Archives Library Information Center (ALIC)

The Cold War and the Marshall Plan

NARA Resources

The 1961 Berlin Crisis: Some New Insights: Prologue article by Neil Carmichael and Brewer Thompson.
Aerial Intelligence during the Cold War: "These documents focus on aerial intelligence operations during the Eisenhower Administration. The documents date from November 1954 to September 1960 and provide an overview of the nature of the cold war atmosphere which existed during Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidential years." From the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library.
America and the Cold War: An online exhibit from the Gerald R. Ford Library.
Cold War Bibliography: The bibliography on Holocaust-Era Assets includes a section on the Cold War.
The Cold War Era: Records and Research at NARA: Holdings information, bibliographies and conference papers, educational materials, and exhibits regarding records in the National Archives.
The Cold War in Berlin: The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library describes President Kennedy's historic visit to Berlin two years after the construction of the Berlin Wall.
A Finding Aid to National Archives Records Relating to the Cold War: Reference Information Paper 107 by Tim Wehrkamp.
Ideological Foundations of the Cold War: A collection of documents from the Harry S. Truman Library that "highlight the ideals that formed the basis of American policy toward the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1952."
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: Documents from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library that detail one of the first decisions facing the recently inaugurated President Eisenhower: whether to grant executive clemency to convicted spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.
The Marshall Plan: NARA's online exhibit hall features "The Economic Cooperation Act of 1948" and offers links to more information on the Marshall Plan.
Nixon's Trip to China: Transcripts and audio of President Richard Nixon's White House tapes regarding his historic trip to China in 1972.
Origins of the Cold War: The Harry S. Truman Library presents this online exhibit that contains digitized documents from the Truman Administration.
Prelude to McCarthyism: The Making of a Blacklist: Robert Justin Goldstein's Prologue article.
Publicizing the Marshall Plan: Records of the U.S. Special Representative in Europe, 1948-1950: This article by NARA archivist Kenneth Heger appeared in The Record.
Truman & The Marshall Plan: Teaching tool from the Harry S. Truman Library including documents, photographs, oral histories and lesson plans.
The U-2 Spy Plane Incident: Documents from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library concerning one of the most significant events of the Cold War.

Other Resources

The Berlin Crisis, 1958Â–1961: The State Department describes the Berlin Crisis as a milestone event.
"Berlin Wall" Speech - President Reagan's Address at the Brandenburg Gate: "President Reagan's remarks on East-West relations at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, Germany on June 12, 1987." Provided by the Reagan Foundation.
Chronicle of the Berlin Wall: Comprehensive timeline of events concerning the Berlin Wall, including its construction, its fall, and a list of "Victims at the wall."
CIA's Analysis of the Soviet Union, 1947-1991: This e-book is a digital version of the very valuable Cold War research resource. It is provided by the Center for the Study of Intelligence at the CIA.
Cold War: An educational tool created by the National Archives of the United Kingdom.
The Cold War: The Avalon Project's documents related to the Cold War.
The Cold War and Red Scare in Washington State: This curriculum project was developed by the University of Washington Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest, and gives a general overview of the politics of the era.
Cold War Bibliography: This bibliography is maintained by the Cold War Science and Technology Studies Program at Carnegie Mellon University. Also of interest is the Filmography page.
Cold War International History Project (CWIHP): Project established by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars encourages "full and prompt release of historical materials by governments on all sides of the Cold War."
Famous Trials: The Rosenbergs: This site, created by law professor Douglas Linder at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, details the lives and trials of the people involved in the controversial espionage case.
For European Recovery: The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Marshall Plan: Library of Congress online exhibit.
George C. Marshall: Soldier of Peace: George C. Marshall's story told through portraits and text.
Harvard Project on Cold War Studies: "The Harvard Project on Cold War Studies promotes archival research in former East-bloc countries and seeks to expand and enrich what is known about Cold War events and themes." The site features an Online Document Archive and an exhibit on nuclear weapons.
The Marshall Plan Speech: Transcript of George C. Marshall's speech to the Harvard University Alumni Association on June 5, 1947. The speech led to legislation that became known as the Marshall Plan, which provided aid to a Europe devastated by World War II.
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site: Protecting a Legacy of the Cold War: The National Park Service developed this lesson plan about the Minuteman, the first solid-fuel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile deployed by the United States, and its role in the Cold War.
Pattern of U.S. Cold War Interventions: A video lecture from the Khan Academy.
The Presidency and the Cold War: A multimedia exhibit from the National Portrait Gallery.
President Nixon and Detente: "After decades of fighting the Cold War, President Nixon successfully ushered the United States into a period of dÃ©tente, an easing of tensions between the United States and the U.S.S.R."
Report on the Berlin Crisis: This site provides a transcript of President John F. Kennedy's speech of July 25, 1961 and a video of President Kennedy delivering the speech.
Return to Diversity: A Political History of East Central Europe Since World War II: The full text of the book by Joseph Rothschild and Nancy Wingfield (Oxford University Press; Oxford, 2000), available from the University of Pennsylvania's Digital Library Project.
The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall: A series of photographs from Time Magazine depicting the history of the Berlin Wall, from construction to fall.
A short history of NATO: This site recounts the history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which was founded in 1949 for the purposes of "deterring Soviet expansionism, forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe through a strong North American presence on the continent, and encouraging European political integration."
The Sinews of Peace: Transcript and audio of Winston Churchill's speech that warned that "an iron curtain has descended across the Continent."
Thaw in the Cold War: Eisenhower and Khrushchev at Gettysburg: National Park Service's lesson plan about the the private meeting President Dwight Eisenhower had with Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The meeting was held in 1959 at Eisenhower's farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Un-Tangling the Web of Cold War Studies; or, How One Historian Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Internet: Robert Griffith, history professor at American University, describes his experience integrating the Internet into his scholarly work. Includes suggestions on specific websites of value to historians.
Voices of U.S. Democracy and the Berlin Wall: The State Department's U.S. Diplomacy Center created this online exhibit which depicts "the world of American diplomats and ... how they worked behind the scenes in Cold War Germany."

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