The Cold War television documentary archive consists of transcripts of 531 interviews concerning events of the Cold War - the political, ideological tension between the United States and the United Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR), 1946-1989, following the end of World War Two, which while falling short of actual war between these two nations, was evident in their foreign and defence policies, and those of their allies.

Interviews were conducted with eyewitnesses from the US, USSR, Germany, Poland, Britain, Czechoslovakia, Italy, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Spain, Vietnam, Korea, China, Israel Egypt, South Africa, Angola, Cuba, Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and including politicians, policy makers and advisors, diplomats, journalists, academics, members of armed forces, dissidents, peasants, factory workers and civilians.

Events described include the Berlin blockade, 1948-1949, the Berlin Crisis, 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Oct 1962, the Vietnam War, 1965-1975, the Korean War, 1950-1953, the Hungarian uprising, 1956, the Prague Spring, 1968, the nuclear arms race, 1945-1991, and Chinese communism, 1949-1972.

The collections also contains transcripts of a series of seminars on the Cold War, Oct 1995, as well as an incomplete series of files relating to individual episodes of the documentary series including annotated extracts of interview transcripts and other production information. (Transcripts in this section of the collection are mainly duplicates, however there are a small number which are not found in the main transcript series).

Publications, (chiefly pamphlets) acquired by Charles Richard Hiscocks on international organisations, 1946-1983; comprising publications by and about the United Nations, 1946-1983 (19 items); the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), 1952-1981, (7 items); the International Labour Office (ILO), 1955-1971 (14 items); the International Development Association (1972-1982 (3 items); Africa, 1956-1970 (3 items); Austria, 1950 (1 item); Europe, 1964 (1 item); the Far East, 1928-1957 (2 items); Germany, 1949-1960 (6 items); the Middle East, 1951-1957 (3 items); general publications, 1946-1980 (5 items) .

Copies of papers collected or created by Maze, 1914-1975, principally comprising correspondence with his World War One colleagues, 1918-1972, mainly relating to the second Battle of the Somme, 21 Mar-5 Apr 1918, and including letters from Gen Sir Hubert (de la Poer) Gough, 1918-1919, 1935, 1939, 1951, 1954-1956, 1963, Lt Gen Sir (Arthur) Edward Grasett, 1965, 1970, and LtGen Sir Frederick Ivor Maxse, 1919; photographs of Maze, 1914-[1918] and Gough, 1915; correspondence with Rt Hon Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill concerning the Home Guard, 1943; photographs of ACM Sir Arthur Travers Harris, 1944; two typescript lists ofGerman towns attacked by British bombers, 1945.

Papers of Sir David Ramsbotham, including reports, correspondence, photographs, lecture texts, press cuttings and ephemera, relating to his career, 1974-1995.Papers relating to Northern Ireland including Northern Ireland intelligence summaries, 22 Mar-11 Aug 1978; reports including report on 2nd Bn, Royal Green Jackets, Northern Ireland operations, Nov 1974-Feb 1975 and related correspondence; report on the organisation and operation of Bn search teams, 8 Aug 1974; report to Brigadier Ramsbotham from J.H. Dunlop on the subject of education in Belfast, 7 Jan 1980; 'Report on the situation in Belfast as at 14 July 1980'; report by Ramsbotham while commanding 39th Infantry Brigade to Major General Glover Commander Land Forces Northern Ireland, 15 Jul 1980 and situation report 39th Infantry Bde, Belfast, July 1980; training notes and reports; operation statistics, 6 Dec 1978-5 Dec 1979; papers relating to riot and crowd control in Northern Ireland, 19 Sep 1978; correspondence, 1971-1993, including two letters from Dervla Murphy Oct and Dec 1987; transcripts and notes for lectures on 2nd Bn, The Royal Green Jackets' time in Ireland between 1 Nov 1974 and 28 Feb 1975 and press cuttings and articles on Northern Ireland, 1971-1990.Papers relating to the Falkland Islands including detailed account of Ramsbotham's tour, 23 Jun-1 Jul 1982; photographs; related press cuttings and notes on a 1989 visit.Transcripts of speeches by Ramsbotham on defence and peacekeeping, 1982-1995; transcripts of speeches on military subjects by various speakers, 1982-1995; articles relating to defence 1959-1989; articles and talks by FM Lord Carver 1971-1996; papers relating to HRH Silver Jubilee review of the Army 1977; papers relating to official visits; papers relating to the United Nations, 1993-1997; booklets on military subjects, 1962-1995 and memoranda and copies of articles on defence and the media, 1982-1985.Photographs including of the Falkland Islands visit; the opening of the Adjutant General Information Centre; Ramsbotham's early career; presentation of the Imperial Service medal to June Small; visit to the Guides Infantry; visit to the USA; visit to the UNISYS International management centre; visiting troops during winter training; visits by Col Gen Omelichev to Winchester and Winchester Cathedral; meeting soldiers on patrol; official visits in Germany; on exercise Lone Star; visiting commonwealth troops in India and Africa and a visit to Gibraltar.

War Cabinet Minutes (HMSO), 1939-1945 is a themed microfiche collection containing copies of the minutes of the War Cabinet Meetings, Sep 1939-Jul 1945, and Cabinet Conclusions and Confidential Annexes, 1941-1945. Meeting minutes include British plans to create discord amongst the German High Command, Nov 1939; criticism of the military campaign in Norway, May 1940; First Lord of the Admiralty Winston (Leonard Spencer) Churchill's criticism of the Allied propaganda campaign in France, May 1940; speculation on the ability of the German population to sustain prolonged war, May 1940; reaction to the Allied withdrawals in France and Belgium, May 1940; the debate over the possible compromise peace with Germany, 26-28 May 1940; the decision to intern all enemy aliens in the United Kingdom; May 1940; Churchill's reaction to American isolationism, May 1940; the seizing of French warships in British and Egyptian harbours and the sinking of French warships at Mers-el-Kebir, Egypt, 23 Jun 1940; straining Anglo-French relations, Jul 1940; the Anglo-American 'destroyers for bases' agreement, Aug 1940; Churchill's attempt to take to court the Sunday Pictorial and the Daily Mirror over the newspapers' alleged anti-Government editorials, Oct 1940; preparations for the possible German invasion of the Britain, 1940; civil defence precautions in Britain, 1940; the British intervention in Greece, 1941; speculation on Soviet military collapses following the invasion of the Soviet Union by German armed forces, Jun 1941; Churchill's appeals to US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt for American intervention in the war, 1941; reaction over the fall of Singapore and Malaya to Japanese armed forces, Feb 1942; Anglo-American preparations for the invasion of North Africa, 1942; naval and air operations against France, 1943; the 'Beveridge Report' on social security in Britain, 1943; reports on Allied conferences at Casablanca, Jan 1943, and Washington, May 1943; the Allied decision to invade France made at the QUADRANT Conference, Quebec, Canada, Aug 1943; the planning and conduct of Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of France, Jun 1944; the effect of the bombardment of London by German V1 pilotless aircraft and possible RAF reprisals against German civilian targets, Jun 1944; post-war reconstruction and rehabilitation in Europe, Jul 1944; plans for the Allied occupation of Germany and Austria, Nov 1944; British intervention in Greece in order to prevent a Communist take-over of the peninsula, Nov 1944; the establishment of the United Nations, 1945; arrangements for celebrating the end of the war in Europe, May 1945; the British General Election, Jul 1945.

British publications relating to the Allied war effort and the Home Front, 1940-1954, including editions of His Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) pamphlets Frontline, 1940-41; The official story of the civil defence of Britain (HMSO, London, 1942), Combined Operations, 1940-1942 (HMSO, London, 1943), Target: Germany. The US Army Air Forces' official story of the VIII Bomber Command's first year over Europe (HMSO, London, 1944), Among those present: the official story of the Pacific Islands at war (HMSO, London, 1946). Also pamphlet, 'The battle of South London', by Arthur L Woolf (Crystal Publications Ltd, London, c 1945), with photographs and accounts of bombing in South London, Second World War, and Westminster at War by William Sansom (Faber and Faber, London, 1947).