Office of the Historian

Sources

Sources for Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, Volume XVII, Part 1

The files at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, in Atlanta, Georgia, are the single most important source of documentation for those interested in the Carter administration’s policy toward the Horn of Africa. In particular, the Institutional Files (also known as the H-files) provide the minutes and summaries of key meetings among the principals as they debated U.S. policy toward the Horn; and the documents in the Horn/Special files of NSC staffer Paul Henze trace the day to day dealings with the Horn. The Central Foreign Policy File at the National Archives and Records Administration contains the cables between the Department of State and posts in Addis Ababa, Mogadiscio, and Djibouti, which nicely contrast the exchanges between Vance and his ambassadors with those between Brzezinski and Henze. The editor also had access to the files of Carter Intelligence Files at the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Defense.

In addition to the paper files cited below, a growing number of documents are available on the Internet. The Office of the Historian maintains a list of these Internet resources on its website and encourages readers to consult that site on a regular basis.

Unpublished Sources

  • Department of State, Washington, D.C.
    • Central Foreign Policy File. These files have been transferred or will be transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland.
    • Lot Files. These files have been transferred or will be transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland.
      • Bureau of African Affairs Desk Files: Lot80D85
      • Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance Lot File: Lot 84D241
  • National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland
    • Record Group 59, General Records of the Department of State
      • Central Foreign Policy Files
      • Entry 9 (Policy Planning Staff, Office of the Director), Records of Anthony Lake, 1977–1981
      • Entry P–10, Subject Files of Edmund S. Muskie, 1963–1981
  • Jimmy Carter Library, Atlanta, Georgia
    • National Security Affairs
      • Brzezinski Material
        • Agency Files
        • Country Files
        • General Odom Files
        • President’s Correspondence With Foreign Leaders Files
        • Subject Files
        • Trip Files
        • VIP Visit Files
      • Staff Material
        • Horn/Special Files
        • Defense/Security Files
        • Office Files
    • Donated Historical Material
      • Brzezinski Donated Material
      • Mondale Donated Material
    • National Security Council
      • Institutional Files
    • Plains File
      • Subject File
    • President’s Files
      • Staff Secretary’s File
    • Vertical Files
      • USSR/US Conference 516–9194
  • Central Intelligence Agency
    • Center for the Study of Intelligence, History Staff Files
    • Job 81M00980R
  • Library of Congress, Manuscript Division
    • Papers of Harold Brown
  • National Security Council
    • Carter Intelligence Files
  • Washington National Records Center, Suitland, Maryland
    • RG 330, Records of the Department of Defense [Page XV]
      • OSD Files: FRC 330–80–0017
        • Secret Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1977
      • OSD Files: FRC 330–80–0016
        • Top Secret Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1977
      • OSD Files: FRC 330–81–0202
        • Secret Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1978
      • OSD Files: FRC 330–81–0212
        • Top Secret Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1978
      • OSD Files: FRC 330–82–0205
        • Secret Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1979 and 1980

Published Sources

  • Brzezinski, Zbigniew. Power and Principle: Memoirs of the National Security Adviser, 1977–1981. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1983.
  • Carter, Jimmy. Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President. Toronto: Bantam Books, 1982.
  • Congressional Quarterly. Congress and the Nation, 1977–1980. Vol. V. Washington: Congressional Quarterly, 1981.
  • National Archives and Records Administration. Public Papers of the Presidents: Jimmy Carter, 1977–1981. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1978–1982.
  • U.S. Department of State. Bulletin, 1977–1980. Washington, 1977–1980.
  • Vance, Cyrus. Hard Choices: Critical Years in America’s Foreign Policy. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1983.