Description
Object description
British civilian politician served as Foreign Secretary in GB, 1935-1938; served as Secretary of State for War in GB, 1940; served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in GB, 1940-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as Secretary of State for War in GB, 1940: joining coalition government, 5/1940; attending meeting with French Government; morale in British Army after Dunkirk Evacuation, 1940; atmosphere after Dunkirk Evacuation, 1940; shortage of military equipment in south of England, 6/1940; question of feasibility of German invasion, 1940; long term strategy, 1940; visit by Wendell Willkie to GB, 1941; decision to fight Axis forces in North Africa.
REEL 2 Continues: sending first troops to Middle East; opinion of Italian Forces; General Archibald Wavell's request for Matilda II Tanks. Recollections of period as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in GB, 1940-1945: visit to Egypt to meet General Archibald Wavell to discuss sending British troops to Greece, 1941; effect of delaying German forces in Balkans on timing of invasion of Soviet Union; German plan to attack Turkey; reaction to Josef Stalin's offer of aid to Yugoslavs, 1941.
REEL 3 Continues: opinion of campaign in Balkans; Prime Minister Winston Churchill's reaction to fall of Tobruk, Libya, 6/1942; importance of parliamentary criticism of government in wartime; visit to Moscow, Soviet Union, 12/1941; impressions of German prisoners of war in Moscow, Soviet Union, 12/1941; impressions of Josef Stalin; initial suspicious nature of Soviets over question of aid; Josef Stalin's aid demands and pushing for Second Front; opinion of Josef Stalin's aims, 1941.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as Foreign Secretary in GB, 1935-1938: differences between himself and Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain over dealings with Benito Mussolini during 1930s; work to improve relations with Americans, 1938; Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's reaction to American proposals for conference, 1938; opinion of Munich Agreement, 9/1938; reasons for Anglo-French naval patrols in Mediterranean, 1938; question of how Munich Agreement was seen after event. Recollections of period as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in GB, 1940-1945: summary of Greek Campaign, 1941; nature of Josef Stalin's demands, 1941; gradual change in Soviet attitude towards British.
REEL 5 Continues: question of Soviet treatment of British Merchant Navy personnel; Prime Minister Winston Churchill's belief in key importance of President Franklin D Roosevelt; source of difficulties with American delegation at Yalta Conference; impressions of President Franklin D Roosevelt; unwillingness of Americans to talk about Polish issue at Tehran and Yalta Conferences; American attitude towards General Charles De Gaulle and future of France; Anglo-American friction over unconditional surrender of Germany.
REEL 6 Continues: persuading Americans to make first landings in North Africa, 1942; American suspicion that British may drag them into the Balkans; allaying Soviet suspicions about Second Front at tri-partite conference in Moscow, Soviet Union, 1943; character of Moscow Conference, Soviet Union, 1943; character of Tehran Conference, Iran, 1943; amusing remark by Stalin at Tehran Conference; opinion of Russian stance on Warsaw Uprising, 8/1944; opinion of percentage agreement of spheres of influence drawn up between Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin; question of lack of preparations for Yalta Conference and President Franklin D Roosevelt's time scale for negotiations.
REEL 7 Continues: assessment of President Franklin D Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin as negotiators; reaction to American and Soviet agreement on Far East at Yalta Conference; change in American position towards Soviet Union after Yalta Conference; President Harry S Truman's approach at Potsdam Conference; dissatisifaction of British delegation about Oder-Neisse Line agreement at Potsdam Conference; how Josef Stalin received news of atomic bomb at Potsdam Conference; General George Marshall's views on campaign against Japanese, 6/1945.
REEL 8 Continues: question of use of atomic bomb and degree of British knowledge; assessment of how the world changed as result of Second World War; how US changed as result of Second World War; views for world leadership; background to making joint statement on fate of Jews, 1942; question of whether Auschwitz Concentration Camp complex should have been bombed.