Office of the Historian

List of abbreviations and symbols

Editor’s Note.—This list does not include standard abbreviations in common usage; unusual abbreviations of rare occurrence which are clarified at appropriate points; and those abbreviations and contractions which, although uncommon, are understandable from the context.

  • A-bomb, atomic bomb
  • ABC, America, Britain, and Canada
  • ACC, Allied Control Council for Germany
  • Actel, series indicator for telegrams from Sectetary of State Acheson while away from Washington
  • ADA, Americans for Democratic Action
  • AF of L, American Federation of Labor
  • agam, airgram
  • AGSec, Allied General Secretariat, Allied High Commission for Germany
  • AHC, Allied High Commission for Germany
  • AIOC, Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
  • AMC, Allied Military Government
  • AMP, Additional Military Production
  • AMPSB, Additional Military Production Supply Board
  • ANZAM, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaya
  • ARA, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, Department of State
  • B.J.S.M., British Joint Staff Mission
  • BNA, Office of British Commonwealth and Northern European Affairs, Department of State
  • BOT, Board of Trade (British)
  • C of E, Council of Europe
  • CC, Consultative Council of the Western Union
  • CCS, Combined Chiefs of Staff
  • CD, Christian Democratic Party
  • CDU, Christlich-Demokratische Union (Christian Democratic Union)
  • C.E.D.A., Confederación Española de Derechas Autonoma, a Catholic conservative coalition existing under the Spanish Republic
  • CFM, Council of Foreign Ministers
  • CFTC, Confédération Française des Travailleurs Chrétiens (French Confederation of Christian Workers)
  • CGT, Confédération Générale du Travail (General Confederation of Labor), in France
  • CINC (C in C), Commander in Chief
  • CINCEUR, Commander in Chief, Europe
  • CINCNELM, Commander in Chief, United States Naval Forces, Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
  • CINCPAC, Commander in Chief, Pacific
  • CIO, Congress of Industrial Organizations
  • cirtel, circular telegram
  • C.N.T., Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (National Confederation of Labor), in Spain
  • ConGenUSAFE, Commanding General, United States Air Force in Europe
  • COMISCO, Committee of the International Socialist Conference
  • Contel, Consulate telegram
  • COSSAC, Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (Designate), a planning headquarters formed in 1943
  • CP, Communist Party
  • CPF, Communist Party of France
  • CPG, Central People’s Government (People’s Republic of China)
  • DC, Defense Committee, NATO
  • DCM, Defense Committee Memorandum
  • DDR, Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic)
  • DefCom, Defense Committee, NATO
  • DefMins, Defense Ministers
  • Delau, series indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegation for Austria at the Council of Foreign Ministers
  • Depcirctel (Depcirtel, Deptcirctel), Department of State circular telegram
  • Depcirgram, Department of State circular airgram
  • Deptel, Department of State telegram
  • Depto, series indicator for telegrams from the United States Deputy Representative to the North Atlantic Council
  • DFEC, Defense Financial and Economic Committee, NATO
  • DM, Deutsche Mark
  • DOT, dependent overseas territory
  • DPB, Defense Production Board
  • ECA, Economic Cooperation Administration
  • ECA/W, headquarters of the Economic Cooperation Administration in Washington
  • ECAFE, Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East
  • Ecato, series indicator for telegrams from the Economic Cooperation Administration in Washington to its missions abroad
  • ECC, European Coordinating Committee
  • ECE, Economic Commission for Europe
  • EDECC, Executive Director, European Coordinating Committee
  • EDF, European Defense Force
  • Embtel, Embassy telegram
  • EPU, European Payments Union
  • ERP, European Recovery Program
  • EuCom, European Command, United States Army
  • EUR, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs; Bureau of European Affairs; Europe; European
  • FACC, Foreign Assistance Correlation Committee
  • FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization
  • FCN, Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation (treaty)
  • FE, Far East; Far Eastern
  • FECD, Finance and Economic Committee Document
  • FedRep, Federal Republic of Germany
  • FINEBEL, a hypothetical combination of France, Italy, and the Benelux countries in a regional economic union
  • FM, Foreign Minister
  • FMACC, (formerly FACC), Foreign Military Assistance Coordinating Committee
  • FMASC, (formerly FASC), Foreign Military Assistance Steering Committee
  • FM D, designation for papers prepared for or during the meetings of the Foreign Ministers
  • FO, Force Ouvrière, French labor group
  • fonaff, foreign affairs
  • FonMin, Foreign Minister
  • FonOff, Foreign Office
  • FrDel, French Delegation
  • FTT, Free Territory of Trieste
  • FY, fiscal year
  • FYI, for your information
  • G, Deputy Under Secretary of State
  • GA, General Assembly of the United Nations
  • GADel, United States Delegation at the United Nations General Assembly
  • GATT, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  • GDR, German Democratic Republic
  • GER, Bureau of German Affairs, Department of State
  • GOB, Government of Burma
  • GTI, Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs, Department of State; or Greece, Turkey, and Iran
  • H-bomb, hydrogen bomb
  • HICOG, United States High Commissioner for Germany
  • HICOM, High Commission(er) for Germany
  • HMG, His Majesty’s Government
  • HPPP, High Priority Production Program
  • IAF, Italian Air Force
  • IAR, International Authority for the Ruhr
  • IBRD, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  • IC, Indochina; or Interim Committee of the United Nations General Assembly
  • ICAO, International Civil Aviation Organization
  • ILO, International Labor Organization
  • IMF, International Monetary Fund
  • infotel, information telegram
  • intel, circular information telegram
  • IRO, International Refugee Organization
  • ISG(G), Intergovernmental Study Group on Germany
  • Itcols, former Italian colonies
  • ITO, International Trade Organization
  • ITP, Office of International Trade Policy, Department of State
  • ITU, International Telecommunication Union
  • IWG, International Working Group
  • JAMAG, Joint American Military Advisory Group
  • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • JCSRE, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Representatives, Europe
  • JUSMAG, Joint United States Military Advisory Group
  • LA, Latin America
  • Leg, Legation
  • LiDel, Libyan Delegation
  • LOC, line of communication
  • MA, Military Attaché
  • MAAG, Military Assistance Advisory Group
  • MAP, Military Assistance Program
  • MAPAG, Military Assistance Program Advisory Group
  • MC, Military Committee, NATO
  • MDA, Director of Mutual Defense Assistance
  • MDAP, Mutual Defense Assistance Program
  • MFN, most favored nation
  • MilCom, Military Committee, NATO
  • Min, Minister
  • MP, Member of Parliament
  • MPSB, Military Production and Supply Board, NATO
  • MRP, Mouvement Républicain Populaire, French political party
  • MSB, Military Supply Board, Western Union
  • MSC, Military Staff Committee of the United Nations Security Council
  • MTDP, Medium Term Defense Plan
  • MTP, Medium Term Plan
  • mytel, my telegram
  • NA, Naval Attaché
  • NA, North Atlantic
  • NAA, North Atlantic area
  • NAC, National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Problems
  • NAC, North Atlantic Council
  • NAP, North Atlantic Pact
  • NAPBOS, North Atlantic Planning Board for Ocean Shipping
  • NAT, North Atlantic Treaty
  • NAT–NE (NERPG), North Atlantic Treaty–Northern European Regional Planning Group
  • NAT–RPG, North Atlantic Treaty–Regional Planning Group
  • NAT–SEWM (SEWMRPG), North Atlantic Treaty–Southern Europe, Western Mediterranean Regional Planning Group
  • NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • NATSG, North Atlantic Treaty Standing Group
  • NE, Office of Near Eastern Affairs, Department of State; Near East; Near Eastern
  • NEA, Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs, Department of State; Northeast Asia
  • NECOS, Northern European Chiefs of Staff
  • niact, night action, communications indicator requiring attention by the recipient at any hour of the day or night
  • NME, National Military Establishment
  • NNG, Netherlands New Guinea
  • NSC, National Security Council
  • NYDels, Delegation to the Foreign Ministers Meeting at New York
  • OEEC, Organization for European Economic Cooperation
  • OSPB, Ocean Shipping Planning Board, NATO
  • OSR, Office of the Special Representative in Europe for the Economic Cooperation Administration
  • PC, participating country
  • PLANAT, Planning, North Atlantic Treaty
  • PLI, prohibited and limited industries
  • POL, petroleum, oil, and lubricants
  • PolAd, Political Adviser
  • POW, prisoner of war
  • PRA, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
  • PriMin, Prime Minister
  • PWS, Permanent Working Staff
  • QR, quantitative restriction(s)
  • RA, Office of European Regional Affairs, Department of State
  • RCT, Regimental Combat Team
  • reDepintel, regarding Department of State circular information telegram
  • reDeptel, regarding Department of State telegram
  • reEmbtel, regarding Embassy telegram
  • refdesp, reference despatch
  • reftel, reference telegram
  • Repsec, series indicator for telegrams from the Special Representative in Europe for the Economic Cooperation Administration to the Secretary of State
  • Repto, series indicator for messages from the Special Representative in Europe for the Economic Cooperation Administration to the Administration headquarters in Washington
  • reurtels, regarding your telegrams
  • RGR, Rassemblement des Gauches Républicaines, French political party
  • ROK, Republic of Korea
  • S/A, Ambassador at Large
  • S/P, Policy Planning Staff, Department of State
  • SC, Security Council of the United Nations
  • SCAP, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in Japan
  • SEA, Southeast Asia
  • Secrep, series indicator for telegrams to the Special Representative in Europe for the Economic Cooperation Administration from the Secretary of State
  • Secto, series indicator for telegrams from the Secretary of State when he is absent from the Department; or a series indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegation at the May and September Foreign Ministers and NATO Council meetings
  • SFM, September Foreign Ministers Meetings; or a designation for documents or minutes of those meetings
  • SG, Standing Group of the North Atlantic Council Military Committee with headquarters in Washington, composed of the permanent representatives of the Chiefs of Staff of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States
  • SHAEF, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force (1944–1945)
  • SHAPE, Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers, Europe
  • SOA, South Asia
  • SPD, Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (German Social Democratic Party)
  • SUSRep, Senior United States Representative, North Atlantic Treaty Military Production Supply Board
  • SYG, Secretary-General
  • TC, Trusteeship Council of the United Nations
  • Telac, series indicator for telegrams to Secretary of State Acheson while away from Washington
  • Todep, series indicator for telegrams to the United States Deputy Representative to the North Atlantic Council
  • Toeca, series indicator for telegrams to the Economic Cooperation Administration in Washington from its missions abroad
  • Tomap, designation for telegrams concerned with the Mutual Defense Assistance Program
  • Torep, series indicator for messages to the Special Representative in Europe for the Economic Cooperation Administration from the Administration headquarters in Washington
  • Tosec, series indicator for telegrams to the Secretary of State when he is absent from the Department; or a series indicator for telegrams to the United States Delegation to the May and September Foreign Ministers and NATO Council meetings
  • U.G.T., Unión General del Trabajadores, Spanish labor group
  • UKDel, United Kingdom Delegation
  • UNCI, United Nations Commission for Indonesia
  • UNCOK, United Nations Commission on Korea
  • UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
  • UNGA, United Nations General Assembly
  • UNISCAN, a limited financial union entered into in early 1950 by the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
  • UNP, Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs, Department of State
  • UNSC, United Nations Security Council
  • UNSCOB, United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans
  • urtel, your telegram
  • USDel, United States Delegation
  • USIE, United States Information and Educational Exchange Program
  • USReps, United States Representatives
  • USUN, United States Mission at the United Nations
  • V.N.A., Vietnam National Army
  • VOA, Voice of America
  • WE, Office of Western European Affairs, Department of State; Western European
  • WG, Working Group
  • WGPF, Working Group on Production and Finance
  • WHO, World Health Organization
  • WU, Western Union (Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, signatories of the Treaty of Brussels, March 17, 1948)
  • WUCC, Western Union Consultative Council
  • WUFEC, Western Union Finance and Economic Committee
  • WUMSB, Western Union Military Supply Board
  • WUO, Western Union Organization
  • WUPC, Western Union Permanent Commission
  • ZI, Zone of the Interior