An Historian in Peace and War: The Diaries of Harold TemperleyT.G. Otte The First World War and subsequent peace settlement shaped the course of the twentieth century, and the profound significance of these events were not lost on Harold Temperley, whose diaries are presented here. An established scholar, and later one of Britain’s foremost modern and diplomatic historians, Temperley enlisted in the army at the outbreak of the war in August 1914. Invalided home from the Dardanelles campaign in 1915, he spent the remainder of the war and its aftermath as a general staff officer in military intelligence. Here he played a significant role in preparing British strategy for the eventual peace conference and in finalising several post-war boundaries in Eastern Europe. Later, in the 1920s and 1930s, Temperley was to co-edit the British diplomatic documents on the origins of the war; and the vicissitudes of modern Great Power politics were to be his principal preoccupation. Beginning in June 1916, the diary presents a more or less daily record of Temperley’s activities and observations throughout the war and subsequent peace negotiations. As a professional historian he appreciated the significance of eyewitness accounts, and if Temperley was not at the very heart of Allied decision-making during those years, he certainly had a ringside seat. Trained to observe accurately, he recorded the concerns and confusions of wartime, conscious always of the historical significance of what he observed. As a result there are few sources that match Temperley’s diary, which presents a fascinating and unique perspective upon the politics and diplomacy of the First World War and its aftermath. |
From inside the book
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... King's College, Cambridge, to study history, 13 which subject was then in its first bloom after the introduction of the Historical Tripos nearly a quarter of a century earlier and following the spadework done by Oscar Browning and ...
... King's College, Cambridge, to study history, 13 which subject was then in its first bloom after the introduction of the Historical Tripos nearly a quarter of a century earlier and following the spadework done by Oscar Browning and ...
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... King's in 1903. After a short spell at the University of Leeds, he returned to Cambridge in the autumn of 1905 to take up a fellowship at Peterhouse. Thus began an association that would last until his death in July 1939.16 13 For ...
... King's in 1903. After a short spell at the University of Leeds, he returned to Cambridge in the autumn of 1905 to take up a fellowship at Peterhouse. Thus began an association that would last until his death in July 1939.16 13 For ...
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... King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and Bernard of SaxeWeimar, 'the two bravest champions of Lutheranism' displayed 'close by the place where Luther had thundered forth those burning words, which a century afterwards were to restore their ...
... King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and Bernard of SaxeWeimar, 'the two bravest champions of Lutheranism' displayed 'close by the place where Luther had thundered forth those burning words, which a century afterwards were to restore their ...
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... King's, 'but you have greatly improved'.71 As Herbert Butterfield later reflected, Temperley had 71Browning to Temperley, 19 Feb. 1915, Temperley MSS. Temperley had presented him with an inscribed copy of the book on the previous day ...
... King's, 'but you have greatly improved'.71 As Herbert Butterfield later reflected, Temperley had 71Browning to Temperley, 19 Feb. 1915, Temperley MSS. Temperley had presented him with an inscribed copy of the book on the previous day ...
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... King's, which had been established precisely for the purpose of elucidating current problems through history.102 And both Prothero, who had supported Temperley's failed attempt to win a fellowship at King's in 1903, and Ward, his later ...
... King's, which had been established precisely for the purpose of elucidating current problems through history.102 And both Prothero, who had supported Temperley's failed attempt to win a fellowship at King's in 1903, and Ward, his later ...
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A.J. B[alfour active service ag[ain]st Albania Allied Athens Austria-Hungary Austrian Balfour Balkan Belgrade Bratianu British Bulgaria Bulgars C[urzon Cabinet Chief Clemenceau commander Council delegate diary Director divisions Dobrudja England Entente entered army entered diplomatic service entry favour Fiume forces Foreign Minister France French frontier G[eneral G[eorge German Gov[ernmen]t Government Greece Greek H[arold historian Hungarian Hungary I[mperial Intelligence Italian Italy Jugoslavs July June King King’s Klagenfurt L[loyd League of Nations letter Lloyd George London Lord Macedonia Magyar military Milner Montenegro MP Cons MP Lib Nikšić Office Paris Peace Conference Philip Kerr Podgorica Poland political politician President Prime Minister Prince Professor railway Romania Roumania Russian Salonica Sarrail Scutari Secretary seemed Serbia Serbs sh[oul]d Slovenes soldier Sonnino speech spoke Staff telegram Temperley MSS Temperley’s Thessaly thought Tino told Treaty troops Under-secretary v[ide Venizelist Venizelos W[ar w[oul]d Wilson