Frequent Acronyms and Abbreviations used in Cold War History Research (Alphabetical Order)
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | X | Y | Z | Sources

A

A/A - anti-aircraft
A/AID
- Office of the Administrator, Agency for International Development
AAN - Archive of Modern Records, Warsaw (Polish)
AB - Air Base
ABC - American Broadcasting Company
ABF - Attacks by Fire

ABM - Anti-Ballistic Missile
ACA - Office of Asian Communist Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
ACC - Allied Control Commission
ACDA - Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, U.S.
ADB - Asian Development Bank
ADOA - Air Defense Operations Agreement
AEC - Atomic Energy Commission, U.S.
AF - Air Force, U.S.
AF - Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
AFB - Air Force Base, U.S.
AFEX - Air Force Europe Exchange
AFL-CIO - American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations
AFLD - Association of Fighters for Liberty and Democracy, Poland
AFP - French Press Agency (French)
AG - Attorney General
AGARD - Advisory Group for Air Research and Development
AID - Agency for International Development
AIPN - Archive of the Institute of National Rememberance, Warsaw (Polish)
AKEL - Progressive Party of the Working People of Cyprus (Greek)
AMAS - American Military Assistance Staff
AMB
- Ambassador
AMCITS - American Citizens
AMCONGEN - American Consul General
AMCONSUL - American Consul
Amembassy - American Embassy
AMR - Romanian Military Archives, Bucharest (Romanian)
AMSZ - Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Warsaw (Polish)
AMZV - Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prague (Czech)
AP - Associated Press
APC - Armored Personal Carrier
APC - Accelerated Pacification Campaign
APFCO - Athens-Pireus Electric Company (Greek)
APJ - Association of Polish Journalists
APL - Albanian Party of Labor
APO - Army Post Office
APRF - Archive of the Presidents of the Russian Federation, Moscow
ARA - Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, U.S. Department of State
ARVN - Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)
ASA - Association of Southeast Asia
ASAP - As soon as possible
ASEAN
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASPAC
- Asian and Pacific Council
ASS
- Army Security Service, Poland
ATAF - Allied Tactical Air Force
AUV KSČ - Archive of the CPCz CC, Prague (Czech)
ÁVH - State Security Authority, Hungary, since 1948 (Hungarian)
ÁVO - Department of State Security, Hungary, 1946-1948 (Hungarian)
AVPRF - Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Federation, Moscow (Russian)

B

B-52 - United States Air Force strategic bomber
Backchannel
- a method of communication outside normal bureaucratic procedure
BA-MA
- Federal Archives of Germany, Military Branch (German)
BCP - Bulgarian Communist Party
BDJ - (West German) Federation of German Youth (German)
BGL - Factory or Trade Union Leadership (German)
BIS - Bank for International Settlements
BMV - Czechoslovak Bureau of the City Committee (Czech)
BMZP - German Federal Archives - Temporary Military Archives, Potsdam (German)
BNA - Office of British Commonwealth and Northern European Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, U.S. Department of State
BOB - Bureau of Budget, U.S.
B/P
- balance of payments
BP
- Baghdad Pact
BPO
- Factory Party Cell (German)
BPR - Bulgarian People's Republic
BRD - Federal Republic of Germany/West Germany (German)

C

C-130 - United States Airforce transport plane
C
- Office of the Counselor of the Department of State
CA
- circular airgram
CAF
- Chinese Air Force
CA MSW
- Central Archive of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Warsaw (Polish)
CANDEL - Canadian Delegation
CAP - Combined Action Platoon
CAT - Civil Air Transport
CBS - Columbia Broadcasting System
CBMs - Confidence-Building Measures
CC - Central Committee
CCA - Chinese Communist Army
CCN - Chinese Communist Navy
CCP - Chinese Communist Party
CCTU - Central Council of Trade Unions
Cde. - Comrade
CDM - Committee of Ministers of Defense
CDU - Christian Democratic Union, FRG (German)
CEA - Council of Economic Advisers, U.S.
CECSPSE - Conference of European Countries for Safeguarding Peace and Security in Europe
CEMA - Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (see COMECON)
CENTO - Central Asian Treaty Organization, Baghdad Pact
CET - Central European Theater
CFEP - Council on Foreign Economic Policy
CFM - Committee of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Chicom(s) - Chinese Communists
CHINAT - Chinese Nationalists
CHIREP - Chinese representation at the UN
CHMAAG - Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group, ROC
CI - counterinsurgency
CIA - Central Intelligence Agency
CIA/ONE - Central Intelligence Agency, Office of National Estimates
CIAP - Inter-American Committee for the Alliance for Progress
CIB - Central Intelligence Bulletin, CIA
CIC - Clubs of Catholic Intelligentsia
CIC - United States Army Counterintelligence Corps
CIEP - Concil on International Economic Policy, U.S.
CIF - Chinese Irregular Forces
CINC - Commander in Chief
CINCLANT - Commander in Chief, Atlantic, U.S.
CINCMEAFSA - Commander in Chief, Middle East, South Asia, and Africa South of the Sahara; U.S.
CINCPAC - Commander in Chief, Pacific; U.S.
CINCPACAF - Commander in Chief, Pacific Air Force; U.S.
CINCPACFLT - Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet; U.S.
CINCPAC/POLAD - Commander in Chief, Pacific, Political Adviser; U.S.
CINCSTRIKE - Commander in Chief, Strike Command; U.S.
CINCUNK - Commander in Chief of United Nations Forces in Korea
CINCUSARPAC - Commander in Chief, U.S. Army Pacific
CIO - Congress of Industrial Organizations
CIP - Commodities import program, U.S.
CIP - Confederation for an Independent Poland
CKKP - Central Party Control Commission (Czech)
CL - Classified
ČLA - Czechoslovak People's Army (Czech)
CMC - Cyprus Mines Corporation
CMC - Commandant of the Marine Corps, U.S.
CMD - Committee of Ministers of Defense
CMEA - Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (also COMECON)
CMFA - Committee of Ministers of Foreign Affairs
CNO - Chief of Naval Operations, U.S.
CNU - Committee of National Union, Turkey
Cocom - Coordinating Committee on Export Controls, U.S.
Codel - Congressional delegation
Col. - Colonel
COMECON - see CMEA
Cominform - Communist Information Bureau
COMINT - Communications Intelligence
Comintern - Communist International
COMUSMACV - Commander in Chief, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam
CONG - Congress, Congressman
COSVN - Central Office for South Vietnam
CP - Citizen's Police
CPA - Czechoslovak People's Army
CPC - Committee of Party Control
CPC - Communist Party of China
CPCC - Central Party Control Commission
CPCz - Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
CPR - Chinese People's Republic, see PRC
CPT - Communist Party of Thailand
CPSU - Communist Party of the Soviet Union
CPUkr - Communist Party of the Ukraine
CRZZ - Central Council of Trade Unions (Polish)
CSA - Chief of Staff of the Army, U.S.
CSAF - Chief of Staff of the Army, U.S.
CSCE - Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
ČSM - Czechoslovak Youth Association (Czech)
CSPS - Center for Socio-Professional Studies
ČSR - Czechoslovak Republic (until July 11, 1960)
ČSR - Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (Czech)
ČSSR - Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (after July 11, 1960)
CST - Central Standard Time
CSU - Christian Social Union , FRG (German)
CT - Thai Communist Insurgents
CT-Country Team
CTO - Chief Technical Organization
CTZ - Corps Tactical Zone
CU - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State, U.S.
CUAC - Central Union of Agricultural Circles
CWS - Conference of Workers' Self-Government
CY - Calendar Year
CZKR - Central Union of Agricultural Circles (Polish)
CzPA - Czechoslovak People's Army
CzR - Czechoslovak Republic
CzSR - Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
CzZV - Czechoslovak Factory Party Workers' Committee (Czech)

C-in-C - Commander-in-Chief
C-of-S - Chief of Staff

D

D/INR - Director, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, U.S. Department of State
DA
- Department of the Army
DAD
- (West) German Intelligence Service (German)
DAO - Defense Attaché Office, U.S.
DATT - Defense Attaché, U.S.
DC - District Committee
DCI - Director of Central Intelligence (U.S.)
DCID - Director of Central Intelligence Directive, U.S.
DCM - Deputy Chief of Mission (U.S.)
DDC - Office of the Deputy Director for Coordination, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, U.S. Department of State
DDCI - Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, U.S.
DDO - Deputy Directorate for Operations, U.S.
DDP - Deputy Directorate for Plans
DDR - German Democratic Republic/East Germany (German)
DefMin - Minister of Defense
DefSec - Defense Secretary
Del. - Delegate, Delegation
Dept - Department of State, U.S.
Depcirtel - circular telegram from the Department of State
DepFonMin - Deputy Foreign Minister
Deptel - Departments of State telegram
DIA - Defense Intelligence Agency
DirGen
- Director General
DG - Director General
Dis - Dissemination

DISZ - Union of Working Youth (Hungarian)
DKP - (West) German Communist Party (German)
DL - Development Loan
DLF - Development Loan Fund
DMZ - Demilitarized zone
DOD - Department of Defense (U.S.)
DOS - Department of State, U.S.
DP - Democratic Party
DP - Democratic Party, Turkey
DPM - Deputy Prime Minister
DPRC - Defense Program Review Committee, U.S.
DPRG - Defense Program Review Group, U.S.
DPRK - Democratic People's Republic of Korea
DRV - Democratic Republic of Vietnam
(North Vietnam)
DTG - Date/Time/Group

E

E - Bureau of Economic Affairs, U.S. Department of State
EA
- Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
EA/ACA
- Office of Asian Communist Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
EA/ANZ
- Office of Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
EA/LC
- Office of Loas, Cambodian Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
EA/RA - Office of Regional Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
EA/ROC
- Office of Republic of China Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
EA/ROK
- Office of Republic of Korea Affairs, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
EAD
- Committee for the Restoration of Democracy (Greek)
EC
- Executive Committee
ECAFE - United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East
ECOSOC - Economic and Social Council, United Nations
EDA - United Democratic Left of Greece (Greek)
EDC - European Defense Committee
EDFO - Economic Development Financing Organization
EDMA - United Democratic Reconstruction/Regeneration Front of Cyprus (Greek)
EE - Eastern Europe
EEC - European Economic Community
EFTA - European Free Trade Area
ELR - Elliot L. Richardson
Emb - Embassy
Emboff - Embassy Officer
Embtel - Embassy telegram
ENDC - Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee
EOB - Executive Office Building
EOKA
- National Organization of Cypriot Fighters (Greek)
EPU
- European Payments Union
ESC
- European Security Conference
EST
- Eastern Standard Time
EUCOM
- European Command, U. S. Army
EUR - Bureau of European Affairs, U.S. Department of State
EUR/SOV - Office of Soviet Union Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Exdis - exclusive distribution
Ex-Im - Export-Import Bank of Washington, U.S.

F

F-4 (Phantom) - twin engine turbo jet, all weather, supersonic tactical fighter bomber with two crew members
F-5 (Freedom Fighter)
- twin engine, supersonic light tactical fighter with one or two crew members
F-100
- single engine, supersonic fighter aircraft
F
- fighter: designation used for U.S. fighter aircraft
FAC
- Foreign Assets Control, U.S.
FAO
- United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
FANK
- Khmer National Armed Forces (French)
FAR
- Royal Khmer Armed Forces (French)
FARK
- Royal Khmer Armed Forces (French)
FBI -
Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S.
FBIS
- Foreign Broadcast Information Service
FC - Factory Committee
FDGB - (East German) Free German Trade Unions (German)
FDJ - (East German) Free German Youth (German)
FDF - Finnish Defense Force
FDP - Free Democratic Party of the FRG (German)
FE - Far East
FGY - (East German) Free German Youth
FJN - Front for National Unity (Polish)
Flash - message of highest priority to the Secretary of State
FM - foreign minister

FMS - Foreign Military Sales (U.S.)
FNA - Front of National Accord
FNU - Front for National Unity
FO - Foreign Office (Great Britain)
FOIA - Freedom of Information Act (U.S.)
FonMin - foreign minister
FonOff - foreign office
FPA - Front of National Accord (Polish)
FPRY - Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia
FR - Federal Register
FR - France
FRC - Federal Records Center, Siutland, MD
FRG - Federal Republic of Germany/West Germany
FRUS - Foreign Relations of the U.S.
FSO - Foreign Service Officer, U.S.
FSR - Foreign Service Reserve Officer, U.S.
FSS - Foreign Service Staff officer, U.S.
FT - foreign trade
FWF - Free World Forces
FY - Fiscal Year
FYI - for your information

G

GA - United Nations General Assembly
GAO
- General Accounting Office
GATT
- General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GDP
- Gross domestic product
GDR
- German Democratic Republic/East Germany
GEC - German Economic Commission
Gen. - General
GER - Bureau of German Affairs, U.S. Department of State
GFR - German Federal Republic
GIMO - Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek
GIO - Government Information Office, ROC
GM - Ministers' Secretariat (Polish)
GMT - Greenwich Mean Time
GNP - Gross national product
GOC - Government of Canada
GOC - Government of Cambodia
GOC -Government of Cyprus
GOG - Government of Greece
GOI - Government of India
GOI - Government of Indonesia
GOJ - Government of Japan
GOT - Government of Turkey
GOVT - Government
GOY - Government of Yugoslavia
GPO - Government Printing Office, U.S.
GRC - Government of the Republich of China
GS - General Schedule
GSA - General Services Administration, U.S.
GSEE - Greek General Confederation of Labor (Greek)
GSFG - Group of Soviet Forces, Germany
GŠ-OS - Operations Directorate of the General Staff (CzPA)
GUB - Government of the Union of Burma
GVN - Government of Vietnam
GVP - All-German People's Party (German)

GVR - Government of the Republic of (South) Vietnam

H

H - Bureau of Congressional Relations, U.S. Departments of State
HAK
- Henry A. Kissinger
H.E.
- His Excellency
HEW
- Department of Health, Education and Welfare, U.S.
HFAC
- House Foreign Affairs Committee, U.S.
HICOG
- U.S. High Commissioner for Occupied Germany
HK - Hongkong
HK - Henry Kissinger
HKG - Hongkong Government
HL/HM - Hungarian Military History Archive, Budapest (Hungarian)
HMG - Her Majesty's Government, U.K.
HO - East German Retail Trading Association (German)
HPA- Hungarian People's Army
HPR - Hungarian People's Republic
hq - Headquarters
HR - House Resolution, U.S.
HSSS - Higher School of Social Studies (PUWP CC)
HSWP - Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
HUD - Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S.
HUMINT - Human Intelligence
HVA - Main Intelligence Administration, GDR (German)
HVDVP - Main Administration of the German People's Police, GDR (German)
HWP - Hungarian Worker's Party

I

I - Office of the Director, U.S. Information Agency
IAEA
- International Atomic Energy Agency
IBMND
- Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of National Defense, ROC
IBRD
- International Beank for Reconstruction and Development, World Bank
ICBM
- intercontinental ballistic missile
ICC
- International Control and Supervision Commission
ICJ
- International Court of Justice
ICRC
- International Committee, Red Cross
ICP
- Italian Communist Party
IFC - Inter-Institute Founding Committee
IFI - International Financial Institution
IG
- Interdepartmental Group
IG/EUR - Interdepartmental Group for Europe
ILO
- International Labor Organization
IMF - International Monetary Fund
INF - Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces
INR - Bureau of Intelligence and Research, U.S. State Department
IO - Bureau of International Organization Affairs, U.S. State Department
IPN - Institute of National Rememberance, Warsaw (Polish)
IQ - Important Question
IRBM - intermediate range ballistic missile
IRG - Interdepartmental Regional Group, U.S.
ISA - Office of International Security Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense
ISTU - See NSZZ
IUS - Independent Union of Students

J

JAF - Joint Armed Forces, also UAF
JCRR - Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction, ROC
JCS
- Joint Chiefs of Staff (U.S.)
JCSM - Joint Chiefs of Staff Memorandum, U.S.
JHH - John Herbert Holdridge
JNV - Czechoslovak City Government (Czech)
JRC - Joint Reconnaissance Center
JUSMAG - Joint United States Military Group
JUSMMAG - Joint United States Mission for Military Aid to Greece
JUSMMAG - Joint United States Mission for Military Aid to Turkey
JUSPAO - Joint United States Public Affairs Office
JZD - Czechoslovak Standard Farming Cooperatives (Czech)

K

K - Kissinger
KaMO
- Cabinet of the Minister of Defense (Czech)
KC - Central Committee (Polish)
KD - District Committee (Polish)
KGB - Committee for State Security (USSR)
KGMO - Main Headquarters of the Citizens' Police (Polish)
KgU - Fighting Group against Inhumanity (German)
KHR - Khmer Republic
KIK
- Clubs of Catholic Intelligentsia (Polish)
KK - National Commission (Polish)
KKE - Greek Communist Party (Greek)
KKP - Committee of Party Control (Czech)
KKP - National Coordinating Commission (Polish)
KMT - Kuomintang, Nationalist Party, ROC
KMT - Greater Budapest Central Workers' Council (Hungarian)
KNV - Czechoslovak organ of state administration, Regional National Committee (Czech)
KOK - Homeland Defense Committee (Polish)
KOR - Committee for Workers' Defense (Polish)
KPD - German Communist Party, FRG (German)
KPDR - Korean People's Democratic Republic
KPN - Confederation for an Independent Poland (Polish)
KSR - Conference of Workers' Self-Government (Polish)
KSS - Committee for Social Self-Defense (Polish)
KT - kilotons
KV - Czechoslovak Regional Party Committee
KVP - Garrisoned People's Police East Germany, (German)
KW - Voivodeship Committee (Polish)
KW - Executive Committee (Polish)
KWMO - Voivodeship Headquarters of the Citizens' Police (Polish)
KZ - Factory Committee (Polish)

L

L - Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State
LA
- Latin America
LCY
- League of Yugoslav Communists
LDC
- Less developed country
LDP
- Liberal Democratic Party
LDX - long distance xerography
Limdis - limited distribution
LM - Czechoslovak People's Militia (Czech)
LOA - Letter of Offer and Acceptance (U.S.)
LOC - lines of communication
LPF - Lao Patriotic Front, Pathet Lao
LPG - Agricultural Production Cooperative (German)
LTA - long-term agreement
LTG
- Lieutenant General
LWP
- Polish People's Army (Polish)

M

M-1 - World War II-era U.S. military rifle
M-14
- semi automatic U.S. military rifle
M-16
- U.S. military field rifle
M-113
- armored personnel carrier
MAAG
- Military Assistance Advisory Group
MAC
- Military Assistance Command
MACV
- Military Assistance Command, Vietnam
MAP
- Military Assistance/Aid Program
MASF
- Military Assistance Service Funded
MBA
- Military Base Agreement
MBFR
- Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions
MC - Military Council
MD - Military District
MDP - Hungarian Workers' Party (Hungarian)
ME - Middle East
MEFESZ - Hungarian Association of University and College Unions (Hungarian)
MemCon - memorandum of conversation
MFA
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MFA - multifiber agreement
MfAA - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (GDR)
MFG - Military Frontier Guards
MFN - Most Favored Nation
MfS - Ministry for State Security, GDR (German)
MGB - Ministry of State Security, GDR (Russian)
MGCMI - Multilateral Group on Current Mutual Information
MHCP - Main Headquarters of the Citizens' Police
MHWU - Ministry of Internal Trade and Services (Polish)
MIA - Ministry of Internal Affairs
MIA - missing in action
MID - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, USSR (Russian)
MIL - military
MILAD - miitary adviser
MinDef - Minister of Defense
MIRV - Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry vehicle
MisOff - mission officer
MITS - Ministry of Internal Trade and Services
MKR - Interfactory Workers' Committee (Polish)
MKS - Interfactory Strike Committee (Polish)
MKZ - Inter-Institute Founding Committee (Polish)
MLF - Multilateral Force
mm - Millimeter
MND - Ministry of National Defense
MNO - Ministry of National Defense, Czechoslovakia (Czech)
MO - Polish People's Militia (Polish)
MoD - Ministry of Defense
MOFA - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MOL - Hungarian National Archives, Budapest (Hungarian)
MON - Ministry of National Defense (Polish)
MONG - Mongolia
MP - Member of Parliament
MPA - Main Political Administration
MPR - Mongolian People's Republic
MR - military region
MR - memorandum for the record
MRBM - medium-range ballistic missile
MRN - National Municipal Council (Polish)
MRS - Machine-Rental Stations
MS - Ministers' Secretariat
MSA - Mutual Security Agency (U.S.)
MSW - Ministry of Internal Affairs (Polish)
MSZMP - Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (Hungarian)
MT - metric ton
MTS - Machine Tractor Stations
MVD - Ministry of Internal Affairs, USSR (Russian)

N

NA II - U.S. National Archives (College Park, MD)
NARA - National Archives and Records Administration, U.S.
NASA
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S.
NATO
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NBC - National Broadcasting Company
NC - National Commission
NCC - National Coordinating Commission
NCO - non-commissioned officer
NE - northeast
NEA - Bureau of Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State
NEP - New Economic Policy
NESA - Bureau for Near East and South Asia, Agency for International Development
Niact
- night action, communications indicator requiring attention by the recipient at any hour of the day or night
NIC
- National Intelligence Council, U.S.
NIE
- National Intelligence Estimate
NIPE - National Intelligence Programs Evaluation
NIRB - National Intelligence Resources Board
NJW - Vistula Military Units (Polish)
NLF - National Liberation Front, Vietnam
NLFSVN - National Liberation Front of South Vietnam
nm - nautical mile

NMC - National Municipal Council
Nodis - no distribution (other than to persons indicated)
Noforn - no foreign dissemination
NOT - Chief Technical Organization (Polish)
Notal - not received by all addresses
NPA - National People's Army (GDR)
NPP - National Peasant Party
NPT - Non-Proliferation Treaty
NSA - National Security Archive, U.S.
NSA - National Security Agency, U.S.
NSAM - National Security Action Memorandum, U.S.
NSC - National Security Council, U.S.
NSDM - National Security Decision Memorandum
NSSM - National Security Study Memorandum
NSZZ - Independent Self-Governing Trade Union (Polish)
NT - New Taiwan Dollar
NVA - North Vietnamese Army
NVA - National People's Army, GDR (German)
NVNA - North Vietnamese Army
NVA/VC - North Vietnamese Army / Viet Cong
NVC - National Voivodeship Council
NVN - North Vietnam
NZ - New Zealand
NZS - Independent Union of Students (Polish)

O

OASD - Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense
OASD/ISA
- Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, U.S.
OBE
- overtaken by events
OCB
- Operations Coordinating Board (U.S.)
OCI - Office of Current Intelligence, U.S.
OECD - Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
OEP - Office of Emergency Preparedness
O&M - Operations and maintenance
OMB - Office of Management and Budget (U.S.)
ONE - Office of National Estimates, CIA
OPA - Group for a Proletarian Left, Greece (Greek)
OPIC - Overseas Private Investment Corporation
OPSZ - Center for Socio-Professional Studies (Polish)
ORMO - Voluntary Reserves of the Citizens' Police (Polish)
OS - Outer Seven (members of the EFTA)
OSD - Office of the Secretary of Defense (U.S.)
OSD/ISA - Office of the Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, U.S.
OS-OL - Operations Directorate, Olomouc Collection (Polish)
OUSD - Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, U.S.
OW - Military District (Polish)

P

P - Bureau of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State
P - President
PA - purchase authorization

PA - Polish Army
PACAF - Pacific Air Force
PACOM - Pacific Command
PACFLT - Pacific Fleet
PAN - Polish Academy of Sciences (Polish)
PAO - public affairs officer
PAP - Polish Press Agency (Polish)
PARA - paragraph
PARA - Policy Analysis Resource Allocation
PAS - Polish Academy of Sciences
PAVN - People's Army of Vietnam
PB - Politburo
PC - Political Committee
PCC - Political Consultative Committee
PCC - Provisional Central Committee
PD - presidental determination
PDB - President's Daily Brief, U.S.

PEC - Provisional Executive Committee
PEO - Pancyprian Federation of Labor (Greek)
PermRep - permanent representative
PES - Polish Economic Society
PFIAB - President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
PGOT - Provisional Government of Turkey
PGR - State Farm (Polish)
PKP - Polish State Railways (Polish)
PL - public law
PL - Pathet Lao
PLA - People's Liberation Army, PRC
PLP - Polish Labor Party
PM - Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State
PM - Prime Minister
PMG - Politico-military Group
PNG - persona non grata
POF - President's Office Files
POL - petroleum, oil and lubricants
POL - Poland
POL - political
POLAD - political adviser
PolOff - political officer
POP - Primary Party Organization (Polish)
POW - Prisoner of War
PPA - Polish People's Army
PPA - Polish Press Agency
PPO - Primary Party Organization
PPP - Polish Labor Party (Polish)
PPP - Polish Populist Party
PPR - Polish People's Republic
PPWO - Permanent Political Working Organ of the Member-States of the Warsaw Treaty
PR - Polish Radio
PR - public relations
PRA - People's Republic of Albania
PRB - People's Republic of Bulgaria
PRC - People's Republic of China (see also CPR)
PRC - Policy Review Committee (U.S.)
PRES - the President
PriMin - prime minister
PRH - see HPR
PRL - Polish People's Republic (Polish)
PRO.FO - Public Records Office, British Foreign Office, Kew Gardens
PSB - Psychological Strategy Board (U.S.)
PSL - Polish Populist Party (Polish)
PSR - Polish State Railways
PTE - Polish Economic Society (Polish)
PUBP - County Office of State Security, Poland (Polish)
PUWP - Polish United Workers' Party
PZPR - Polish United Workers' Party (Polish)

Q

-

R

R&D - research and development
RB
- Regional Board
RCD - Organization of Regional Cooperation for Development
RCP - Romanian Communist Party
RD - rural development
reftel - reference telegram
rep - representative
res - resolution
RET'D - returned
RFE - Radio Free Europe
RG - Record Group
RG - Review Group
RGANI - Russian State Archive of Contemporary History (Russian)
RGS - Railway Guard Service
RIAS - Radio in the American Sector of Berlin
RMH - Regional Military Headquarters
RMN - Richard M. Nixon
RN - Richard Nixon
RNC - Republican National Committee
ROC - Republic of China (see also GRC)
ROK - Republic of Korea
ROVN - Republic of Vietnam
RPA - Romanian People's Army
RPP - Republican People's Party, Turkey
RPR - Romanian People's Republic (until 1965)
RSFSR - Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic
RSR - Socialist Republic of Romania (1965-1989)
RTV - Radio-Television
RVN - Republic of Vietnam
RVNAF - Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces
RWP - Romanian Worker's Party
RYU - Rural Youth Union

S

S - Office of the U.S. Secretary of State
S/AL
- Ambassador at Large
S/P - Policy Planning Staff, U.S. Department of State
S/PC
- Planning and Coordination Staff, U.S. Department of State
S/PRS - Office of Press Relations, U.S. Department of State
S/S - Executive Secretariat of the U.S. Department of State
SA - supporting assistance
SAC - Strategic Air Command
SAG - Soviet State-Stock Company (after 1954 Soviet-German joint stock company: SDAG, German)
SAK - Finnish Confederation of Trade Unions (Finnish)
SALT - Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty
SAM - surface-to-air missile
SAPMO - Foundation "Archive of the Parties and Mass Organizations of the former GDR" in the Federal Archives, Germany (German)
SB - Security Service (Polish)
SC - United Nations Security Council
SCA - Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State
SCC - Soviet Control Commission
SCC - Special Coordination Committee (U.S.)
SCI - Bureau of International Scientific and Technological Affairs, U.S. Department of State
SCD - Special Commission on Disarmament Questions
SD - Democratic Party (Polish)
SDAG - Soviet-German Joint Stock Company, see SAG (German)
SDI - Strategic Defense Initiative
SDP - Association of Polish Journalists (Polish)
SE - southeast
SEA - Southeast Asia
SEACOORD - Southeast Asia Coordinating Committee
SEAMEC - Southeast Asia Monetary Exchange Council
SEATO - Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
Secdef - Secretary of Defense
Secstate - Secretary of State
Secto - series indicator for telegrams from the Secretary of State while away from Washington
Secy - Secretary of State
Secy Gen - Secretary General
Septel - seperate telegram
SED - Socialist Unity Party of Germany, GDR (German)
SEK - Confederation of Cypriot Workers
SF - State Farm
SFRC - Senate Foreign Relations Committee
SHAPE - Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers, Europe
SIG - Senior Interdepartmental Group (NSC)
SIGINT - Signals Intelligence
SIOP - Single Integrated Operations Pland (for strategic nuclear weapons)
SITREP - situation report
SKDL - Finnish Peoples Democratic League (Finnish)
SKP - Finnish Communist Party (Finnish)
SLBM - submarine launched ballistic missile
SMAG - Soviet Military Administration in Germany
SMOF - Staff Member and Office Files
SNIE - Special National Intelligence Estimate
SNM - Free German Youth (GDR, Russian)
SNT - Scientific-Technical Association (Polish)
SOF(A) - State of Forces (Agreement)
SOK - Railway Guard Service (Polish)
SOP - standard operating procedure
SOV - Office of Soviet Union Affairs, Bureau of European Affairs, U.S. Department of State
SOVGOV - Soviet Government
SP - Polish Communist youth organization (Polish)
SPD - Social Democratic Party of Germany, FRG (German)
SR - strategic reserve
SR-171 - U.S. high altitude reconnaissance aircraft
SRG - Senior Review Group, U.S.
SRR - Socialist Republic of Romania
SSA - Security Service of the Army
SSOM - Scientific Society of Organization and Management
STA - Scientific-Technical Association
Stasi - State Security, GDR (German)
STB - Czechoslovak State Security (Czech)
SUA - Central State Archives (Prague)
SUPS - Socialist Union of Polish Students
SVN - South Vietnam
SYG - United Nations Secretary General
SZDP - Social Democratic Party (Hungarian)
SZOT - National Council of Trade Unions, Hungary (Hungarian)
SZSP - Socialist Union of Polish Students (Polish)

T

TA - technical assistance
TAC
- tactical
TAC
- tactical air command
TACAIR
- tactical air
TACS
- Tactical Air Control System
TAN
- Technically-based work norms (German)
TASS - Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (Russian)
TC - technical cooperation
TCC - Troop Contributing Countries (to Vietnam)
TDC - Taiwan Defense Committee
TDY - temporary duty
TGO - Local Operational Groups (Polish)
TIAS - "United States Treaties and Other International Agreements", publication series from the U.S. Department of State
TIM - Taiwan Independence Movement
TMT - Turkish Resistance Organization, Cyprus (Turkish)
TNFs - Theater-Range Nuclear Forces
TNOiK - Scientific Society of Organization and Management (Polish)
Toaid - series indicator for telegrams to the Agency for International Development
Todel - series indicator for telegrams to the delegation at the Paris Peace Talks
TOR - terms of reference
Tosec - series indicator for telegrams sent to the Secretary of State while outside of Washington
Tosit - series indicator for telegrams to the Situation Room of the White House
TPSL - Workers and Small Holders Social Democratic League of Finland (Finnish)
TS - top secret
TsDA - Central State Archives, Sofia (Bulgarian)
TsDAGOU - Central State Archive of Social Organizations of Ukraine (Ukrainian)
TsKhSD - Center for the Storage of Contemporary Documentation , Moscow (Russian)
TUSLOG - The United States Logistics Group

U

U-2 - single engine, high altitude reconnaissance aircraft with one crew member, U.S.
U
- Office of the Undersecretary of State, U.S.
U
- unclassified
UAF
- Unified Armed Forces
UAR - United Arab Republic
UBP - Office of State Security Poland (Polish)
UH
- utility helicopter
UK
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

U.N.
- United Nations
UNCURK - United Nations Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNGA - United Nations General Assembly
UNSC - United Nations Security Council
UNSTO - United Nations Truce Supervision Committee
UNTS - United Nations Treaty Series
UPI - United Press International
UPP - United Populist Party
UPW - Union of Polish Writers
US - United States
USA - United State of America
USA - United States Army
USAF - U.S. Air Force
USAID - United States Agency for International Development
USAREUR - United States Army, Europe
USC - United States Code
USC - United Strike Committee
USEC - United States Mission to the European Communities
USDA - United States Department of Agriculture
USDAO - United States Defense Attaché Office
USG - U.S. Government
USIA - United States Information Agency
USIB - United States Intelligence Board
USIG - Administration for Soviet Property in Germany
USINFO - United States Information Service
USIS - United States Information Service (overseas branches of the USIA)
USMC - United States Marine Corps
USN - United States Navy
USOM - United States Operations Mission
USPY - Union of Socialist Polish Youth
USSR - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
UST - United States Treaty
USUN - United States Mission to the United Nations

V

VB - Czechoslovak Public Security (Czech)
VC - Voivodeship Committee
VC - Vietcong
VCH - High-frequency telephone line, used by Soviets for secret communications (Russian)
VCI - Vietcong Infrastructure
VDC - Voivodeship Defense Committee
VE - Voivodeship Exchange
VEB - Peoples' Owned Plant (German)
VFC - Volunteer Freedom Corps
VHA - Military History Archive, Prague, became Central Military Archives (VUA)
VHCP - Voivodeship Headquarters of the Citizens' Police
VKO - Military Defense Commission of the CC of the Czechoslovak Communist Party (Czech)
VLKSM - All-Union Leninist Communist Youth Union, Komsomol (Russian)
VMS - Voivodeship Military Staff
VMU - Vistula Military Units
VN - Vietnam
VNAF - Vietnamese Air Force
VOA - Voice of America
VOLAGS - voluntary agencies
VOPO - People's Police, GDR (German)
VP - vice president
VP
- People's Police, GDR (German)
VP - verification panel
VPCC - Voivideship Party Control Commission
VRCP - Voluntary Reserves of the Citizens' Police
VS - Warsaw Treaty (Czech)
VSSG - Vietnam Special Studies Group
VUA - Central Military Archives, Prague, see VHA

W

WESTPAC - Commander, Western Pacific
WEU
- Western European Union
WH
- White House
WHCF
- White House Central Files
WHO
- World Health Organization
WHO
- White House Office
WKKP
- Voivideship Party Control Commission (Polish)
WKO - Voivodeship Defense Committee (Polish)
WKR - Regional Military Headquarters (Polish)
WNRC - Washington National Records Center
WOP - Military Frontier Guards (Polish)
WP - Polish Army (Polish)
WP - Warsaw Pact
WPR - William P. Rogers
WRN - "Liberty, Equality, Independence", Polish underground anti-com resistance movement
WRN - National Voivodeship Council (Polish)
WRON - Military Council for National Salvation (Polish)
WSAG - Washington Special Actions Group
WSNS - Higher School of Social Studies of the PUWP CC (Polish)
WSOP - Firefighters Academy (Polish)
WSW - Army Security Service Poland (Polish)
WSW - Security Service of the Army (Polish)
WSW - Voivodeship Military Staff (Polish)
WTO - Warsaw Treaty Organization
WUBP - Voivodship of State Security, Poland (Polish)
WZD - General Assembly of Delegates (Polish)

X

-

Y

YAF - Yugoslav Armed Forces
YLC - Yugoslav League of Communists

Z

ZBWD - Association of Fighters for Liberty and Democracy (Polish)
ZK SED - Central Committee of the SED (German)
ZK - Central Committee (German)
ZLP - Union of Polish Writers (Polish)
ZMW - Rural Youth Union (Polish)
ZOMO - Mechanized Detachments of Citizens' Police (Polish)
ZPA NL - Central Party Archive of the SED, Personal Papers (Berlin)
ZPA - Central Party Archive of the SED (Berlin)
ZR - Regional Board (Polish)
ZSL - United Populist Party (Polish)
ZSMP - Union of Socialist Polish Youth (Polish)


The above abbreviations and acronyms are compiled from the following sources:

Békés, Csaba, Malcolm Byrne and János M. Rainer, eds. The 1956 Revolution: A History in Documents. Budapest: CEU University Press, 2002.

Fodor, Neil. The Warsaw Treaty Organization : a political and organizational analysis. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Macmillan, 1990.

Mastny, Vojtech and Malcolm Byrne, eds. A Cardboard Castle: An Inside History of the Warsaw Pact 1955-1991. Budapest: CEU University Press, 2005.

Ostermann, Christian F. and Malcolm Byrne, eds. Uprising in East Germany 1953: The Cold War, the German Question, and the First Major Upheaval Behind the Iron Curtain. Budapest: CEU University Press, 2001.

Paczkowski, Andrzej and Malcolm Byrne, eds. From Solidarity to Martial Law: The Polish Crisis of 1980-1981. Budapest: CEU University Press, 2007.

Keefer, Edward C. and Steven E. Phillips, eds. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969-1977, Vol. XVII: China 1962-1972. Washington: The U.S. State Department, 2006.

LaFantasie, Glenn W. et al., eds. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958 - 1960, Vol. X, pt. 2: Eastern Europe; Finland; Greece; Turkey. Washington: The U.S. State Department, 1993.


The abbreviations and acronyms collected in this list are in English, if not indicated otherwise by the mentioning of the source language in parentheses.
We would be grateful for further suggestions or correction of mistakes. You can contact us at this e-mail address. This list is an ongoing project and will be supplemented occasionally.

This collection was compiled and edited by Linda RICHTER.