Paul B. Henze papers, 1856-2010

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Summary

Creators:
Henze, Paul B., 1924-2011
Abstract:
The Paul B. Henze papers consist of diaries, writings, correspondence, notes, memoranda, reports, research materials, printed matter, and photographs relating to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty broadcasting to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union; conditions in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and the former Soviet Union, especially the Caucasus and Central Asia; and conditions in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. The papers include publications of Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, and related organizations, as well as research materials for the numerous books and articles written by Henze, particularly The Plot to Kill the Pope (New York, 1983).
Extent:
263 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box, digital media (110.8 Linear Feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Paul B. Henze papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The Paul B. Henze papers consist of diaries, writings, correspondence, notes, memoranda, reports, research materials, printed matter, and photographs relating to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty broadcasting to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union; conditions in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and the former Soviet Union, especially the Caucasus and Central Asia; and conditions in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. The papers include publications of Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, and related organizations, as well as research materials for the numerous books and articles written by Henze, particularly The Plot to Kill the Pope (New York, 1983).

In 1952, Paul B. Henze, a World War II veteran and recent Harvard graduate in Soviet studies, moved to Munich to serve as Radio Free Europe's deputy political advisor. For nearly six years, Henze worked closely with William E. Griffith, RFE's chief political advisor, to shape the policies and programs of the growing radio station. Correspondence, memoranda, guidances, and reports from these early years can be found in the Radio Free Europe file. Of particular interest are files documenting RFE's conduct during the 1956 Hungarian uprising, flyers from balloon campaigns in Czechoslovakia, and reports on Polish defectors. In addition to writing policy and background reports, Henze traveled frequently to negotiate the construction of an RFE transmitter site outside Istanbul. Documents from this failed attempt can be found in the Chronological subseries.

Although Henze left Radio Free Europe in 1958 for a position in Turkey, his interest in the organization continued throughout his life. In the 1960s, Henze was involved in the Radio Study Group, a CIA-led project to assess the funding and future of RFE. Some of the research materials in the Radio Free Europe file were assembled for this initiative. Later, while on staff at the National Security Council during the Carter Administration, Henze served as a liaison between the White House and the Board for International Broadcasting. Files from this period chronicle efforts to move the headquarters of RFE from Munich to the United States. After retiring from government service, Henze continued to write and lecture on the history of RFE, as reflected in his speeches and writings.

In his 30 years of government service, Henze held high-level positions in Turkey, Ethiopia, and Carter's White House. Aside from National Security Council documents related to Radio Free Europe, Henze's papers do not include working files from these postings. After retiring from public service in December 1980, Henze began to research and write extensively on subjects that were formerly under his purview as a government employee, such as the Horn of Africa and the non-Russian nationalities of the Soviet Union. His research and writings, as received by the Archives, were grouped by these subjects, and can be found in the Horn of Africa, Caucasus and Central Asia files.

While employed by the RAND Corporation, Henze became famous for his book The Plot to Kill the Pope, which, along with the work of Claire Sterling, popularized the "Bulgarian connection" in the 1981 assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II. In his book, related articles, television appearances, and film scripts, all of which are located in The Plot to Kill the Pope file, Henze sought to show that that Soviet Union was behind the actions of Mehmet Ali AÄŸca.

Although Henze grouped his papers, including the bulk of his correspondence, by his research interests, he kept a separate file of extensive personal letters with friends such William Griffith, Richard Pankhurst, and Ralph Walter, which can be found in the Correspondence series. Items in his Biographical file, such as an application to work at Radio Free Europe and photographs of his wife and children, comprise some of the earliest items in the collection.

A productive writer from an early age, Henze began keeping detailed diaries while a soldier and later as a military government official in Germany from 1944-1945. Henze's World War II diaries formed the basis for his undergraduate thesis and provide a glimpse into the daily life of an American soldier during the occupation of Germany.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1924 August 29
Born, Redwood Falls, Minnesota
1942-1943
Studied at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
1943
Enlisted in the United States Army
1944 September-1945 November
Served in U.S. Military Government detachment I4G2, based primarily in Monschau, Germany
1948
BA, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
1950
MA, Soviet Studies, Harvard University
1950 June 21
Began work at the Central Intelligence Agency
1951 September 15
Married Martha Elaine Heck
1952 November-1958 April
Deputy Political Advisor, Radio Free Europe, Munich, Germany
1958-1959
Communications advisor, Turkey
1960-1961
Research staff, Johns Hopkins University
1961-1968
Executive, U.S. Department of Defense
1969-1972
1st secretary, U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
1972
Received Order of Menelik from Haile Selassie of Ethiopia
1973
Department of State, Washington, D.C.
1974-1977
1st Secretary, U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey
1977
Author, Ethiopian Journeys: Travels in Ethiopia, 1969-72
1977-1980
National Security Council staff
1980 December
Retired from government service
1981
Author, Turkey, the Alliance and the Middle East: Problems and Opportunities in Historical Perspective
1981-1982
Wilson Fellow, Smithsonian Institution
1982-2002
Resident Consultant, RAND corporation
1983
Author, The Plot to Kill the Pope
1991
Author, The Horn of Africa: From War to Peace
1992
Headed International Alert missions to Chechnia and Georgia
2000
Author, Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia
2001
Author, Eritrea's War: Confrontation, International Response, Outcome, Prospects
2007
Author, Ethiopia in Mengistu's Final Years
2011 May 19
Died, Culpeper, Virginia
Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives between 2005 and 2014.
Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Paul B. Henze papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
Website