Letters and Papers on the Mesopotamia Commission and the Cabinet Committee on Iraq

Content

The file contains memoranda, correspondence, and other papers relating to the Mesopotamia [Iraq] Commission (the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the Mesopotamia campaign), British policy in relation to Mesopotamia after the First World War, and the Cabinet Committee on Iraq.

These papers include:

• ‘MEMORANDUM BY LORD CURZON ON THE REPORT OF THE MESOPOTAMIA COMMISSION.’, printed for the War Cabinet, 4 June 1917 (ff 2-7)
• ‘BRITISH POLICY IN MESPOTAMIA. Memorandum by Lord Curzon.’, 21 September 1917 (ff 14-18)
• ‘PEACE CONFERENCE. MEMORANDUM RESPECTING MESOPOTAMIA.’ (with appendices, some of which are in French), by Sir Erle Richards, printed for the War Cabinet (ff 19-33), which includes three maps on folios 30, 31 and 32 (Mss Eur F112/286, f 30; Mss Eur F112/286, f 31; and Mss Eur F112/286, f 32)
• Conclusions and draft conclusions of meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Iraq of 8 December 1922 and 18 January 1923 (ff 34-44 and ff 59-64 respectively)
• The report of the Cabinet Committee on Iraq, 23 March 1923 (ff 70-76)
• ‘Memorandum on the Assyro-Chaldean Situation.’, Foreign Office, 11 October 1923.

The correspondence consists of letters to Curzon from: Leopold Charles Maurice Stennett Amery, First Lord of the Admiralty; Sir Eyre Alexander Barby Wichart Crowe, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; and Ronald McNeill, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. There is also a letter to Robert Gilbert Vansittart, Private Secretary to Lord Curzon (as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs), for Curzon’s information, from Sir John Evelyn Shuckburgh, Assistant Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, enclosing a private letter to Shuckburgh from Sir Henry Dobbs, High Commissioner for Iraq, regarding the political situation in Iraq.

Extent and format

1 file (95 folios)

It is grouped into

‘MESOPOTAMIA. Administrative Divisions & Chief Towns.’

2 images

Ref: Mss Eur F112/286, f 30

‘MESOPOTAMIA. Racial Divisions.’

2 images

Ref: Mss Eur F112/286, f 31

‘MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE AGREEMENTS OF 1916 IN REGARD TO ASIA MINOR, MESOPOTAMIA, & c.’

2 images

Ref: Mss Eur F112/286, f 32

Arrangement

The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 95; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.

Written in

English and French in Latin script

Type

Archival file

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

Mss Eur F112/286

History of this record

Date(s)

4 Jun 1917-11 Oct 1923 (CE, Gregorian)

Subjects

Foreign policy

Places

MesopotamiaIraq

People & organisations

Cabinet Committee on IraqMesopotamia CommissionForeign OfficeWar Cabinet1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston George Nathaniel Curzon

Share this record

• Share on twitter
• Share on facebook

Cite this record in your research

Letters and Papers on the Mesopotamia Commission and the Cabinet Committee on Iraq, British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Mss Eur F112/286, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x0002b9> [accessed 22 May 2024]

Link to this record

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x0002b9

IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000001491.0x0002b9/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Copyright: How to use this content