Russia in Transition: The Diplomatic Papers of David R. Francis, U.S. Ambassador to Russia
- Location: McKeldin Library
Location Code & Call Number: MCK PER M-FILM E183.8.S65R87 - Francis, David Rowland. Russia in Transition: The Diplomatic
Papers of David R. Francis, U.S. Ambassador to Russia.
11 Reels.
Description
This collection reproduces the official papers of United States Ambassador to Russia David Rowland Francis. It covers a time period from the beginning of 1916 to the end of 1918.
Items are chronologically ordered.
David Rowland Francis (1850-1927) is not a household name and, for most of his career, there is reasonable justification for the obscurity he presently enjoys. However, he was the United States ambassasor to Russia starting just before the Russian Revolution. He remained as U.S. ambassador through the time of the Bolshevik coup and the early stages of the Russian Civil War. In this capacity he was a witness to and a participant in some of the most important historical events of this century. It is this period of his life that is covered by this microfilm collection.
The papers of David Francis consist of fifty six boxes of material held by the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis. This microfilm collection is a selection of materials from boxes 19 through 35 of the Francis Papers and cover his tenure as ambassador to Russia. Included here are official and semi-official correspondence, speech transcripts, press accounts and other materials relevant to Russian affairs. Strictly personal correspondence, personal financial records, incoming correspondence which says nothing about Russian affairs, and other material in this vein has been excluded. Thus, this is not meant to be a biographical collection on the life of David Francis. Its focus is on Russia.
The index to this collection is in two parts. Part one is a reel index. In this section the general contents of each reel of microfilm are listed in chronological order. For example, for September 16-19, 1916, it is noted that there are 35 pages of material described as "Embassy Correspondence; Consular Activities." It is further noted that this material begins on frame 0420 of reel 2. Each frame on each reel of the microfilm in this collection is numbered in white letters in a black border which runs along the top edge of the reel.
Part 2 of the index is a subject index. Broad subject headings are listed and the reader is referred to reel and frame numbers relating to them. Thus, for example, it is noted that there is something concerning the revolutionary propagandist Karl Radek in the section which begins on frame 0376 of reel number 8. What that something might be is not mentioned in the index.
It should also be noted that after returning to the United States, Ambassador Francis wrote a book about his experiences in Russia called, Russia From the American Embassy, April, 1916-November, 1918 (MCK & HBK DK265.F64). While there is no direct connection between the book and this collection, Russia From the American Embassy may be useful in putting some of the material in the Russia in Transition microfilm collection in context.
Index/Guide
The following source provides more detailed information about the contents of each microfilm reel in the collection:- MCK REF E183.8.S65R871
- Russia in Transition: The Diplomatic Papers of David R. Francis, U.S. Ambassador to Russia, 1916-1918. Advisory editor Dr. Robert Chadwell Williams. Edited by Robert Lester.
