Alexander Cadogan diaries

The diaries of Alexander Cadogan , a diplomat who attended major inter-allied conferences and Cabinet meetings during the Second World War, covering the period 1936-1941 and 1945.
Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/15
Date:
1945 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relationships with Churchill, the War Cabinet, and the Foreign Office; Cadogan's involvement in overseas diplomatic visits, including meetings at Alupka, Athens, Cairo, Washington, and San Francisco; Cadogan's role in the Malta Conference, Yalta Conference, and the United Nations Conference on International Organisation; the Allied invasion of Germany; negotiations over the Polish question and Soviet actions in Eastern Europe; reactions to the death of Roosevelt; remarks on the 1945 General Election campaign, including listening to a radio broadcast of a speech by Churchill; thoughts on Attlee's new Cabinet; discussions surrounding the atomic bomb; news of the Japanese surrender; and Cadogan's comments on wartime affairs and events, and the arrival of peace.
Collection:
The Papers of Sir Alexander George Montagu Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/10
Date:
1941 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relationships within the Foreign Office, in particular with Anthony Eden; Cadogan's insight into the Axis campaigns in the Balkans; diplomatic concerns regarding Britain's activities in North Africa and Persia [now Iran]; reception of intelligence in advance of Hitler’s planned attack on Russia; Cadogan's opinions and influence upon Churchill's communications with Roosevelt, the voyage to the USA aboard the H.M.S. Prince of Wales and the drafting of the Joint Declaration/Atlantic Charter; voyage to Soviet Union with Eden to conduct talks with Stalin and Molotov, including discussion on future Soviet frontiers; description of a journey on the Metropolitan line from Marylebone to Wendover, with comments on urban sprawl; and Cadogan's first-hand accounts of wartime affairs and events, including damage caused by the Blitz in Westminster, news reports on shipping, and exasperated comments on the quality of B.B.C. news reportage.
Collection:
The Papers of Sir Alexander George Montagu Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/9
Date:
1940 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relationships within the Foreign Office and diplomatic service, including with Samuel Hore-Belisha and The Viscount Halifax; the work load at the Foreign Office and Cadogan's increasing strain; the crisis with the ice-free harbour at Narvik in Norway in April 1940; the intrigue surrounding a new prime minister and the invasion of Holland and Belgium in May 1940 as well as the general progress of war and the consequences of the fall of France in the summer of 1940.
Collection:
The Papers of Sir Alexander George Montagu Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/8
Date:
1939 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relationships inside the Foreign Office and diplomatic service with a sense of the complexities of British governmental policy; a trip to Rome in January 1939 to visit Mussolini regarding Hitler's in Europe; Franco and the Spanish Civil War; the German occupation of Prague in March 1939; Italian occupation of Albania; the challenges of working with the Soviet Union; the build up to war, with the declaration of war against Germany and her allies, and the following 'Phoney War' as well as social and family events.
Collection:
The Papers of Sir Alexander George Montagu Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/7
Date:
1938 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relationships inside the Foreign Office and diplomatic service; the Abyssinian crisis and relations with Italy as differing to those with Germany; the Anglo-American and Anglo-French relationships; Anthony Eden's resignation in February; the Czechoslovakian crisis and the Munich Agreement; the policies of rearmament and appeasement and the League of Nations as well as social and family events.
Collection:
The Papers of Sir Alexander George Montagu Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/6
Date:
1937 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relationships within the Foreign Office and diplomatic service; the growing threat of Hitler and Mussolini; the challenges of, and opinions on, British foreign policy; international relations with, in particular, Italy, Spain, Japan, China, France and the United States of America; the Spanish Civil War and the Non-Intervention Committee; paralysis at the League of Nations; the Abyssinian and Sudetenland Crises and the Imperial Conference as well as social and family events.
Collection:
The Papers of Sir Alexander George Montagu Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/5
Date:
1936-09-09-1936-12-31 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: Cadogan's relationship with and his role within the Foreign Office; the atmosphere within the Foreign Office and his opinions on international relations with Germany, Italy, Japan and China; the status of the Abyssinian delegation to the League of Nations and the abdication of King Edward VIII as well as social and family events.
Collection:
The Papers of Sir Alexander George Montagu Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/4
Date:
1936-01-01-1936-09-09 (creation)
Description:
Diary of the final few months of Cadogan's time in China and his new role as Joint Deputy Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office in 1936. Subjects covered include: his relationship with important figures within the Foreign Office when in China, such as Frederick Leith-Ross and in London; the relationship between China and Japan and meetings with Chiang Kai-Shek; the death of King George V; a meeting with King Edward VIII; problems within the Foreign Office; his trip to the Montreaux Conference and the spectre of Hitler in Europe as well as social and family events.
Collection:
The Papers of Sir Alexander George Montagu Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/13
Date:
1944 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relationships with Churchill, the War Cabinet, and the Foreign Office; Cadogan's involvement in overseas diplomatic visits; ongoing disputes between the Soviet Union and Poland relating to borders and the Curzon Line; meetings and preparations for Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings; notes on the progress of the Italian Campaign and Allied progress in France, Belgium, and Greece; discussions on 'World Organisation' and post-war planning; concerns regarding the health of Churchill and Eden; notes on birth of first grandchild and leisure activities including gardening and drawing; and comments on wartime affairs and events, including notes on the damage caused by German aerial bombing of London, U-boat sinkings, and the introduction of V-1 'Flying Bombs'.
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/23
Date:
1952 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: United Nations Association meetings; Suez Canal Company business; National Provincial Bank business; the death and funeral of King George VI; Cadogan's refusal of the Secretary-Generalship of NATO; Cadogan's appointment as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC; Cadogan's reaction to the installation of his television set, at the BBC's request; meetings at Broadcasting House; comments on BBC departments, staff, and the printing of an issue of "Radio Times"; negotiations surrounding the appointment of a new Director General of the BBC; and arrangements for the Coronation broadcast. Also includes comments on leisure pursuits and household management; shopping and rationing; a trip to the gardens at Sissinghurst, where Cadogan meets Vita and Harold Sackville-West; and visits to art galleries, concerts, and theatre in London; and various social engagements, especially involving Canasta.
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/35
Date:
1964 (creation)
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/16
Date:
1946-01-01-1946-01-21, 1-21 January 1946 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relationships with Ernest Bevin and the Foreign Office; Cadogan's role in the first meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organisation, and his pessimistic account of the progress made at delegation meetings; and comments on books read while travelling, including disparaging remarks on Douglas Goldring's "The Nineteen Twenties".
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/29
Date:
1958 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: account of a trip to South Africa; English Speaking Union committee meetings; Phoenix Assurance Company business; comments on domestic service and household management; notes on an exhibition including Cadogan's paintings at the Chenil Gallery; accounts of holidays in Portmeirion and the Cotswolds; Cadogan's experience of renting studio space for painting at The Slade; thoughts on reading works of art criticism; and preparations for Christmas. Also includes comments on leisure pursuits such as watching television, listening to the radio, and gardening; visits to art galleries, concerts, and the cinema; and various social engagements. Includes illustrated souvenir log from the R.M.S. "Pretoria Castle" voyage from Cape Town to Southampton (February-March 1958) and postcard of the R.M.S. "Pretoria Castle" with Cadogan's annotations.
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/34
Date:
1963 (creation)
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/37
Date:
1966 (creation)
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/39
Date:
1968 (creation)
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/17
Date:
1946-01-22-1946-11-21, 22 January-21 November 1946 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: Cadogan's appointment as Permanent Representative of the UK Government to the United Nations; relationships with United Nations delegates and the Foreign Office; United Nations resolutions; Security Council negotiations on subjects including uses of the veto and withdrawal of troops from Syria, Lebanon, and Iran; discussions relating to the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission and reaction to proposals of Bernard Baruch; and comments on leisure activities, such as shopping, golf, and the theatre, and various social engagements in New York.
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/18
Date:
1946-11-21-1947-12-31, 21 November 1946-31 December 1947 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relationships with United Nations committees, the British Delegation, and the Foreign Office; notes on the development of United Nations procedures and elections; the admission of new member states Yemen and Pakistan; discussions relating to United Nations Security Council resolutions and the Partition Plan for Palestine; Cadogan's attendance at working committee meetings regarding atomic energy and the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission; comments on golf, concerts, and other leisure activities and social engagements in New York.
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/12
Date:
1943 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relationships with Churchill, the War Cabinet, and the Foreign Office; Cadogan's role as an intermediary between Churchill and statesmen including Anthony Eden and Charles De Gaulle; Cadogan's involvement in overseas diplomatic visits; Turkey's relationship with the Allied powers and strained relations with the Soviet Union, including discussions with Ismet Inönü at the Adana Conference; the increasingly hostile relations between the Soviet Union and Poland and the discovery of the Katyn Massacre; discussions surrounding the Allied invasions of Italy and Sicily, including Operation Husky and interventions in Italian East Africa [later Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia]; Cadogan's involvement in the Quebec Conference, Cairo Conference, and Tehran Conference; initial preparations for Operation Overlord; Cadogan's view of the Churchill family's visit to Harvard to collect Churchill's honorary degree; Cadogan's opinion of Harold Laski's "Reflections on the Revolution of Our Time"; and comments on wartime affairs and events, including the increasingly heavy aerial bombardment of German cities and German bombing raids on London.
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/14
Date:
1944-08-05-1944-09-29, 5 August-29 September 1944 (creation)
Description:
Diary of Cadogan's involvement in the Dumbarton Oaks and Second Quebec Conferences in the autumn of 1944. Subjects covered include: discussions surrounding the formation of the United Nations Security Council, including negotiations over voting procedure and rights of veto for member states; interaction with the press and photographers; Cadogan's reaction to hearing his own voice on a Paramount film of the Dumbarton Oaks Conference; and comments on travel, dinners, and books read.
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/36
Date:
1965 (creation)
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/27
Date:
1956 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: private meetings with Ian Jacob at the BBC; National Provincial Bank business; private meetings with Foreign Office officials including Ivone Kirkpatrick; United Nations Association meetings; Suez Canal Company business, including news of crisis and responses to nationalisation by Gamal Abdel Nassar; BBC Board of Governors meetings and policy discussions, including remarks on the BBC's relationship with the government, competition with commercial television, and audience research and viewing figures; Cadogan's response to the production of new talk show "Is This Your Problem?"; negotiations over BBC editorial responsibility in the case of Kathleen Bliss's "Fundamental Debate" project on the philosophy of religion; and Cadogan's sittings for his portrait by Duncan Grant. Also includes comments on leisure pursuits such as watching television and gardening; the progress of Cadogan's lessons in painting; visits to art galleries, concerts, and the cinema, and various social engagements.
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/38
Date:
1967 (creation)
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/1
Date:
1933 (creation)
Description:
Diary covering Cadogan's final year as British representative to the League of Nations. Subjects covered include: the defence of the Great Wall in January [precursor of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937]; repercussions within the League of the Lytton Report and the Anglo-Persian Oil Agreement; the Geneva Disarmament Conference [1932-1934]; strong opinions on the position of the British cabinet and his colleagues; growing concern at the menace of Germany and treatment of Jewish citizens; and social and family events including preparations for moving to China. Ends with a moving entry about hope for a different kind of story in 1934.
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan


Diary
Reference Code:
ACAD 1/20
Date:
1949 (creation)
Description:
Diary. Subjects covered include: relations with United Nations committees, the British Delegation, especially with Barbara Castle, and the Foreign Office; Cadogan's inspection of building plans and models for the new United Nations Council Chamber; notes on progress with the United Nations Atomic Energy commission, the Commission for India and Pakistan, and the Commission for Conventional Armaments; discussions relating to United Nations Security Council resolutions on Indonesia, Palestine, and trusteeship of strategic areas; notes regarding Cadogan's visit to California and Nevada, including visits to the Huntington Library, Universal Filmstudios, and the Grand Canyon; the admission of Israel to the United Nations; reactions to the Communist Revolution in China; discussions surrounding relief for refugees and human rights; rearmament in West Germany [later part of Germany]; comments on social engagements, golf, and other leisure activities, especially Canasta.
Collection:
The Papers of Alexander and Theodosia Cadogan