Diary
Maurice Hankey’s diary from April 1917 to July 1918, during which time he worked as Secretary to the War Cabinet.
Diary entries for the following periods were bound in a separate volume (HNKY 1/4): 31st October – 17th November 1917; 26th November – 2nd December 1917; 21st January – 4 February 1918; 22nd – 26th March 1918; 2nd – 3rd April 1918; 31st May – 4th June 1918;1st – 5th July 1918.
Topics for 1917 include: [David] Lloyd George’s Admiralty Enquiry; War Cabinet Meetings; attending conference in Paris; creation of new department on shipbuilding headed up by [Eric] Geddes (Shipping Controller); articles published on submarine warfare; reflections on the efficiency of his office; suspicions that Hankey had leaked War Cabinet minutes; description of his workload; disputes between Lloyd George, [William] Robertson and [Douglas] Haig over attack on the Belgian Front; [John] Jellicoe’s pessimism over shipping; argument with Geddes over Lloyd George revealing confidential information; Maurice’s interview with the Shipping Controllers Committee; Lloyd George’s invitation to Maurice to become first Sea Lord; Mesopotamia Commission; military offensive in the Balkans; air raids in London; changes to the War Cabinet; Lloyd George calling for attack on Italian Front; writing report on War Policy and line taken at the Inter-Allies Peace Conference; meeting Winston Churchill [Minister of Munitions]; attending Paris conference; movement of troops to Egypt; [Ramsay] MacDonald travelling to Paris; overhaul of War Cabinet work; discussing separate peace with Bulgaria; Flander’s offensive; Maurice’s holiday in Eastbourne; Anglo-French conference; [Arthur] Henderson’s resignation; Lloyd George reporting to War Cabinet about secret peace negotiation between France and Austria; Maurice’s thoughts on women leaking military secrets to the enemy; Mark Sykes’s guarantee to the Seamen and Fireman’s Union; persuading Geddes and Lord Darby not to resign; Italian offensive; drafting letters for Lloyd George to send to President Wilson; [Ferdinand] Foch’s visit relating to the Italian offensive; military action in Turkey; opening peace negotiations with Germany; conference at Boulogne; helping the French to set up War Committe; visiting Haig’s headquarters; discussion with George Buchanan [Ambassador in Petrograd] over peace negotiations; Ursula [Maurice’s daughter] suffering from appendicitis and praise for Adeline’s [Maurice’s wife] response; military developments in Turkey and Syria; receiving the French Legion d'Honneur; attending inaugural weekend at Chequers; Lord Derby’s proposal to make [Herbert] Asquith Ambassador in Paris; split between war generals; criticisms of Jellicoe’s response to Norwegian convoy; evacuating Italian territory; [Luigi] Cardona’s defeat; proposal for Inter-Allied Council; plan for League of Nations International War Cabinet; British response to Bolsheviks; Geddes becoming Director of Allied Transport; 2nd report of the Dardanelles Commission; Maurice’s frustrations with the War Office.
Topics for 1918 include: Meeting Sidney and Beatrice Webb; naval policy; Robertson’s resignation; War Council removing Embassy from Petrograd; Japanese intervention in Siberia; giving evidence to Lord Haldane’s committee on reconstruction of government; Haig not providing quotas demanded of Executive War Board; German attacks; conscription in Ireland; [Alfred] Milner’s criticisms of the War Cabinet; Man Power Bill; incorporation of US troops in British brigades; appointment of committee to draw up Irish Home Rule Bill; removal of [Hugh] Trenchard [as Chief of Air Staff] and replacement by Sykes; Adeline feeling run down; Lloyd George’s decision to add Austin Chamberlain to the War Cabinet; possible evacuation of Channel Ports; German peace offensive; newspaper reports on Lloyd George and Bonar Law giving false statements to House of Commons; reflections on Lloyd George’s private meetings alongside that of the War Cabinet; holiday in Whitstable; [John] Seeley’s lack of confidence in Haig; evacuation of Ypres and Dunkirk and possible withdrawal of army from France; outburst from Lord Robert Cecil against War Cabinet’s conduct relating to Japanese intervention; Robert Borden’s criticisms of military efforts in Northern France; Lloyd George meeting the Japanese Ambassador; Italian victory; drafting paper on Allied intervention in Russia; escalation in Palestine; President Wilson’s intervention proposals; [Winston] Churchill’s desire to fight in France; development of relationships with Dominion Prime Ministers and Cabinet; concluding remarks on contents of diary.
Diary entries for the following periods were bound in a separate volume (HNKY 1/4): 31st October – 17th November 1917; 26th November – 2nd December 1917; 21st January – 4 February 1918; 22nd – 26th March 1918; 2nd – 3rd April 1918; 31st May – 4th June 1918;1st – 5th July 1918.
Topics for 1917 include: [David] Lloyd George’s Admiralty Enquiry; War Cabinet Meetings; attending conference in Paris; creation of new department on shipbuilding headed up by [Eric] Geddes (Shipping Controller); articles published on submarine warfare; reflections on the efficiency of his office; suspicions that Hankey had leaked War Cabinet minutes; description of his workload; disputes between Lloyd George, [William] Robertson and [Douglas] Haig over attack on the Belgian Front; [John] Jellicoe’s pessimism over shipping; argument with Geddes over Lloyd George revealing confidential information; Maurice’s interview with the Shipping Controllers Committee; Lloyd George’s invitation to Maurice to become first Sea Lord; Mesopotamia Commission; military offensive in the Balkans; air raids in London; changes to the War Cabinet; Lloyd George calling for attack on Italian Front; writing report on War Policy and line taken at the Inter-Allies Peace Conference; meeting Winston Churchill [Minister of Munitions]; attending Paris conference; movement of troops to Egypt; [Ramsay] MacDonald travelling to Paris; overhaul of War Cabinet work; discussing separate peace with Bulgaria; Flander’s offensive; Maurice’s holiday in Eastbourne; Anglo-French conference; [Arthur] Henderson’s resignation; Lloyd George reporting to War Cabinet about secret peace negotiation between France and Austria; Maurice’s thoughts on women leaking military secrets to the enemy; Mark Sykes’s guarantee to the Seamen and Fireman’s Union; persuading Geddes and Lord Darby not to resign; Italian offensive; drafting letters for Lloyd George to send to President Wilson; [Ferdinand] Foch’s visit relating to the Italian offensive; military action in Turkey; opening peace negotiations with Germany; conference at Boulogne; helping the French to set up War Committe; visiting Haig’s headquarters; discussion with George Buchanan [Ambassador in Petrograd] over peace negotiations; Ursula [Maurice’s daughter] suffering from appendicitis and praise for Adeline’s [Maurice’s wife] response; military developments in Turkey and Syria; receiving the French Legion d'Honneur; attending inaugural weekend at Chequers; Lord Derby’s proposal to make [Herbert] Asquith Ambassador in Paris; split between war generals; criticisms of Jellicoe’s response to Norwegian convoy; evacuating Italian territory; [Luigi] Cardona’s defeat; proposal for Inter-Allied Council; plan for League of Nations International War Cabinet; British response to Bolsheviks; Geddes becoming Director of Allied Transport; 2nd report of the Dardanelles Commission; Maurice’s frustrations with the War Office.
Topics for 1918 include: Meeting Sidney and Beatrice Webb; naval policy; Robertson’s resignation; War Council removing Embassy from Petrograd; Japanese intervention in Siberia; giving evidence to Lord Haldane’s committee on reconstruction of government; Haig not providing quotas demanded of Executive War Board; German attacks; conscription in Ireland; [Alfred] Milner’s criticisms of the War Cabinet; Man Power Bill; incorporation of US troops in British brigades; appointment of committee to draw up Irish Home Rule Bill; removal of [Hugh] Trenchard [as Chief of Air Staff] and replacement by Sykes; Adeline feeling run down; Lloyd George’s decision to add Austin Chamberlain to the War Cabinet; possible evacuation of Channel Ports; German peace offensive; newspaper reports on Lloyd George and Bonar Law giving false statements to House of Commons; reflections on Lloyd George’s private meetings alongside that of the War Cabinet; holiday in Whitstable; [John] Seeley’s lack of confidence in Haig; evacuation of Ypres and Dunkirk and possible withdrawal of army from France; outburst from Lord Robert Cecil against War Cabinet’s conduct relating to Japanese intervention; Robert Borden’s criticisms of military efforts in Northern France; Lloyd George meeting the Japanese Ambassador; Italian victory; drafting paper on Allied intervention in Russia; escalation in Palestine; President Wilson’s intervention proposals; [Winston] Churchill’s desire to fight in France; development of relationships with Dominion Prime Ministers and Cabinet; concluding remarks on contents of diary.