New Evidence on the Congo Crisis and Aftermath, 1960-1968
CWIHP, in cooperation with the Office of the Historian, US Department of State, will host a symposium on FRUS Volume XXIII, Congo, 1960–1968. The newest volume in the Foreign Relations of the United States series examines US foreign policy toward Congo-Léopoldville during the administrations of Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson.
Overview
The workshop, The Congo Crisis and its Aftermath, 1964-1968, will bring together scholars and declassification experts to review the state of the Foreign Relations of the United States series, edited by the Department of State, in particular the newly published Volume XXIII, Congo. The volume consists of two sections. The first part of the volume, covering 1960 to 1963, documents the chaotic nature of the Congo crisis and the pervasive influence of U.S. Government covert actions in the newly independent nation. They also provide the analysis that is at the core of policy formulation with regard to covert action. The second part of the volume, covering 1964 to 1968, documents the continuation of the U.S. covert political action programs and their role in providing paramilitary and air support to the Congolese Government in an effort to quell provincial rebellions. The documentation illustrates a gradual shift in policy to engage other nations in the stabilization of Congo-Léopoldville, including the joint U.S.-Belgian rescue of European and U.S. hostages during Operation Dragon Rouge and the efforts of the Department of State to convince other nations, including Belgium and members of the Organization of African Unity, to support the Congo-Léopoldville Government and condemn outside interference. Workshop participants include State Department Historian Stephen Randolph, historians Wm. Roger Louis, Richard Immerman, Robert McMahon, Lisa Namikas, and former State Department officials Myra Burton and Roger Moran.
New Evidence on the Congo Crisis and Aftermath, 1960-1968
9:00am-9:15am: Welcome and Opening Remarks
Christian Ostermann (Wilson Center)
Stephen P. Randolph (The Historian, Office of the Historian)
9:15am-9:45am: Keynote Address
Roger Moran (Former State Department Official)
9:45am-10:30am: Roundtable - Challenges of Declassification and the Future of FRUS
Wm. Roger Louis (Wilson Center, University of Texas at Austin), chair
Richard Immerman (Temple University)
Ted Keefer (former general editor for the Foreign Relations series)
Stephen P. Randolph (The Historian, Office of the Historian)
10:30am-10:45am: Break
10:45am-12:30pm: Roundtable - New Evidence on the Congo Crisis
Robert McMahon (The Ohio State University), chair
Ambassador Edward Brynn (Former US Ambassador to Burkina Faso and Ghana)
Myra Burton (Office of the Historian)
Lise Namikas (Louisiana State University)
David Robarge (Chief Historian, Central Intelligence Agency)
Herbert F. Weiss (Emeritus Professor, City University of New York)
Stephen R. Weissman (author of American Foreign Policy in the Congo, 1960-1964)
Hosted By
Cold War International History Project
The Cold War International History Project supports the full and prompt release of historical materials by governments on all sides of the Cold War. Through an award winning Digital Archive, the Project allows scholars, journalists, students, and the interested public to reassess the Cold War and its many contemporary legacies. It is part of the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program. Read more
History and Public Policy Program
The History and Public Policy Program makes public the primary source record of 20th and 21st century international history from repositories around the world, facilitates scholarship based on those records, and uses these materials to provide context for classroom, public, and policy debates on global affairs. Read more
Africa Program
The Africa Program works to address the most critical issues facing Africa and US-Africa relations, build mutually beneficial US-Africa relations, and enhance knowledge and understanding about Africa in the United States. The Program achieves its mission through in-depth research and analyses, public discussion, working groups, and briefings that bring together policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts to analyze and offer practical options for tackling key challenges in Africa and in US-Africa relations. Read more
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