Archives Unbound - New Releases September 2024

Black Soldiers in the U.S. Armed Forces: Basic Documents, 1639-1973

Black Soldiers in the U.S. Armed Forces is a comprehensive documentary history of African American participation in the military from colonial times to the Vietnam War. Originally a thirteen-volume set, it is now available digitally. This collection utilises military, government, and private records to trace the evolution of military policy towards black personnel, highlighting their roles and treatment within the armed forces.
Chronologically arranged, the first six volumes cover up to the end of World War II, while volumes 7-13 focus on postwar developments. Three major themes emerge: the military’s pragmatic reliance on African Americans during manpower shortages, advocacy by principled individuals for racial equality in the military, and the black community's increasing influence on military policies.

Cultural Policies and Plunder of the Third Reich in Occupied Europe: Files of the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, Kiev, Ukraine, 1941-1944

The Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR) was a Nazi organization active during World War II in occupied Europe, tasked with the ideological battle against enemies of National Socialism and the confiscation of their cultural materials. Directed by Alfred Rosenberg, it led efforts to study, catalog, and seize cultural assets from public and private collections across occupied countries.
ERR's documents, housed at the Central State Archive of Supreme Bodies of Power and Government of Ukraine in Kiev, include daily and weekly reports from 1940-1943, detailing the requisition of libraries, archives, and private collections, particularly targeting Jewish citizens. These files are grouped into record groups 3676 and 3674, encompassing reports on inspections and confiscations.
The archive contains a wealth of material including official documents, analytical studies, propaganda materials, and correspondence, offering insights into the Nazi cultural plunder and broader aspects of occupation, ideology, and wartime activities in Europe.

Wartime Conferences of the Combined Chiefs of Staff, 1941-1945

The Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCS) conferences during WWII are pivotal for understanding Allied strategy and wartime alliances. Covering eight major conferences, these proceedings delve into campaign strategies and postwar occupation debates. Each of the ten volumes spans from December 1941 to July 1945, documenting high-level meetings attended by military officials from the US, Great Britain, and occasionally the USSR. Notable participants included British officers like Admirals Pound and Little, and US officers like Admirals Leahy and King, and Generals Marshall and Eisenhower. Discussions focused on military matters, aiming to establish unified commands for efficient wartime operations. Topics ranged from theater strategies and troop movements to munitions and relief efforts, all aimed at hastening the war's end. The records offer invaluable insights into the decision-making processes that shaped WWII's outcome.