Abstract: The article's research is focused on the reforms to the US National Security Council (NSC) carried out in the late 1960s by President Nixon's National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger. The author allocates special attention to the organization's role in the development of the United States' foregin policy, as well as its place in the consulting structure of the White House. The article examines in detail the changes made to the National Security Council's structure, introduced at the turn of the 1960s-1970s, with the aim of improving its efficiency. The methodological basis for this study is the historical-genetic approach and the descriptive method, which allow to describe in detail the history of the establishment and development of the National Security Council, as well as its reform under H. Kissinger. The study's novelty lies in its detailed analysis of the structural changes made to the National Security Council, undertaken by the United States' authorities at the turn of the 1960s-1970s. The article for the first time in Russian historiography clearly shows the establishment of the Council as the main consulting mechanism of the White House and its subsequent decrease in importance due to the increase in H. Kissinger's personal contribution to the development of the United States' foreign policy.

Abstract: The subject of this article is the evolution of the anti-missile defense concepts in the United States of America during the 1950s-1960s. The author examines in detail the origin of the very idea of protecting the US territories from strategic weapons with the help of missile defense complexes, as well as the implementation of the main programs of the Pentagon in this field. Particular attention is paid to the anti-missile systems developed by the national defense industry during this period. The author examines in detail the transition from abstract anti-missile defense concepts to specific projects for its realization. The author extensively applies the historical-systematic method, which has allowed to trace in detail the origin and evolution of the idea of anti-missile construction in the United States in the early stages of the Cold War. The novelty of this work consists in its investigation of the origins of the American anti-missile defense system and its influence on the formation of the US strategic forces during the period of the "cold" war, which has not been given much attention to previously in Russian historiography. The author pays special attention to the process of financing the anti-missile defense and demonstrates the transition of the US military leadership from the abstract idea of protecting the territory of the entire country to the defense of particular sites that are of key importance for national security.

Abstract: The author studies the transformations of decision-making in the sphere of strategic weapons launched by American President Richard Nixon. The author studies the example of the missile defense program “Safeguard” and considers the modernization of the mechanism of functioning of the National Security Council and Henry Kissinger’s work aimed at this organization restructuring. Special attention is given to the formation of the tandem Nixon-Kissinger and the interaction between these politicians in decision-making in the sphere of missile defense. The author uses the historical-system, historical-comparative and historical-typological methods. To study H. Kissinger’s reforms as the National Security Advisor, the author applies the historical-comparative method. The work of Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, considered in this piece, is a poorly studied area of Russian historiography. The author gives attention to this political tandem’s functioning and concludes about its primary role in decision-making in the sphere of missile defense of the USA in 1968 – 1971. 

Abstract: This article discusses validity of opinions during the Senate debate on “Safeguard” missile defense system. The object of this research is senators’ arguments, presented after the decision-making on the problem. The author gives a detailed structure of their arguments and analyzes them. He pays special attention to senators’ statements on the US National Security or “Safeguard” technical characteristics. The author also defines influence of legislators’ arguments on the ideological split regarding the missile defense system. The main methods used in the articles are historical-typological and historical-systematic. The method of historical periodisation was used while reviewing the results of vote on missile defense issue. Research novelty lies in tracing connections between legislators’ argumentation and the ideological split in regards to the missile defense system. The author’s particular contribution to the topic is represented by grouping senators’ arguments into several categories, which allows to expose their position. The article also approaches the problem of party split regarding the missile defense system.

Abstract: The author studies the issue of the US deterrence doctrine evolution in the 1950s – 1960s. Special attention is paid to the role played by the RAND Corporation analysts in this process. The origins of nuclear deterrence theories, their evolving and influence on the decision-making process in the United States during the early period of the Cold War are also regarded in this article. The author pays special attention to the stages of the American nuclear deterrence evolvement and to the role of the RAND Corporation in its establishing and further development. The methods of historical comparison, historical typology and historical periodization are the essential approaches exploited in the article. The review of nuclear deterrence evolvement in the RAND analysts' works, particularly in those written by B.Brodie and D.Elssberg is a feature of the article novelty. The transition from mutual assured destruction doctrine to the theory of nuclear balance in the relations between the superpowers is also stuided. The author brings into application the mathematical expression of nuclear deterrence, offered by A. Lee Burns, D. Ellsberg and D. Hunter.