Introduction
The archives focus on the work of pressure groups, activists, international organisations, and individuals working for peace, disarmament and greater international cooperation from the late 19th century to the present day. It includes a variety of material such as minutes of meetings, leaflets, posters, badges, diaries and correspondence.
.
The League of Nations and the United Nations
The League of Nations was founded in 1920 after the end of the first world war with the goal of maintaining world peace. It was eventually replaced by the United Nations in 1945.
- League of Nations - official publications investigating prostitution, trafficking and peace. Find these on (for more, see our Prostitution and Trafficking collections highlights page).
- UN Documents - ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Library is a specialist UN Depository Library, containing official UN material (use ) as well as non-official "masthead" documents (try using the database "" to locate these, or get in touch).
- and - the "critical fan clubs" of their respective institutions. .
Margaret Bondfield, giving a speech for WILPF at the world disarmament conference in Geneva, 1932.
Disarmament, Peace and Cooperation
The 20th century saw the establishment of a number of organisations that worked towards peace on an international scale. Some of the major collections in the archives include:
- - formed in 1915 at the International Women's Congress in the Hague. . You can also .
- - advocating the abolition of nuclear weapons worldwide, the collection also includes the papers of , co-founder of CND, and , chair of CND from 1979 to 1981. . You can also from Kate Hudson, CND’s general secretary.
- - including the during the inter-war period.
Pat Arrowsmith, peace activist and prominent member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Federalism and the EU
Ideas of a federated Europe and/or world government have been supported by a number of individuals in the archives, including:
For Britain's relationship with the development of the European Union and early ideas of a federated Europe, see the Britain and Europe page.
Other international groups
Our archives hold many other international groups working towards peace, including:
- (established in 1980 for a nuclear free Europe "from Poland to Portugal").
- (founded in 1908 and interested in peace, disarmament and international relations).
- (international movement committed to non-violence and "based in the Christian tradition"). Also included is the . .
- (who met at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ in 1991 and sought an opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal status of nuclear weapons).
Unidentified member of WILPF publishing the 1932 World Disarmament conference.
Campaigners and activists
As well as international organisations, many individuals campaigned for peace. These include:
- who opposed the South African Wars. Their archives include correspondence, speeches, pamphlets and diaries.
- - including the archives of many women activists associated with the camps such as and .
- - digital archives produced by a partnership project between Scary Little Girls Association and The Heroine Collective.
- (Labour MP, see our British political parties page).
- (preacher and suffragist).
- (founder of the Union of Democratic Control).
Photograph from the London to Aldermaston March, 1960s
How do I search?
This is just a snapshot of the material we hold that covers this subject. You can find these items and many more by using the following tools:
- with keywords such as "peace", "security", "international".
- for journals and pamphlets.
How do I access?
Most of the material highlighted here is part of our special collections, which are open to all but must be consulted in our reading room. Find out how to book your place and order material on our access archives and special collections page.
How do I get further help?
If you need help with any of the collections mentioned here get in touch with our Curator Politics and International Relations, Daniel Brambilla-Payne.