What did the declassified documents reveal?

Declassified. Today we examine a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record from November fourth, nineteen-fifty, discussing the potential use of atomic bombs during the Korean War. This document is notable for its early assessment of nuclear weapons in a tactical and strategic context. You can find this document at theblackvault.com. This document, originally classified Top Secret, was released under the Freedom of Information Act as part of a larger collection of U.S. intelligence on China. The declassification authority for this specific memorandum is AD seventy-thousand, by G-E NARA, with a date of March twenty-first, two-thousand. The document, titled "Memorandum, November fourth, nineteen-fifty," from the Department of State's Policy Planning Staff, reads: "General Loper of the Defense Department came to the State Department today at my request to discuss the question of possible U.S. use of atomic bombs to counter Chinese Communist military action in Korea. If the bomb were used in Korea, it would be for tactical purposes against troop concentrations and artillery support positions. Against such targets it should prove effective. However, such targets would probably not come about normally; they would have to be created by tactical maneuvers of U.N. forces. Very few atomic bombs could be used as few targets could be created. In addition to the purely military effect, use of the bomb for these purposes might prove a deterrent against further Chinese participation. If the bomb were used for tactical purposes, it is unlikely that there would be large destruction of civilian life. It does not appear that in present circumstances the atomic bomb would be militarily decisive in Korea, and there is a serious possibility that its use might bring the Soviet Union into the war. Furthermore, its use would help arouse the peoples of Asia against us." The memorandum continues: "If the bomb should be used for strategic purposes through attacks on such Manchurian cities as Mukden, Fushun, Anshan, Harbin and Dairen, this action would result in the destruction of many civilians and would almost certainly bring the Soviet Union into the war. If we should consider the use of the atomic bomb in the Korean area, we should keep in mind that the military actions there are under U.N. auspices, that its use would have world-wide repercussions, and that there is a question whether we should use it only with U.N. concurrence. Obtaining U.N. concurrence beforehand might keep the moral forces of the world with us in the use of the bomb, whereas a unilateral decision to use it might leave us in a disadvantageous moral position. On the other hand, the publicity attending debate of this question in the United Nations would be of military value to our adversary." The document concludes with "Conclusions: Atomic bombs should not be used by the United States to counter Chinese communist military action in Korea: 1. Unless we are convinced that these weapons are…

Why was this case declassified?

This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. The originating source document is linked on this page so the citation chain is auditable.

Case File · ARCHIVE-009Declassified

Filed OCT 30 · 2026Runtime 1 min

Central Intelligence Agency Record From November Fourth, Nineteen Fifty

U.S. public record · FOIAUpdated October 30, 2026

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Declassified. Today we examine a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record from November fourth, nineteen-fifty, discussing the potential use of atomic bombs during the Korean War. This document is notable for its early assessment of nuclear weapons in a tactical and strategic context.

Date: OCT 30 · 2026
Release: Declassified · U.S. public record (FOIA)
Source document: View the primary source document

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What was Central Intelligence Agency Record From November Fourth, Nineteen Fifty about?: Declassified. Today we examine a declassified Central Intelligence Agency record from November fourth, nineteen-fifty, discussing the potential use of atomic bombs during the Korean War. This document is notable for its early assessment of nuclear weapons in a tactical and strategic context.
Why was this case declassified?: This material entered the public record through the U.S. declassification and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process. Storyflo narrates it directly from the public release.

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Central Intelligence Agency Record From November Fourth, Nineteen Fifty

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