Harvard Project on Cold War Studies The stated function of the Harvard Project on Cold War Studies ( HPWCS ) is to further the progress of , and actively encourage the ongoing primary research of archival , Cold War documents in the former Eastern - bloc nations . These documents have only become available since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 , and rapidly increase in numbers year by year . This function , or focus , is then combined with the intent to build on and apply the knowledge gained from this process . The project also encourages scholars and students to apply insights gained from research to current discourses pertaining to areas of international and domestic politics . Overview . Another component of this focus is helping to sort through these documents with the " Cold War International History Project " ( CWIHP ) , and the " National Security Archive " , which have the lead sorting through these documents . Therefore , the Harvard project adds the resources of a its large and distinguished university to this substantial task . Furthermore , this process allows the project to derive knowledge and lessons that are relevant to current policy , from the Cold War archives . The overarching theme of these lessons is realizing that direct military confrontation was avoided , despite the occurrence of critical situations and dilemmas . The results are recommendations for managing or avoiding post – Cold War conflicts , and for dealing with the poliferation of post war nuclear weapons . Deriving such lessons then becomes applicable to enhancing what is known about Cold War events and themes . Scholars and student researchers are able to communicate their applicable insights through scholarly publications which this project sponsors . These publications include the " Harvard Cold War Studies Book Series " and the peer - reviewed " Journal of Cold War Studies " . Disseminating knowledge . Conduits for disseminating knowledge derived from these efforts are accessible declassified documents via the internet , the " Ethnic Conflict and Nationalist Unrest " project , the nuclear weapons history exhibit ( also available online ) , highlighting cold war subject areas ( also available online ) , and the aforementioned Journal of Cold War Studies . Another conduit is the aforementioned Harvard Cold War Studies Book Series consisting of eight volumes as of 2006 , while several more are being edited or are in production ( 2006 ) . Book Series . The book series is in keeping with the goals of this project by disseminating knowledge gained from studying primary document s , including first hand account s , and reviewing cold war events and themes from different perspectives , including hindsight . With the book series archival evidence is brought forward to the post - cold - war perspective . The evidence is applied to determine the validity of theoretical concepts composed during the cold war as a result of events during that time period . Rowman & Littlefield publishes the books of this series . A two stage review process resulted in contents consisting of original monogaraphs , and edited selected collections . An editing board consisting of 32 scholars , who are consisdered to be distinguished , were consulted when selecting books for this series . Board membership is international in scope with members from colleges and universities in Budapest , Moscow , Prague , Rome , Fontainebleau ( France ) , Warsaw , and various universities throughout the United States . In the following sections some of the books are given a brief overview : Redrawing nations . Redrawing Nations : Ethnic Cleansing in East - Central Europe , 1944 - 1948 World War II had ended . Forced migrations for millions occurred as they were forced to leave their homes , and be repatriated to their supposed countries of origins . This affected 12 million Germans , 3 million Poles and Ukrainians , and tens of thousands of Hungarians . The book " . . . explores ways ethnic cleansing helped sustain Communist rule and was sustained by it . It demonstrates how ethnic cleansing figured in the Cold War . " . . . " But the forced transfers occurred with the consent of the US and British governments . "