Office of the Historian

Sources

Sources for Foreign Relations, 1981–1988, Volume VI, Soviet Union, October 1986–January 1989

The White House Staff and Office Files at the Reagan Library illuminate high-level decision-making involving the Soviet Union during the period October 1986–January 1989. Therein are files of the Executive Secretariat, which include key collections such as the USSR Country File, the Head of State File, National Security Decision Directives (NSDDs), National Security Council (NSC) Meeting Files, and the National Security Planning Group (NSPG) files. In some instances, the original version of NSDDs and minutes of NSC and NSPG meetings and their preparatory material remain at the National Security Council in Washington. Key collections of individuals include the files of National Security Advisors John Poindexter, Frank Carlucci, and Colin Powell, as well as those of Senior Director for European and Soviet Affairs Jack Matlock, those of his successor, Fritz Ermarth, and the files of Senior Director for Defense Programs and Arms Control Robert Linhard. Also at the Reagan Library is a set of the George Shultz papers housed at the Hoover Institution in Palo Alto.

The Central Foreign Policy File of the Department of State includes the cable traffic between Washington and the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. The key lot file is Lot 93D188, Executive Secretariat, S/S Records, Memoranda of Conversations Pertaining to United States and USSR Relations, 1981–1990. The National Archives and Records Administration facility in College Park, Maryland, will eventually include these collections as part of Record Group 59 (RG 59); at printing, they are in various stages of accession.

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 those Internet resources on its website and encourages readers to consult that site on a regular basis.

Unpublished Sources

  • Department of State
    • Central Foreign Policy File
    • Lot Files
      • Lot 89D56; C. Max Kampelman Files
      • Lot 89D149; Executive Secretariat, S/S Records, Memoranda/Correspondence From the Director of Policy Planning to the Secretary and other Principals, January 1981–January 1989
      • Lot 90D397; Ambassador Nitze’s Personal Files 1953, 1972–1989
      • Lot 92D252; 1 January 1984–21 January 1988 Executive Secretariat Sensitive (ES) and Super Sensitive Documents
      • Lot 92D630; Not for the System Documents, 1979–1989; Evening Reading, 1980–1989
      • Lot 93D188; Memoranda of Conversations Pertaining to United States and USSR Relations, 1981–1990
  • Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, California
    • National Security Council Intelligence Files
    • White House Staff and Office Files
    • Executive Secretariat, National Security Council
      • Agency File
      • Cable File
      • Country File: USSR
      • Head of State File
      • Subject File
      • National Security Decision Directives
      • National Security Council Meeting File
      • National Security Planning Group
      • Weekly Reports
      • Office of the Assistant to the President
        • Frank Carlucci Files
        • Ty Cobb Files
        • Fritz Ermarth Files
        • European and Soviet Affairs Directorate, NSC 1983–89
        • Alton Keel Files
        • Nelson Ledsky Files
        • Robert Linhard Files
        • Jack Matlock Files
        • John Poindexter Files
        • Colin Powell Files
        • President’s Daily Diary
      • Personal Papers
        • Charles Hill Papers
        • George Shultz Papers
  • Central Intelligence Agency
    • Office of the Director of Central Intelligence
      • Job 89B00224R, Committees, Task Forces, Boards, Councils Files (1981–1987, mostly 1987)
  • Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
    • Manuscript Division
      • Papers of Caspar W. Weinberger
  • National Security Council
    • National Security Council meetings
    • National Security Planning Group meetings
    • Special Situation Group meetings
    • Crisis Pre-Planning Group meetings
    • National Security Decision Directives
  • Washington National Records Center, Suitland, Maryland
    • OSD Files: FRC 330-90-0033, Official Records of the Secretary of Defense, 1981–1987

Selected Published Sources

  • Brinkley, Douglas, ed., The Reagan Diaries Unabridged. New York: Harper Collins, 2009.
  • Current Digest of the Soviet Press
  • Shultz, George. Turmoil and Triumph: My Years as Secretary of State. New York: Scribner’s, 1993.
  • United States. Department of State. Bulletin, 1985–1988.
  • ______. National Archives and Records Administration. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Ronald Reagan, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1985–1988.