Access to declassified U.S. government files inspires academic research
Digitizing the work of the National Security Archive provides insights into previously classified U.S. government files
For academic libraries and institutions dedicated to scholarship, primary sources are indispensable. Yet, some of the most impactful historical documents remain locked behind the thick doors of government secrecy. The National Security Archive, a nonprofit research institute at George Washington University, has spent decades prying these doors open, converting declassified secrets into valuable research resources accessible through Digital National Security Archive, from ProQuest, part of Clarivate.
In a recent webinar for academic librarians, National Security Archive Director Tom Blanton shared one of the greatest compliments his organization has ever received. Shortly before his death in 2023, Daniel Ellsberg, the Pentagon Papers whistleblower, told The New York Times that the National Security Archive represented "the best people on declassification outside the media," noting how they "month after month, year after year, put out newly disclosed classified information that they have worked sometimes three or four years, 10 years, 20 years to make public."
Established in 1985 by journalists and scholars concerned with increasing government secrecy, the independent National Security Archive performs multiple significant functions. It serves as an investigative journalism center, a research institute focused on international affairs, a leading non-profit user of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, a public interest law firm that defends and promotes public access to government information, a global proponent of open government and a library and archive of declassified U.S. documents. The National Security Archive partners with ProQuest to make their archive of declassified documents accessible online via libraries.
High-Level Conversations and Internal Disputes
The National Security Archive’s pursuit of open government has produced groundbreaking disclosures. Internal memos from President Jimmy Carter’s administration reveal stark disagreements between Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. When Brzezinski suggested Carter's foreign policy should be more manipulative, Carter wrote in the margins, "Lying?" and later commented on another suggestion, "You'll be wasting your time." These handwritten annotations offer rare insight into a president's personal ethics and decision-making process.
The documents also capture moments of unexpected candor. During arms negotiations with Turkey, Henry Kissinger quipped: "Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at meetings, 'The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer.'" He then added, "But since the Freedom of Information Act, I'm afraid to say things like that." This dark humor reveals how even in the 1970s, top officials were already conscious that their words might one day become public through FOIA requests.
Debunking Myths and Highlighting Miscalculations
These archives also debunk popular myths. National Security Archive's release of material confirming that Area 51 was initially classified to conceal spy-plane prototypes caused such a surge of public interest, the Archive’s servers at GWU temporarily crashed.
On matters of global consequence, National Security Archive documents illuminate critical misjudgments in foreign policy. War plans presented to President George W. Bush before the Iraq invasion confidently projected a swift reduction in troop numbers —from 270,000 at the start to just 5,000 within a few years. Declassified documents reveal how military planners assured the president that U.S. forces would be "greeted with flowers" and the occupation would be brief. Blanton explained that these documents help "understand how the higher-ups actually made those decisions that turned out so disastrously."
Nuclear Proliferation and Climate Policy Insights
One of the most compelling National Security Archive revelations is the "Nth Country Experiment," a 1960s Atomic Energy Commission project testing nuclear proliferation barriers. Alarmingly, graduate students designed a viable atomic bomb using publicly available information in just three years, reshaping U.S. nonproliferation strategies. According to Blanton, these documents revealed that "designing the bomb wasn't the problem. You couldn't control the knowledge. You couldn't control the physics. You had to control the fissile material."
Climate policy also benefits from National Security Archive disclosures. A memo from Secretary of State George Shultz to President Reagan argued against weakening the U.S. position on banning ozone-depleting substances, stating it was essential for U.S. leadership and global health.
Unique Educational Resources
A particularly unexpected National Security Archive gem is the CIA guide titled “Alcohol: A Practical Look at Social and Business Drinking.” This document was written as a sort of training manual for agents navigating embassy parties and high-stakes diplomacy. Blanton remarked that his favorite part in the 21-page document advised agents to test the alcohol content of punch by “pouring some on the bathroom sink and striking a match to it.”
Beneath the humor, Blanton noted the serious context: the CIA itself had drugged unsuspecting people during MKUltra experiments and feared foreign intelligence agencies might do the same to U.S. operatives. The document serves as both a curious historical artifact and a reflection of a darker chapter in U.S. intelligence history.
Empowering Historical Transparency Through the Digital National Security Archive
The National Security Archive's work provides essential primary source material across multiple academic disciplines. The Digital National Security Archive (DNSA) makes these declassified documents accessible for curriculum in history, political science, international relations, journalism and public policy. Students can analyze actual government decision-making and trace diplomatic negotiations through authentic documentation rather than secondary interpretations.
The collection grows with two new modules annually. U.S. Nuclear Nonproliferation 2, Part II: The Nixon-Ford Years, 1969-1977 was added in June 2025, while CIA Covert Operations: The Truman Years, 1946-1953 arrives at year's end.
For institutions committed to authentic primary sources, DNSA represents both a valuable research tool and an investment in government transparency. As Blanton notes, subscribing supports "not just systematic freedom of information requests to open these records for all of us, but also long-term work to preserve the record, make sure the evidence is there, hold our government accountable, and educate us all."
The Digital National Security Archive is available as a stand-alone subscription or as part of the new ProQuest One Global Studies & International Relations in ProQuest Digital Collections.
