CAMILLE BARRERE PAPERS

Finding Aid

Size: 0.25 linear feet

Literary rights:
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Restrictions: None

Content Note
This collection contains 28 letters in English written by Camille Barrere, a French diplomat, to English Lady Violet Milner, from 19 November 1931, to 23 December 1935. There are no letters in the collection for the year 1932. Born in 1851, Camille Barrere served as French ambassador to Rome for 28 years from (1897 to 1924). In that capacity, Barrere strived to improve Franco-Italian relations that had deteriorated since 1881. Barrere died in 1940.

The youngest child of Admiral F. A. Maxse, Violet Georgina Milner married Lord Edward Cecil, son of Lord Salisbury. Additionally, Milner was editor of the National Review from 1932 to 1948. She died in 1958.

The majority of letters express an extremely bitter and negative tone used by Barrere against the lack of statesmanship by England and France during the years of the letters, 1931 to 1935 as both countries failed to relate, according to Barrere, to the political environment of the times. This sentiment is carried through most of the letters, with several topics of particular interest to Barrere discussed in a few series of letters.

Of particular interest was the handling of the Austrian crises early in the 1930's and the lack of response from either France or England to the situation. Barrere also laments in a series of letters "England's treachery" in signing a naval treaty with Germany. He views this as an act without parallel and comments that "false friends are more dangerous than no friends at all, " in regard to England's believed betrayal of France by signing the treaty. Another topic carried through in a series of letters is the discussion of the Suez Canal as it relates to a treaty signed in 1888.

Period political key players mentioned in the letters include Stanley Baldwin, (1867-1947), British statesman and three-time prime minister of England, and Maxine Weygand, (1867-1965), a French general who in 1930 was named chief of state-major general of the French army. Other figures of the time mentioned include Georges Clemenceau, (1841-1929), a statesman and politician of the Third French Republic.

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Acquisition: Purchased by Martin Bush from Sotheby's

Processed by: JLT, 9-1-1992; JEF, 11-2-1998