1. Editorial Note

2. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL US–USSR. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Philip Valdes and approved in S on January 19.

3. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, CON 4 US–USSR. Secret.

4. Special National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, O/DDI Registry: Job 79–R01012A. Secret; Controlled Dissem. Submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by the United States Intelligence Board.

5. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, CON 4 US–USSR. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Kempton Jenkins (SOV), cleared by Bundy, Tyler, Thompson, Harriman (in draft), L, SOV, FAA, and USIA; and approved by Rusk.

6. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Dobrynin Conversations, Vol. I. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Attached to a memorandum of transmittal from Bundy to Rusk and Thompson.

7. Telegram From the Embassy in Belgium to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 1 US–USSR. Confidential; Limdis.

8. Notes of a Meeting

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Bundy Files, Box 18, Miscellaneous Meetings, Vol. 1. Confidential. The meeting was held in the Situation Room at the White House.

9. Editorial Note

10. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Tyler) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, CON 4 US–USSR. Confidential. Drafted by David Henry and Robert Owen (SOV) and Ralph Jones (SES) and initialed by Tyler. A notation on the memorandum indicates it was discussed with Rusk.

11. National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, O/DDI Registry: Job 79–R01012A. Secret. Submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by the United States Intelligence Board.

12. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 7 US–USSR. Confidential. Repeated to London, Paris, Geneva, and USUN.

13. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, National Security Action Memorandums, NSAM 285. Confidential.

14. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, FT US–USSR. Unclassified. Drafted by Krimer and Henry on March 9. The conversation was held in Kosygin’s office at the Kremlin. A summary of the conversation was transmitted in telegram 2814 from Moscow, March 6. (Ibid., INCO-WHEAT 17 USSR-US)

15. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Vol. II. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted and initialed by Kohler on April 7. The time of the meeting is from the President’s Daily Diary. (Ibid.)

16. Editorial Note

17. Intelligence Memorandum

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Vol. II. Secret; No Foreign Dissem. Prepared by the Directorate of Intelligence of the Central Intelligence Agency.

18. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Cables, Vol. II. Confidential.

19. Memorandum From the Ambassador at Large (Thompson) to the Deputy Director for Intelligence of the Central Intelligence Agency (Cline)

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/AL Files: Lot 67 D 2. Secret. Drafted by Thompson.

20. Summary Record of National Security Council Meeting No. 525

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Meetings File. Secret. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Johnson went to the Cabinet Room for the NSC meeting at 12:10 p.m., and the meeting adjourned at 12:35. (Ibid.)

21. Message From Chairman Khrushchev to President Johnson

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 77 D 163. Top Secret; Exdis. The source text is a translation done in the Division of Language Services of the Department of State. Dobrynin handed the Russian-language text to Thompson at an April 4 meeting. Thompson’s memorandum of their conversation at that time is ibid.

22. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Memos, Vol. III. Secret. The memorandum bears no drafting information but another copy has the clearances of Harriman, Thompson, DOD, SOV, and EUR, among others. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, AV 4 US–USSR)

23. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Vol. III. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted and initialed by Kohler on April 9. According to the President’s Daily Diary, McGeorge Bundy sat in for part of the discussion. (Ibid.)

24. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to the Ambassador at Large (Thompson)

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 77 D 163. Secret.

25. Editorial Note

26. Special Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Vol. III. Secret; No Foreign Dissem. Prepared by CIA’s Office of Current Intelligence.

27. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 77 D 163. Secret; Eyes Only; No Other Distribution. Drafted by Thompson and approved by Bundy on April 24. Dobrynin describes the meeting in his memoir, In Confidence, pp. 119–120, calling it “My First Meeting Alone with Johnson.” However, both the memorandum of conversation and the President’s Daily Diary indicate that Thompson and Bundy were present during the meeting. The time of the meeting is from the President’s Daily Diary. (Johnson Library) In an April 16 briefing memorandum for the President, Bundy proposed discussing the RB–66 incident, the cutback in production of nuclear materials, and Khrushchev’s 70th birthday, but not pressing Dobrynin “on other matters like Vietnam, Laos, or Cuba, on this occasion.” (Ibid., National Security File, Country File, USSR, Dobrynin Conversations, Vol. I)

28. Letter From President Johnson to Chairman Khrushchev

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 77 D 163. No classification marking. The President discussed the drafting of the letter in two brief telephone conversations with McGeorge Bundy on April 17, emphasizing that he wanted the letter to make clear that “the provocation did not justify the remedy.” Telling Khrushchev to quit “shooting down our planes,” Johnson stressed, was the “most important part of the letter.” (Recording of telephone conversations between the President and Bundy, April 17, 11:14 a.m. and 11:16 a.m.; Johnson Library, Recordings and Transcripts, Tape 64.24, Side A, PNOs 4 and 5)

29. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL US–USSR. Secret; Exdis.

30. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, BG 16–10 MOSCOW. Secret; Limdis.