Conditions and Politics in Occupied Western Europe, 1940–1945

Conditions and Politics in Occupied Western Europe, 1940–1945 offers fully text-searchable images of the British Foreign Office information files gathered from across German-occupied territories as well as neutral states following the collapse of peacetime diplomacy. These first-hand reports (letters from diplomats, telegrams, news clippings and more) and the official discussions surrounding them form a complete record of the raw intelligence that shaped Britain’s war effort.

Conditions and Politics in Occupied Western Europe, 1940–1946 documents:

• German attempts to win over important groups in occupied countries
• The reaction to and effect of the German occupation
• The propaganda struggle
• The creation of the first resistance units
• Other historical, social, political and economic conditions in war-torn Europe under Nazi occupation during World War II

This digital archive is invaluable for studies in 20th century British and European history, World War II, conflict, international politics, propaganda and more.

Summary: Conditions and Politics in Occupied Western Europe, 1940–1945 captures the hidden history of war-torn Europe under Nazi occupation during World War II. This authoritative collection of full-text documents reprints the papers received in the British Foreign Office following the collapse of peacetime diplomacy — including reports from the occupied states of Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the Vatican, and the neutral states of Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Tangiers in Morocco.

The British Foreign Office files found in Conditions and Politics in Occupied Western Europe, 1940–1945 include:

• First-hand reports — ambassadorial dispatches, representations of foreign diplomats, telegrams, letters from British diplomats abroad, memoranda, minutes, news clippings and more
• Discussions of the reports by other Ministries and various departments within the Foreign Office — analysis, commentary and criticism that are invaluable to historians

Together, the documents reveal a complex web of information-sharing and appraisal as the British government sought to understand local sentiment and the political and social conditions in both occupied and neutral countries and formulate military strategy and propaganda campaigns.

Conditions and Politics in Occupied Western Europe, 1940–1945 is an essential resource for research in international relations, propaganda, intelligence gathering and the cultural history of warfare. It covers a wide range of issues related to the hostile, occupied and neutral states of continental Europe throughout World War II, including:

• German attempts to win over important groups in occupied countries
• The reaction to, and effect of, the German occupation
• The propaganda struggle in both occupied and neutral Europe
• Collaboration in France and the emergence and growing success of resistance
• The repercussions of the German invasion of Russia
• Life under occupation in France, the Low Countries and Norway
• The plight of the Jews — suppression, emigration, concentration camps
• Emigration to Palestine — policy and practice
• Normal diplomatic information from neutral countries whose access to Europe played a vital role in the creation of the Allies’ policies\
• And more

Conditions and Politics in Occupied Western Europe, 1940–1945 is a complete research environment and includes:

• Five introductory and thematic essays by leading scholars with links to the original documents
• A multimedia section with a picture gallery and three film clips re-enacting the undercover work of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), F Section in France
• World War II Chronology — a searchable, electronic version of Chronology and Index of the Second World War, 1938–1945 published by Newspaper Archive Developments Limited and reproduced by permission
• Links to other institutions for further research into occupied Western Europe

Significance: Conditions and Politics in Occupied Western Europe, 1940–1945 contains original intelligence from occupied and neutral Europe received by the British Foreign Office at Chatham house during World War II — information that helped Britain and its allies turn the tide of German expansion and ultimately free Europe. The documents reveal a complex web of information-sharing and appraisal as the British government sought to understand local sentiment and political and social conditions and plan profitable Allied action.  Access to these papers are invaluable for studies in 20^th century British and European history, World War II, conflict, international politics, propaganda and more.

Source: Conditions and Politics in Occupied Western Europe, 1940–1945 contains original intelligence from occupied and neutral Europe received by the British Foreign Office at Chatham house during World War II. The collection was sourced from The National Archives of the UK. Film excerpts from an SOE 1946 film, “Now it Can Be Told,” have been sourced from the Imperial War Museum, London.

For more information, download a Product Fact Sheet [pdf, KB]

For more information, download a Product Fact Sheet [pdf, 268 KB]