Created in collaboration with the National Security Archive, this database is the most comprehensive collection available of significant primary documents central to U.S.foreign and military policy since 1945.

This database contains the most important, declassified documents -- totaling more than 650,000 pages -- that have been gathered through extensive use of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): many are published now for the first time.

The Archive is made up of 39 individual collections, each based on a single topic. Theme-based collection sets are also available.

Each collection contains a diverse range of policy documents including presidential directives, memos, diplomatic dispatches, meeting notes, independent reports, briefing papers, White House communications, email, confidential letters, and other secret material. Additionally, reference supplements including introductory material, a chronology, a glossary, an essay, and a bibliography provide context and background for each collection. Documents have been selected by leading scholars in each of the topic areas. Each item has been abstracted and indexed over 20 different fields to enable powerful searching. Full images of each document can be viewed in GIF or PDF format.

In its totality, the DNSA offers the most effective research and teaching tool available in the area of U.S.foreign policy, intelligence, and security issues during this pivotal period of 20th century history, and into the 21st century.

Published with the cooperation of the National Security Archive.

DNSA Individual Collections:

1. Afghanistan: The Making of U.S. Policy, 1973–1990
2. The Berlin Crisis, 1958–1962
3. China and the United States: From Hostility to Engagement, 1960–1998
4. The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
5. El Salvador: The Making of U.S. Policy, 1977–1984
6. El Salvador: War, Peace, and Human Rights, 1980–1994
7. Iran: The Making of U.S. Policy, 1977–1980
8. The Iran-Contra Affair: The Making of a Scandal
9. Iraqgate: Saddam Hussein, U.S. Policy and the Prelude to the Persian Gulf War, 1980–1994
10. Japan and the United States: Diplomatic, Security, and Economic Relations, 1960–1976
11. Nicaragua: The Making of U.S. Policy, 1978–1990
12. The Philippines: U.S. Policy during the Marcos Years, 1965–1986
13. Presidential Directives on National Security, Part 1: From Truman to Clinton
14. South Africa: The Making of U.S. Policy, 1962–1989
15. The Soviet Estimate: U.S. Analysis of the Soviet Union, 1947–1991
16. U.S. Espionage and Intelligence, 1947–1996
17. The U.S. Intelligence Community, 1947–1989
18. U.S. Military Uses of Space, 1945–1991
19. U.S. Nuclear History: Nuclear Arms and Politics in the Missile Age, 1955–1968
20. U.S. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Policy, 1945–1991
21. Terrorism and U.S. Policy, 1968–2002
22. Presidential Directives on National Security, Part II: From Truman to George W. Bush
23. U.S. Policy in the Vietnam War, Part I: 1954-1968
24. Death Squads, Guerrilla War, Covert Operations, and Genocide: Guatemala and the United States, 1954-1999
25. U.S. Policy in the Vietnam War, Part II: 1969-1975
26. Japan and the United States: Diplomatic, Security, and Economic Relations, 1977–1992
27. The Kissinger Transcripts: A Verbatim Record of U.S. Diplomacy, 1969–1977
28. Cuba Missile Crisis Revisited: An International Collection of Documents, From the Bay of Pigs to the Brink of Nuclear War
29. U. S. Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction: From World War II to Iraq
30. Kissinger Telephone Conversations: A Verbatim Record of U.S. Diplomacy, 1969-1977
31. Peru: Human Rights, Drugs, and Diplomacy: 1980-2000
32. US Intelligence Community after 9/11
33. National Security Archive: Operations and Organization
34. United States and The Two Koreas from Nixon to Clinton, 1969-2000
35. Colombia and the United States: Political Violence, Narcotics, and Human Rights, 1948-2010
36. US Intelligence and China: Collection, Analysis, and Covert Action
37. Chile and the United States: U.S. Policy toward Democracy, Dictatorship, and Human Rights, 1970-1990
38. Japan and the United States: Diplomatic, Security, and Economic Relations, Part III, 1961-2000
39. Argentina, 1975-1980: The Making of U.S. Human Rights Policy New!

DNSA Themed Collection Sets:

1. Asia collection
2. Cold War collection
3. Human Rights collection
4. Intelligence collection
5. Latin America collection
6. Middle East collection

About the National Security Archive:

Founded in 1985, the National Security Archive has developed a reputation as the most prolific and successful user of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Through its FOIA expertise, the Archive has built what the Christian Science Monitor called "the largest collection of contemporary declassified national security information outside the United States Government."