Today's post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher and Dr. Sylvia Naylor, Archivists at the National Archives in College Park. Dr. Alfred Hentzen, on the staff of the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin, was mobilized into the German Army in mid-1942. While serving on the Intelligence Staff of a Panzer Division in North Africa, he … Continue reading The Kümmel Report
The White Wizard Approaches (To Defraud You)
Today's post was written by Jessica Lee. She's a summer intern in the Archives 1 Reference Section, working with the Civil records team. One of the projects I have been assigned this summer is to help create a finding aid for the approximately 10,000 fraud cases housed at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC … Continue reading The White Wizard Approaches (To Defraud You)
The End of the Beginning: The United States Breaks Relations with Cuba, 1961
By David Langbart The recent announcement that the United States and Cuba will establish embassies in each other’s capitals signifies the beginning of a second era of formal relations between the two countries. The first era lasted from 1902, when the U.S. sent its first diplomatic representative to independent Cuba, until January 1961, when the … Continue reading The End of the Beginning: The United States Breaks Relations with Cuba, 1961
The Best Prophet of the Future is the Past, Part II: Cockpit Doors
This post was written by Chris Naylor, Director of the Textual Records Division. The devastating Germanwings plane crash on March 24, 2015 has reinvigorated the dialogue surrounding airplane cockpit doors, an issue of paramount concern both in 1970 as well as in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. I recently wrote a blog post about … Continue reading The Best Prophet of the Future is the Past, Part II: Cockpit Doors
Waterloo!
By David Langbart June 18, 2015. The bicentennial of the battle of Waterloo, one of the most important events in early nineteenth century European history. At that battle, an Anglo-Allied army commanded by the Duke of Wellington combined with a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard Blucher and defeated the French army commanded by … Continue reading Waterloo!
Led Astray by Published Documents
By David Langbart Scholars and others use the series Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS), the official documentary publication of American foreign policy, and other printed primary sources, as sources of easily-accessible documentation. Strict reliance upon published documents, however, can lead one astray if the point you are trying to draw is not the … Continue reading Led Astray by Published Documents
Airplanes Over France, June 6, 1944
By David Langbart Airplanes filled the sky over Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. D-Day. Some planes dropped bombs; some planes towed gliders; some planes dropped paratroopers; some planes dropped . . . paper. Paper in the form of propaganda leaflets. The propaganda was aimed both at the French and at the Germans. Two days … Continue reading Airplanes Over France, June 6, 1944
The Making of a FRUS Volume
By David Langbart The Historical Office at the Department of State recently published a history of the documentary publication now referred to as Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS). The book, entitled Toward "Thorough, Accurate, and Reliable:" A History of the Foreign Relations of the United States Series, also is available online. The history describes … Continue reading The Making of a FRUS Volume
From Scouting for Custer to Farming the Plains; The Life and Times of Hairy Moccasin as Seen in the Crow Indian Agency Records
Today's post was written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver. On February 28th, 1876, four Crow Indians enlisted in the U.S. Army as Indian Scouts at Fort Ellis Montana. Those four men: Curly, Goes Ahead, White Man Runs Him, and Hairy Moccasin, were under the command of Colonel Gibbons when on … Continue reading From Scouting for Custer to Farming the Plains; The Life and Times of Hairy Moccasin as Seen in the Crow Indian Agency Records
Golf Diplomacy, 1957
By David Langbart In April of this year, Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, made a state visit to the United States. In June 1957, Abe’s grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, then Japan’s prime minister, made a similar visit to the United States. That visit came to symbolize a renewal of the strength of the U.S.-Japan friendship after … Continue reading Golf Diplomacy, 1957