Diplomacy

The Hoover Institution’s collections on diplomatic history rival those of many countries’ national archives, which is not surprising since the Hoover Institution was collecting such papers and records long before the US National Archives was even founded. From the papers of foreign ministers and secretaries of State (George Schulz) through embassies, legations and official and unofficial representatives (Hoover’s collections are particularly strong for Russia and Poland), the Hoover Institution’s holdings provide a unique opportunity for researchers to study the workings of diplomacy and international relations at all levels. Aside from official diplomatic relations, less studied but no less important, was citizen diplomacy: attempts by ordinary citizens to improve international relations through cultural exchange, humanitarian aid, and simple person-to-person contact.