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The Myth of the Wilsonian Moment

Newly digitized sources at France's colonial archive and national library call into question the long running claim that Vietnamese communist leader Hồ Chí Minh experienced a "Wilsonian moment" during the Versailles Peace Conference.
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Hồ Chí Minh at the French Communist Party Congress, Marseille, 1921. Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Cold War

“An Explosion Occurred in Power Unit No. 4”: The Story of Chernobyl in Documents

The first photograph of Unit Four after the accident, shot from a helicopter by Chernobyl plant photographer Anatoly Rasskazov, at approximately 3.00pm on April 26 1986 (Anatoly Rasskazov/Ukrainian National Chernobyl Museum)

From Prewar to Postwar: How Ordinary Germans Experienced the 20th Century

wikipedia commons

Call for Papers - NATO: Past and Present

How the Carter Administration Pursued Non-Proliferation Policies: A View from Apartheid South Africa

A signing ceremony for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act, March 1978. Source: National Archives and Records Administration, Identifier 178317.
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The History and Public Policy Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center focuses on the relationship between history and policy making and seeks to foster open, informed and non-partisan dialogue on historically relevant issues. The Program is a hub for a wide network of scholars, journalists, policy makers, archivists, and teachers focused on the uses and lessons of history in decision making. Through informed dialogue, the Program seeks to explore the advantages as well as the dangers of using historical lessons in making current policy decisions. // Read more

Digital Archive

Washington History Seminar

More History at the Wilson Center
The Cold War International History Project
Visit CWIHP
The North Korea International Documentation Project
Visit NKIDP
The Nuclear Proliferation International History Project
Visit NPIHP

HAPP Publications

  • HAPP Occasional Papers

    Short papers on emerging issues in History and Public Policy.

  • Critical Oral History Conferences

    Conference Reports from HAPP's Critical Oral History Conferences.

  • CWIHP Bulletin

    The Cold War International History Project's flagship publication.

  • CWIHP Working Papers

    The CWIHP Working Paper Series is designed to provide a speedy outlet for historians who have gained access to newly-available archives and sources and would like to share their results.

  • CWIHP e-Dossiers

    CWIHP “e-Dossiers” present new and important accessions to the CWIHP Digital Archive.

  • NPIHP Working Papers

    The NPIHP Working Paper Series is designed to provide a speedy publications outlet for historians who have gained access to newly-available archives and sources and would like to share their results.

  • NPIHP Research Updates

    NPIHP Research Updates cast an analytical spotlight upon new accessions to the Digital Archive.

  • NPIHP Issue Briefs

    NPIHP Issue Briefs offer useful insights and perspectives on contemporary nuclear policy issues from international nuclear historians.

  • NKIDP Working Papers

    The NKIDP Working Paper Series is designed to provide a speedy outlet for historians who have gained access to newly-available archives and sources and would like to share their results.

  • NKIDP e-Dossiers

    The NKIDP e-Dossier Series is designed to highlight new and important additions to the Digital Archive by pairing key documents with insightful analysis by renowned historians from NKIDP's global network of scholars.

Experts & Staff

Christian F. Ostermann
Director, History and Public Policy Program; Cold War International History Project; North Korea Documentation Project; Nuclear Proliferation International History Project
Charles Kraus
Senior Program Associate, History and Public Policy Program
Pieter Biersteker
Editorial Assistant
Kian Byrne
Program Assistant