint Commission
  • ILC, International Law Commission, United Nations
  • ILO, International Labor Organization
  • IMC, International Materials Conference
  • IMI, Istituto Mobiliare (Institute for Italian Mobilization)
  • IND, Industry Division, Office of the Assistant Director for Supply, Mutual Security Agency
  • INS, International News Service
  • IRI, Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (Institute for Industrial Reconstruction)
  • IS, International Staff, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • ISA, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
  • ITO, International Trade Organization
  • JAMAG, Joint American Military Advisory Group
  • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • JMST, Joint Military Survey Team
  • JUSMG, Joint United States Military Group
  • LAM, London Ambassadors Meeting
  • L/E, Office of the Assistant Legal Advisor for Economic Affairs, Department of State
  • Legtal, Legation telegram
  • LNC, Laga Nazionale delle Cooperative e delle Mutue (National League of Cooperatives and Loans)
  • LOC, line of communications
  • Lofar, low frequency analysis and recording
  • MAAC, Mutual Assistance Advisory Committee
  • MAAG, Military Assistance Advisory Group
  • MAAG/IT, Military Assistance Advisory Group/Italy
  • MAAG/UK, Military Assistance Advisory Group/United Kingdom
  • MAP, military assistance program
  • MATS, Military Air Transport Service
  • MC, Military Committee, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • MDA(P), Mutual Defense Assistance (Program)
  • ME, Middle East
  • MEATO, Middle East Area Theatre of Operations
  • MEC, Middle East Command
  • MEDO, Middle East Defense Organization
  • METO, Middle East Treaty Organization
  • MFE, Movimento Federalista Europeo (European Federalist Movement)
  • MFT, Mendès-France talks
  • MilAtt, Military Attaché
  • MINAG, Minister of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture
  • MINDEF, Minister of Defense, Ministry of Defense
  • MOD, Ministry of Defense
  • MP, military police
  • MRC, Military Representatives Committee, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • MRP, Mouvement Rèpublicain Populaire, French political party
  • MS, Mutual Security
  • MSA, Mutual Security Agency, Mutual Security Act
  • MSA/E, Mutual Security Agency/Europe
  • MSAP, Mutual Security Agency Program
  • MSA/W, Mutual Security Agency/Washington
  • MSG, Military Study Group
  • MSI, Movimento Sociale Italiano (Italian Social Movement)
  • MSP, Mutual Security Program
  • MTDP, Medium Term Defense Plan
  • Musto, series indicator for telegrams from the Mutual Security Agency to its overseas missions
  • Mytel, my telegram
  • NAC, National Advisory Council, North Atlantic Council
  • NAT(O), North Atlantic Treaty (Organization)
  • NATO AR, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Annual Review
  • NAOR, North Atlantic Ocean Region
  • NCO, noncommissioned officer
  • NEA, Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs, Department of State
  • niact, night action, communication indicator requiring attention by the recipient at any hour of the day or night
  • NIE, National Intelligence Estimate
  • noforn, no foreign dissemination
  • Norep, series indicator for telegrams from Oslo and Paris dealing with negotiations between the United States and Norway for Strategic Air Command bases
  • NSC, National Security Council
  • NZ, New Zealand
  • OAS, Organization of American States
  • OCB, Operations Coordinating Board
  • ODM, Office of Defense Mobilization
  • OEEC, Organization for European Economic Cooperation
  • OSAF, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force
  • OSD, Office of the Secretary of Defense
  • OSP, offshore procurement
  • OSR, Office of the Special Representative in Europe
  • P, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs
  • PAF C/S, Portuguese Air Force Chief of Staff
  • PAO, Public Affairs Officer
  • PC, participating country
  • PCF, Partie Communiste Français (French Communist Party)
  • PCI, Partito Communista Italiano (Italian Communist Party)
  • PJBD, Permanent Joint Board on Defense—United States and Canada
  • PLI, Partito Liberale Italiano (Italian Liberal Party)
  • PM, Prime Minister
  • PMP, Partito Monarchico Populare (Popular Monarchist Party)
  • PNM, Partito Nazionale Monarchico (National Monarchist Party)
  • POC, Peace Observation Commission
  • POL, petroleum, oil and lubricants
  • Polto, series indicator for telegrams from the U.S. Special Representative in Europe, June 1953; thereafter, from the Office of the U.S. Permanent Representative on the North Atlantic Council
  • PRI, Partito Republicano Italiano (Italian Republican Party)
  • PriMin, Prime Minister
  • PSA, Office of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • PSB, Psychological Strategy Board
  • PSDI, Partito Socialista Democratico Italiano (Italian Democractic Socialist Party)
  • PSI, Partito Socialista Italiana (Italian Socialist Party)
  • PSLI, Partito Socialista dei Lavoratori Italiana (Italian Workers’ Socialist Party
  • PSU, Partito Socialista Unitario (United Socialist Party)
  • PTAD, Productivity and Technical Assistance Division, Office of the Assistant Director for Supply, Mutual Security Agency
  • QR, quota (quantitative) restriction
  • RA, Office of European Regional Affairs, Department of State
  • RAF, Royal Air Force
  • RAI, Radio Audizioni Italiani (Italian Radio Broadcasting System)
  • RCAF, Royal Canadian Air Force
  • Reftel, reference telegram
  • RENFE, Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles del Estado, Spanish Railroad Administration
  • Repno, series indicator for telegrams to Oslo and Paris dealing with negotiations between the United States and Norway for Strategic Air Command bases
  • Repto, series indicator for telegrams from the U.S. Special Representative in Europe to the Economic Cooperation Administration
  • resdel, resident delegation
  • RIF, reduction in force
  • ROK, Republic of Korea
  • RPF, Rassemblement du Peuple Français, French political party
  • RSA, rest of the sterling area
  • S/AE, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Atomic Energy Matters
  • S/ISA, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for International Security Affairs
  • S/MSA, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Mutual Security Affairs
  • S/P, Policy Planning Staff, Department of State
  • S/S, Executive Secretariat, Department of State
  • SA, sterling area
  • SAC, Strategic Air Command
  • SACEUR, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
  • SACLANT, Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic
  • SC, Security Council, United Nations
  • SCAP, Supreme Commander, Allied Powers
  • SCEM, Signing Ceremonies in Europe, May (1952)
  • SCS, Screening and Costing Staff, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • SE, Special Estimate
  • SEA, Southeast Asia
  • SEATO, Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
  • SecGen, Secretary-General
  • Secto, series indicator for telegrams to the Department of State from the Secretary of State (or his delegation) at international conferences
  • SG, Standing Group
  • SHAEF, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force
  • SHAPE, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers, Europe
  • SNCF, Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (National Association of French Railways)
  • SNECMA, Société Nationale d’Etude et Construction de Moteurs d’Aviation (National Company for the Study and Construction of Aviation Engines)
  • SOF, status of forces
  • SPD, Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (German Social Democratic Party)
  • SRE, Special Representative in Europe
  • SUSRep, Senior United States Representative
  • TA, technical assistance; trade agreement
  • TCA, Technical Cooperation Administration
  • TCC, Temporary Council Committee
  • TCT, Truman–Churchill talks
  • Tedul, series indicator for telegrams to Secretary of State Dulles while away from Washington
  • Telac, series indicator for telegrams to Secretary of State Acheson while away from Washington
  • Todep, series indicator for telegrams to the Office of the United States Deputy Representative on the North Atlantic Council, at London
  • Toeca, series indicator for telegrams to the Economic Cooperation Administration
  • Tomus, series indicator for telegrams to the Mutual Security Agency
  • Topol, series indicator for telegrams to the U.S. Deputy Representative to the North Atlantic Council
  • Torep, series indicator for telegrams to the U.S. Special Representative in Europe, at Paris, from the Economic Cooperation Administration
  • Tosec, series indicator for telegrams from the Department of State to the Secretary of State (or his delegation) at international conferences
  • Tousfo, series indicator for telegrams and airgrams to the Foreign Operations Administration
  • UDSR, Union Démocratique et Socialiste de la Résistance, French political party
  • UIL, Unione Italiana del Lavoro (Italian Union of Labor)
  • UKPT, United Kingdom political talks
  • UN, United Nations
  • UNISCAN, United Kingdom–Ireland–Scandinavia
  • UNO, United Nations Organization
  • UP, Unità Populare, Italian political party
  • URAS, Union des Républicains et d’Action Sociale, French political party
  • urtel, your telegram
  • USA, United States Army
  • USAF(E), United States Air Force (Europe)
  • USAREUR, United States Army, Europe
  • USCINCEUR, United States Commander in Chief, Europe
  • USDA, United States Department of Agriculture
  • USDel, United States Delegation
  • Usfoto, series indicator for telegrams and airgrams from the Foreign Operations Administration
  • USI, Unione Socialista Italiana (Union of Italian Socialists)
  • USIA, United States Information Agency
  • USIE, United States Information and Educational Exchange Program
  • USIS, United States Information Service
  • USN, United States Navy
  • Usneg, series indicator for telegrams and despatches dealing with the United States-Spanish base negotiations
  • USOM, United States Operations Mission
  • USRO, United States Mission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Regional Organizations
  • VOA, Voice of America
  • VOR, omni-range navigation
  • WE, Western Europe; Office of Western European Affairs, Department of State
  • Weeka, series indicator for weekly, interagency summary analysis telegrams from United States diplomatic missions
  • WET, Washington economic talks
  • WEU, Western European Union