Key Information
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1953-1990 (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent
13 boxes
Scope and content
The records of the Department of War Studies at King's College London consists of correspondence, printed reports and programmes, 1953-1990. These comprise correspondence and papers on course structure and syllabus, with reading lists, 1958-1969; papers relating to the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives and College Library, including Trustees' meetings, 1953-1971; correspondence and papers relating to research funding organisations including the Ford Foundation and the Social Science Research Council, 1962-1985; correspondence concerning conferences and seminars, with outlines of lectures and supporting materials, 1970-1989; agendas and briefing papers concerning Faculty of Arts' meetings, 1978-1982; papers and correspondence compiled by Professor Lawrence Freedman for a project on the Falklands conflict, 1982-1990 (closed); papers of the University of London Board of War Studies, 1980-1985, including on external monitoring of academic standards and the supervision of higher degrees; texts of two lectures by Professor Lawrence Freedman, including inaugural lecture, 1983-1986; papers relating to an invitation to tender for academic teaching at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, 1990.
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
System of arrangement
Boxed by year of accession.
General Information
Name of creator
Biographical history
A Department of Military Science existed from 1848-1859. Military Science was subsequently approved as a subject for the BA and BSc general degrees from 1913, and was taught under the Faculty of Arts and also the Faculty of Engineering. The Military Studies Department was established in 1926 and formed part of the Faculty of Arts. It became known as the War Studies Department in 1943 but was discontinued in 1948, although the subject continued to be taught under the Department of Medieval and Modern History. The Department was then reinstated in 1962 to offer postgraduate courses. A BA degree in War Studies was offered from 1992 onwards. The department became part of the School of Humanities in 1989 and the School of Social Science and Public Policy in 2001.
Repository
Custodial history
King's College London Department of War Studies.
Conditions governing access
Administrative records are generally closed for 20 years except for published material and some committee and other minutes.
Files containing personal data are closed for 80 years and sensitive personal data for 100 years from the date of the most recent document in the file.
Where open, access is subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of two forms of identification, to include one photographic ID.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied from open material for research purposes only.
Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Archives.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Finding aids
A hand-list is available in hard copy in the College Archives reading room.
Existence and location of originals
Please note: We require 7 days notice to retrieve this collection as part, or all of it, is held off-campus. Read more ›
Related materials
Alternative identifier(s)
Place access points
People and Organisations
- Freedman, Sir Lawrence David, b 1948, Knight, Professor of War Studies (Subject)
- Ford Foundation (Subject)
- King's College London Faculty of Arts (Subject)
- Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (Subject)
- Social Science Research Council (Subject)
Genre access points
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000.
Script(s)
Archivist's note
Sources used include King's College London Calendars. Entry compiled by Geoff Browell.