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Treaties & Tradeoffs

History's big decisions, replayed without hindsight.

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Historic Negotiations

Concluded high-stakes negotiations replayed from declassified and published records, read for what each side could fall back on if the talks failed.

3 replays on file; the lead file comes first, the rest newest first.

President Kennedy and members of the ExComm around the Cabinet Room table on 29 October 1962, papers spread before them.

Historic NegotiationsNegotiation review

Cuban Missile Crisis: A Struck Line on Turkey in RFK's Memo

Cuban Missile Crisis, 27 October 1962: Robert Kennedy's memo says no quid pro quo on Turkey, but a crossed-out line names four or five months. FRUS shows how.

Filed

Image credit

"EXCOMM meeting, Cuban Missile Crisis, 29 October 1962" by Cecil Stoughton — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EXCOMM_meeting,_Cuban_Missile_Crisis,_29_October_1962.jpg — Public domain (U.S. federal government work, 17 U.S.C. §105; White House photographer, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library ST-A26-25-62)

James Monroe in a dark coat and white stock, half-length, painted by John Vanderlyn in 1816.

Historic NegotiationsNegotiation review

Louisiana Purchase: US Envoys Were Told to Buy New Orleans

Louisiana Purchase: US envoys were sent for New Orleans and the Floridas; by Livingston's report, France asked if they wanted it all. Price: 60 million francs.

Filed

Image credit

"James Monroe" by John Vanderlyn — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Vanderlyn_-_James_Monroe_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg — Public domain (John Vanderlyn d. 1852; painted 1816; US and EU: author died more than 70 years ago; faithful reproduction of a two-dimensional work, National Portrait Gallery, Washington, NPG.70.59)

The signing in the Hall of Mirrors on 28 June 1919, painted by William Orpen: delegates seated at a long table beneath tall arched mirrors.

Historic NegotiationsNegotiation review

Treaty of Versailles: It Set No Reparations Total in 1919

Treaty of Versailles: signed in 1919 with no reparations total. Germany owed 20 billion gold marks first; the commission fixed 132 billion in April 1921.

Filed

Image credit

"The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles, 28th June 1919" by William Orpen — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orpen,_William_(Sir)_(RA)_-_The_Signing_of_Peace_in_the_Hall_of_Mirrors,_Versailles,_28th_June_1919_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg — Public domain (William Orpen d. 1931; painted 1919; EU: author died more than 70 years ago; US: exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1920 and in the public domain whether treated as published before 1931 or as unpublished (life plus 70 years); faithful reproduction of a two-dimensional work, Imperial War Museum, London, Art.IWM ART 2856)