Diary
Maurice Hankey’s diary from March 1915 to April 1917 during which time he worked as Secretary of the War Council and from 1916, Secretary of the War Cabinet. Most of the diary is written by Maurice, but the first month is written by Adeline on Maurice’s behalf, as well as on a few other occasions. Also includes annotations by Stephen Roskill, cross-referencing the diary entries with Maurice Hankey’s ‘The Supreme Command, 1914-1918’.
For loose diary pages for 26 Mar-5 Apr 1916 and 2-9 Jan 1917, see HNKY 1/2.
Topics for 1915 include: discussions regarding rearmament; proposed Russian attack on Constantinople; the Dardanelles military campaign; accounts of meetings with colleagues (including Arthur Balfour, John Fisher, Herbert Kitchener, King George V; Winston Churchill; Edward Grey, Edwin Montagu; Douglas Haig; Henry Wilson; William Robertson; Arthur Bigge; Reginald Esher; Noel Buxton, Austen Chamberlain); dispute between John Morley and Richard Haldane; visiting the trenches in Ypres; meetings of the Turkey Committee; heated discussions with Mark Sykes; Fisher’s resignation; the Prime Minister's response to the coalition government; attending the First Calais Conference; discussions on National Service with Reginald McKenna; reflections on Cabinet reports; first meeting of the War Committee; George Curzon’s resignation form the Cabinet; helping Bonar Law with military affairs; attending conferences in Paris; suspicions about [Aristide] Briand [French Prime Minister] and French military strategy; the Prime Minister’s dislike for Kitchener; evacuation of Cape Helle; the creation of a separate war committee. Also includes brief comments about Adeline’s movements (such as supporting her mother and preparing Maurice for various trips) and family outings.
Topics for 1916 include: meeting with Walter Runciman to discuss financial aspects of military strategy; attending the Military Finance Committee; receiving the Office de Legion d’Honours; preparations for submarine campaign against Germany; work as Secretary to the Committee of Imperial Defence; receiving the Knight Commander (KCB) from the Prime Minister; meetings with Sir Douglas Haig, David Lloyd George, Harold Baker, Henry Hobhouse, Luigi Cadorna [Italian Commander in Chief]; attending meetings of Lord Derby’s War Air Committee, Prime Minister’s Peace Book Committee; conferences in Paris and Rome; preparing speech notes on the introduction of conscription of married men; coaching Bonar Law for debate; attending meetings of the Reconstruction Committee; frustrations with General Staff; argument with Balfour on international arbitration; seeing trials of Caterpillar tractors; Hankey’s role as intermediary between the Prime Minister [Asquith] and the Admiralty; naval losses; Kitchener’s death; attending conference in France; defending Lloyd George against the King [George V]; visiting ships damaged in the Battle of Jutland; the death of Adeline and Maurice’s daughter during childbirth; working on Dardanelles enquiry; death of Maurice’s brother, Donald who was killed in action; attending conference in Boulogne; frustrations at arranging War Council meetings; discussions about rationing; meeting journalists; political crisis between Asquith and Lloyd George; Lloyd George becoming Prime Minister; setting up of, and thoughts on, new War Cabinet.
Topics for 1917 include: Attending the Anglo-French Conference and conference in Rome; frustrations at Lloyd George cancelling meetings; Lloyd George’s anger towards Neville Chamberlain and complaints about Haig; anti-submarine warfare; agricultural policy; attending the Calais Conference; responses to proposal to place British army under French command [under the French General Robert Nivelle]; disagreements between Haig and Nivelle; attack on Hankey by the ‘National News’; Dominion Premiers attending Cabinet meeting; preparations for Imperial War Cabinet; invasion of Palestine; frustrations at War Council meetings; Colonial Office excluding Hankey from King’s Luncheon; travelling to Paris and Calais.
For loose diary pages for 26 Mar-5 Apr 1916 and 2-9 Jan 1917, see HNKY 1/2.
Topics for 1915 include: discussions regarding rearmament; proposed Russian attack on Constantinople; the Dardanelles military campaign; accounts of meetings with colleagues (including Arthur Balfour, John Fisher, Herbert Kitchener, King George V; Winston Churchill; Edward Grey, Edwin Montagu; Douglas Haig; Henry Wilson; William Robertson; Arthur Bigge; Reginald Esher; Noel Buxton, Austen Chamberlain); dispute between John Morley and Richard Haldane; visiting the trenches in Ypres; meetings of the Turkey Committee; heated discussions with Mark Sykes; Fisher’s resignation; the Prime Minister's response to the coalition government; attending the First Calais Conference; discussions on National Service with Reginald McKenna; reflections on Cabinet reports; first meeting of the War Committee; George Curzon’s resignation form the Cabinet; helping Bonar Law with military affairs; attending conferences in Paris; suspicions about [Aristide] Briand [French Prime Minister] and French military strategy; the Prime Minister’s dislike for Kitchener; evacuation of Cape Helle; the creation of a separate war committee. Also includes brief comments about Adeline’s movements (such as supporting her mother and preparing Maurice for various trips) and family outings.
Topics for 1916 include: meeting with Walter Runciman to discuss financial aspects of military strategy; attending the Military Finance Committee; receiving the Office de Legion d’Honours; preparations for submarine campaign against Germany; work as Secretary to the Committee of Imperial Defence; receiving the Knight Commander (KCB) from the Prime Minister; meetings with Sir Douglas Haig, David Lloyd George, Harold Baker, Henry Hobhouse, Luigi Cadorna [Italian Commander in Chief]; attending meetings of Lord Derby’s War Air Committee, Prime Minister’s Peace Book Committee; conferences in Paris and Rome; preparing speech notes on the introduction of conscription of married men; coaching Bonar Law for debate; attending meetings of the Reconstruction Committee; frustrations with General Staff; argument with Balfour on international arbitration; seeing trials of Caterpillar tractors; Hankey’s role as intermediary between the Prime Minister [Asquith] and the Admiralty; naval losses; Kitchener’s death; attending conference in France; defending Lloyd George against the King [George V]; visiting ships damaged in the Battle of Jutland; the death of Adeline and Maurice’s daughter during childbirth; working on Dardanelles enquiry; death of Maurice’s brother, Donald who was killed in action; attending conference in Boulogne; frustrations at arranging War Council meetings; discussions about rationing; meeting journalists; political crisis between Asquith and Lloyd George; Lloyd George becoming Prime Minister; setting up of, and thoughts on, new War Cabinet.
Topics for 1917 include: Attending the Anglo-French Conference and conference in Rome; frustrations at Lloyd George cancelling meetings; Lloyd George’s anger towards Neville Chamberlain and complaints about Haig; anti-submarine warfare; agricultural policy; attending the Calais Conference; responses to proposal to place British army under French command [under the French General Robert Nivelle]; disagreements between Haig and Nivelle; attack on Hankey by the ‘National News’; Dominion Premiers attending Cabinet meeting; preparations for Imperial War Cabinet; invasion of Palestine; frustrations at War Council meetings; Colonial Office excluding Hankey from King’s Luncheon; travelling to Paris and Calais.