Skip to main content

International Relations

Collage including a United Nations Day poster of a hand with all the nations flags on, another illustration of a NATO globe with the statement "Alliance for Peace" in the centre.

What's Inside

25 Collections
168 Volumes
4,444 Documents
1,186,386 Pages
Illustration titled "NATO why and how"

Introduction

A key theme in history, “International Relations” is a broad term encapsulating the typically complex strains of diplomacy, cooperation, and conflict that occur between states. The archival collections that are grouped under this theme are rich in documentation, enabling students and researchers to survey a wide range of historical events and trends.

For example, you can explore the development of British-American diplomacy during the later eighteenth century, the spread of British colonial influence throughout the Caribbean, the unification of Germany, the collapse of the Ottoman empire, and the emergence of Canadian governance and foreign policy. You can also examine one of the pivotal moments in twentieth century international diplomacy: the Paris Peace Conference that was convened in the wake of the First World War. Furthermore, the papers of the Labour Party evidence key aspects of British diplomacy and foreign policy throughout the twentieth century.

The collections grouped in this theme likewise demonstrate how the Allied nations, particularly America and Britain, co-operated during the Second World War. Indeed, they illustrate how the Allies co-operated in order to establish and maintain a watertight system of postal and telegraph censorship. You can also explore the influential experiments in international co-operation that emerged in the aftermath of both world wars, such as the formation of the United Nations, the European Economic Community, and the World Trade Organization.

Showing 18 of 25

This is an image of James Callaghan, British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on the left, and Max van der Stoel, Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the right. The men are both dressed in suits and are engaging in conversation. Photo taken 1975.

Licensed to access British Labour Party Papers, 1968–1994

Contributor Labour History Archive and Study Centre (c/o People's History Museum) Contents 4 Volumes, 55 Documents (10,796 Pages)
Labour History Archive and Study Centre (c/o People's History Museum) logo

Licensed to access British Diplomacy with America and Ireland: an Ambassador's Letters, 1909–1962

Contributor National Library of Scotland Contents 8 Volumes, 8 Documents (3,048 Pages)
National Library of Scotland logo
An image of the Flag Of The Arab Revolt

Licensed to access The Collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the Partition of the Middle East, 1879–1919

Contributor Hull University Archives Contents 4 Volumes, 101 Documents (4,860 Pages)
Hull University Archives logo
An image of a crowd of people all performing the Nazi salute. Highlighted in a red circle is a man refusing to salute, showing his defiance and support of anti-fascism.

Licensed to access Life under Nazi Rule: Reports by Anti-Fascists in Occupied Europe, 1933–1945

Contributor University of Warwick Modern Records Centre Contents 2 Volumes, 14 Documents (2,016 Pages)
University of Warwick Modern Records Centre logo
An engraved illustration of timber rafters in Canada, 1897

Licensed to access Development of Canadian Governance and Foreign Policy, 1883–1904

Contributor National Library of Scotland Contents 2 Volumes, 33 Documents (14,618 Pages)
National Library of Scotland logo
Smiddy, Massey, and Howard, in hats, stood against a stone wall

Licensed to access British Diplomacy from the Unification of Germany to the Spanish Civil War, 1863–1939

Contributor Cumbria Archive Service Contents 8 Volumes, 103 Documents (37,286 Pages)
Cumbria Archive Service logo
The First Mississippi Cavalry bringing Confederate prisoners into Vicksburg on horseback, 1864

Licensed to access Prison Ship Records from the War of 1812

Contributor Public Record Office (London); The National Archives (UK) Contents 10 Volumes, 45 Documents (5,932 Pages)
Public Record Office (London) (c/o The National Archives) logo
The National Archives (UK) logo
Roundheads breaking into the home of a royalist. A group of men are tied up.

Licensed to access British Parliamentary History, 1102–1803

Contributor Wakefield One Library Contents 12 Volumes, 205 Documents (113,099 Pages)
Wakefield One Library logo

Contextual Essays

View all Contextual Essays  
A clipping from The Illustrated War News. There is a photograph of people following a procession through a town, in which a drum is being played. At the top, The British Empire is written in large font.

Propaganda and the Mobilisation of Consent during the two World Wars

Catriona Pennell
Published 12th September, 2023 16 min read
A crowd of people holding up the Communist Party of India flags.

The Meerut Conspiracy Trial, 1929-1933; an Introduction

John Callaghan
Published 17th February, 2022 48 min read
A photo of a pile of books with various coloured covers.

British Government Information and Propaganda, 1939-2009: Further Reading

Professor David Welch
Published 1st December, 2021 2 min read
Red background with yellow letters that read Government Communicates. The work of the Central Office of Information.

A Guide to British Government Information and Propaganda, 1939-2009

Professor David Welch
Published 26th November, 2021 27 min read
A photograph of United Nations Emergency Force soldiers resting in Sinai during the Suez Crisis.

The Post-War International Order: Past, Present, Future?

Dr. Danielle Young
Published 16th August, 2021 12 min read
A black and white photograph of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin.

From the Archive: Prosecuting the Holocaust

Katherine Waite
Published 21st February, 2020 7 min read
Back to Top