Cabinet papers, 1915-1978
See the collection
Over half a million images to be digitised from microfilms to create an online resource with access to the full-text Cabinet papers from 1915-1978, plus a contextualisation package. These collections of minutes and memoranda, which cover both peace and wartime, constitute a fascinating record of the way in which the British government grappled with events of the 20th century.
Users will be able to access and browse the archive regardless of location or time, with metadata-enriched search facilities opening up research opportunities that paper- and microform-based search aids cannot deliver.
The project
Two world wars, unprecedented social change and rapid advances in technology had a radical transformative effect on both British society and the international community and, consequently, on the very governance of British life. All the core issues that faced the government of the day, all the various facets of British life, are documented in the minutes and memoranda of the Cabinet. Any study of Britain in the 20th century would be incomplete without reference to them but usage of this immensely important resource has been limited, up until now, to those who have the opportunity to visit the National Archive.
This project will digitise the records so that they can be accessed online by a large number of simultaneous users, searched electronically, and used in undergraduate and other taught courses. It will open up access to primary source material on the outbreak and events of the first and second world wars, the post-war division of Europe, the creation of the welfare state and the end of empire. The records of Cabinet meetings, chaired by the prime minister, constitute the most valuable single collection of modern British material that can be obtained from official sources. For the first time, the full text of them will be available online for researchers, learners and teachers.
The content
| Content of collections |
Record series |
Number of volumes |
|
War Cabinet and Cabinet – Minutes 1916-1975: Minutes and conclusions of wartime and peacetime Cabinets, from the start of systematic, regular minute taking on the creation of the first War Cabinet in 1916 to the most recent publicly available minutes |
CAB 23 (1916-1939) CAB 65 (1939-1945) CAB128 (1945-1975) |
101
57
57 |
| War Cabinet and Cabinet – Memoranda 1915-1975: Consists of papers presented to cabinet and companion series to the Minutes series above |
CAB 24 (1915-1939) CAB 66 (1939-1941: main series)
CAB 68 (1939-1942: departmental memoranda presented to cabinet
CAB 129 (1945-1975) |
228
67
9
9
|
| Total |
|
528 |
The process
The project will use the National Archive's world-class digital preservation facility which, together with PRONOM technical registry, provides the necessary facilities for secure storage and active preservation. The documents will be digitised from the existing microfilms using automated processes and then mounted, with a contextualisation package, on the National Archive's Documents Online website.
The future
This project will provide a sustainable and proven infrastructure for future digitisation initiatives. The Chiefs of Staff and Defence Committee Papers, in particular, which detail the formulation of military strategy and the development and organisation of British armed forces throughout the 20th century, are a vital source of information for the study of military and political history and therefore an essential adjunct to the cabinet papers included in this project.
The project plan
Download the project plan and the final report to find out more about the project.
Lead site: The National Archive