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Title: Paul B. Henze papers
Date (inclusive): 1856-2010
Collection Number: 2005C42
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
263 manuscript boxes, 1 oversized box, digital media
(110.8 Linear Feet)
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).
Creator:
Henze, Paul B., 1924-2011
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
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.
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives between 2005 and 2014.
[Identification of item], Paul B. Henze papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
| 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 |
Scope and Content of Collection
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 Ağca.
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.
Albert J. and Roberta Wohlstetter Papers, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Claire Sterling papers, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Eritrean subject collection, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Ethiopian Subject collection, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Radio Free Europe corporate records, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Radio broadcasting -- Soviet Union
United States -- Foreign relations -- 1977-1981
Radio broadcasting -- Europe, Eastern
Ethiopia -- History
Asia, Central
Former Soviet republics
Soviet Union
United States -- Military policy
United States -- Defenses
Assassination attempt, 1981
Europe, Eastern
Caucasus, South
Ethiopia -- Politics and government
Radio Liberty
Radio Free Europe
John Paul, Pope, II, 1920-2005