Vietnam and the Deterioration of Relations; February-December 1965


91. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 77 D 163. Secret; Exdis. Drafted and initialed by Thompson and approved in S/AL on February 9. Also initialed by Rusk. During the conversation Thompson informed Dobrynin that he had also been instructed to officially protest the demonstration against the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. (Memorandum of conversation, February 9; ibid., Central Files 1964–66, POL 23–8 USSR)


92. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 23–8 USSR. Limited Official Use; Immediate. Repeated to London, Paris, Saigon, and Hong Kong.


93. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Immediate; Exdis.


94. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Passed to White House.


95. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 23–8 USSR. Confidential. Drafted and initialed by Thompson and approved in S/AL on February 15.


96. Memorandum Prepared in the Policy Planning Council

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Vol. VIII. Secret. Drafted by John Huizenga. Attached to a February 15 memorandum from Walt Rostow to Bundy that stated it considered some of the basic factors that affected Soviet decision-making in the Vietnam crisis and might well be scanned in connection with telegram 2377 from Moscow (Document 94). Another copy, initialed by Rusk, was sent to him on February 17 with the same covering memorandum. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/P Files: Lot 72 D 139, USSR) Copies were also sent to Ball, Harriman, Tyler, and Thompson.


97. Memorandum From David Klein of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Head of State Correspondence, Pen Pal Correspondence, Kosygin. Top Secret; Sensitive.


98. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 23–8 USSR. Confidential; Immediate. Passed to the White House.


99. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 23–8 USSR. Limited Official Use; Immediate. Repeated to London, Paris, Saigon, and Hong Kong. Passed to the White House, DOD, and CIA.


100. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 23–8 USSR. Confidential; Immediate. Repeated to London, Paris, Saigon, and Hong Kong. Passed to the White House.


101. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 23–8 USSR. Confidential; Immediate. Passed to the White House.


102. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 23–8 USSR. Confidential. Drafted by Henry, cleared in draft by Davis and SES, and approved and initialed by Thompson.


103. Memorandum of Conversation Between Vice President Humphrey and the Soviet Ambassador (Dobrynin)

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/S Files: Lot 70 D 217, Vice Presidential Memcons. No classification marking. Prepared by Humphrey on March 15 as a memorandum to the President. For Dobrynin’s summary of the meeting, see In Confidence, p. 138.


104. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 17 USSR-US. Secret; Exdis. Drafted and initialed by Thompson and approved in S and S/AL on March 26. A summary of the conversation was transmitted to Moscow in telegram 2587, March 27. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Vol. VIII)


105. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Vol. VIII. Confidential. A handwritten note at the top of page 1 of the telegram reads, “Bundy: Kohler’s estimate of USUSSR relations and his recommendation.”


106. Special Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, USSR, Vol. VIII. Secret; No Foreign Dissem. Prepared in the Office of Current Intelligence. A report along similar lines, RSB-30, April 5, prepared by the Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the Department of State, is in the National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/P Files: Lot 72 D 139, USSR.


107. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL USUSSR. Secret; Immediate; Limdis. Repeated to New Delhi. No time of transmission appears on the telegram. Passed to the White House.


108. Airgram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Soviet Union

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, CON 4 USUSSR. Confidential. Drafted by Jenkins on April 27; cleared by Owen, H, L, and EUR; and approved by Thompson.


109. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 17 USUSSR. Confidential; Limdis.


110. Special National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, National Intelligence Estimates. Secret; Controlled Dissem. Submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by the United States Intelligence Board. Bundy forwarded the estimate to the President under cover of a June 7 memorandum in which he stated that it was “unusually interesting, and I think you will want to read at least the first page and perhaps the whole thing. The net of it is that the Soviets made a policy decision to mend their Communist fences even at the expense of good relations with us. This is a point which is worth making publicly, and I will be making it to newspapermen who listen, unless you object.” (Ibid.)


111. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, DEF 18 UN. Confidential. Repeated to Geneva.


112. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, FT USUSSR. Confidential. No time of transmission appears on the telegram.


113. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 17 USUSSR. Confidential. No time of transmission appears on the telegram.


114. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL USUSSR. Secret. Drafted and initialed by Thompson and approved in S/AL on June 16. The conversation was held in Rusk’s office.


115. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Conference Files: Lot 66 D 347, CF 86. Confidential; Limdis.


116. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President-McGeorge Bundy, Vol. 11. Secret. An “L” on the memorandum indicates that the President saw it. A handwritten notation at the top of page 1 reads, “Put on desk.”


117. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL 17 USSR-US. Secret. Drafted by Thompson, initialed by Rusk, and approved in S/AL on July 3. The meeting was held in the Secretary’s office.


118. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL USUSSR. Secret; Immediate. According to another copy this telegram was drafted by Harriman, initialed by Kohler, and transmitted at 7:55 p.m. (Department of State, Kohler Files: Lot 71 D 460, Telegrams) Bundy forwarded the text of the telegram to the President under cover of a July 15 memorandum that stated: “What is striking is the rather routine character of Kosygin’s comments: a standard list of disarmament objectives, a standard attack on the MLF, a standard speech in favor of national liberation movements, and a standard exchange on Vietnam. I fully concur with Harriman’s judgment that Kosygin was working from an agreed Soviet line.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. 12)


119. Telegram From the Embassy in the Soviet Union to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Kohler Files: Lot 71 D 460, Telegrams. Secret; Immediate;Exdis. Initialed by Harriman and Kohler.


120. Intelligence Note

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, POL USUSSR. Secret; Exdis. The note bears no drafting information, but it was sent as a memorandum from Hughes to Rusk.