Duff Cooper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Viscount Norwich
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| First Lord of the Admiralty | |
| In office 28 October 1937 – 3 October 1938 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | Neville Chamberlain |
| Preceded by | Sir Samuel Hoare |
| Succeeded by | The Earl Stanhope |
| Secretary of State for War | |
| In office 22 November 1935 – 28 May 1937 |
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| Monarch | George V Edward VIII George VI |
| Prime Minister | Stanley Baldwin |
| Preceded by | The Viscount Halifax |
| Succeeded by | Leslie Hore-Belisha |
| Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster | |
| In office 20 July 1941 – 11 November 1943 |
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| Prime Minister | Winston Churchill |
| Preceded by | The Lord Hankey |
| Succeeded by | Ernest Brown |
| British Ambassador to France | |
| In office 1944–1948 |
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| Monarch | George VI |
| Preceded by | Vacant due to German occupation |
| Succeeded by | Oliver Harvey |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Alfred Duff Cooper
22 February 1890 London, England |
| Died | 1 January 1954 (aged 63) At sea, North Atlantic |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | |
| Children | John Julius |
| Parents | Sir Alfred Cooper Lady Agnes Duff |
| Alma mater | New College, Oxford |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Grenadier Guards |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches |
Alfred Duff Cooper, also known as Duff Cooper (born February 22, 1890 – died January 1, 1954), was an important British politician and diplomat. He was a member of the Conservative Party. He also wrote books about history.
Duff Cooper was first elected to the British Parliament in 1924. He later served in high-level government jobs. These included Secretary of State for War and First Lord of the Admiralty. In the late 1930s, he strongly disagreed with the policy of appeasement. This policy tried to avoid war by giving in to Germany's demands. He believed war was unavoidable. He famously resigned from the government in 1938. This was after the Munich Agreement, which he called "dishonourable".
When Winston Churchill became Prime Minister in 1940, Duff Cooper became the Minister of Information. During and after World War II, he took on many important diplomatic roles. He was a representative to Charles de Gaulle's Free France government. Later, he became the British Ambassador to France from 1944 to 1948.
Contents
Early Life and School
Duff Cooper was born in London, England. He was the only son of Sir Alfred Cooper, a doctor, and Lady Agnes Duff. He had three older sisters. As a child, he attended two different prep schools. He was not very happy at these schools. However, he really enjoyed his time at Eton College, a famous boarding school.
University and First Career
After Eton, Duff Cooper went to New College at Oxford University from 1908 to 1911. At Oxford, he became friends with a group of young aristocrats and thinkers. They were known as "The Coterie". He was known for being good with words and enjoying life. He even gained a reputation as a poet. He studied history and did well in his exams.
In 1913, Cooper joined the Foreign Service. This meant he worked for the British government in other countries. During the First World War, he worked at a special desk dealing with secret messages. This job kept him from joining the army at first. But in 1917, he joined the Grenadier Guards. He served on the Western Front for six months. He was known for being brave and a good leader. He was even awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his courage. Many of his close friends died in the war.
After the War and Marriage
After the war, Duff Cooper returned to his job in the Foreign Office. He played a part in important events in Egypt and Turkey in the early 1920s. He wanted to become a politician, but he needed more money.
In 1919, he married Lady Diana Manners. Her family was not happy about the marriage at first. Lady Diana was an actress and earned money from her work. This allowed Duff Cooper to leave the Foreign Office in 1924 and focus on politics.
Political Career (1924–1939)
First Time in Parliament
In October 1924, Duff Cooper was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Oldham. His first speech in Parliament was about Egypt and was very well received. People saw him as a rising star in the Conservative Party. He supported Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and was friends with Winston Churchill. In 1928, he became the Financial Secretary to the War Office. This was a job where he helped manage the army's money. He lost his seat in the 1929 election when his party was defeated.
His only son, John Julius, was born in 1929. While out of Parliament, Cooper wrote a biography of a famous French statesman named Talleyrand. The book was published in 1932 and was very successful.
Return to Parliament and Junior Minister
In 1931, Duff Cooper won a special election for the Westminster St George's area. This election was important because it showed support for Stanley Baldwin's leadership. Winning this seat meant he returned to Parliament, where he served until 1945.
In August 1931, he again became Financial Secretary to the War Office. In 1934, he became Financial Secretary to the Treasury. This job often led to a position in the Cabinet. He became close to Neville Chamberlain, who was the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Cooper had visited Germany and was worried by what he saw at a Nazi rally. He urged the government to prepare for war, even though many people did not agree at the time. He told Churchill that Adolf Hitler was serious about war.
Writing About Haig
In 1933, Duff Cooper was asked to write the official biography of Field Marshal Haig. Haig was a famous British general from World War I. Cooper had full access to Haig's personal papers and diaries. His two-volume biography was published in 1935 and 1936.
Cooper's book presented Haig as a strong and honorable leader. He argued that Haig's actions saved the French army during the Battle of Verdun. He also said Haig improved relations between Britain and France. The book was praised by many when it came out. However, later historians had different views after more of Haig's papers were published.
Cabinet Role and Resignation
In November 1935, Duff Cooper was promoted to the Cabinet. He became Secretary of State for War. He was also made a member of the Privy Council. In May 1937, he became First Lord of the Admiralty. This meant he was in charge of the Royal Navy. He pushed for more money to be spent on the navy.
By 1938, Cooper was one of the strongest critics of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policy. This policy aimed to avoid war by making concessions to Germany. On October 3, 1938, after the Munich Agreement was signed, Cooper resigned from the Cabinet. He famously said he could accept "war with honour or peace with dishonour," but not "war with dishonour." His resignation was seen as a brave act by many who also opposed appeasement.
After resigning, he continued to write articles. He argued for a strong alliance between Britain and France.
Second World War Role
German propaganda saw Duff Cooper as a dangerous "warmonger" along with Churchill. When World War II started in September 1939, Cooper was not immediately given a job. He went to the United States to give talks. He urged democracies to stand firm against dictatorships. He also predicted that Winston Churchill would become Prime Minister, which seemed unlikely at the time.
In May 1940, when Churchill became Prime Minister, Cooper was appointed Minister of Information. This job involved managing public information during the war. He did not enjoy this role. The press often criticized him. In 1940, he and Lady Diana sent their 11-year-old son, John Julius, to the US for safety. They feared that if Germany invaded, their son might be in danger because of Cooper's opposition to Hitler. This decision was criticized by some, but John Julius returned two years later.
In July 1941, he became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He was sent to Singapore to report on British defenses in the Far East. He was later unfairly blamed by some for the Fall of Singapore.
Ambassador to France
In December 1943, Duff Cooper was appointed as the British representative to Charles de Gaulle's Free French government. His job was to help Churchill and de Gaulle work together. In August 1944, Paris was freed from German occupation. In November 1944, he officially became the British Ambassador to France.
He and Lady Diana were very popular ambassadors. They hosted many social events. Cooper was known for being a "devoted Francophile," meaning he loved France. He often tried to create a strong alliance between Britain and France. This sometimes tested the patience of the Foreign Office in London.
Even though he was a Conservative, Cooper remained Ambassador when the Labour Party won the 1945 election. The new Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, valued Cooper's friendships with French politicians. In 1947, Cooper helped start the process that led to the Treaty of Dunkirk. This treaty created a military alliance between Britain and France, which was something Cooper had wanted for a long time.
His time as ambassador ended in late 1947. He gave a large part of his personal library to the British Embassy in Paris. He then stayed in France, living near Chantilly.
Later Life and Death
In 1948, Duff Cooper was given a high honor, the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG). He took on some company director roles, but mostly focused on writing. He wrote a book about the Biblical King David during the war. In 1949, he published Sergeant Shakespeare, a book about William Shakespeare's early life. His only novel, Operation Heartbreak (1950), was based on a real-life deception operation from World War II.
In 1952, he was given the title Viscount Norwich. This was to recognize his political and writing career. His wife, Lady Diana, famously refused to be called Lady Norwich. She said it sounded too much like "porridge." She kept her previous title, Lady Diana Cooper. Cooper's last book was his memoirs, Old Men Forget, published in 1953. His diaries were published after his death in 2005.
Duff Cooper died on January 1, 1954, at the age of 63. He was on a French ship in the North Atlantic when he suffered a sudden internal bleeding. His body was flown back to England and buried at Belvoir Castle.
Legacy and Family
After his death, a British literary award, the Duff Cooper Prize, was created in his name. His biographer, Philip Ziegler, described Cooper as "never dull." He said Cooper was sometimes arrogant and selfish. But he was also "never mean or ignoble" and was a "proud patriot."
In 2021, Cooper was given the Order of the White Lion. This is the highest award from the Czech Republic. It recognized his strong opposition to the Munich Agreement.
Duff Cooper was married to Lady Diana from 1919 until his death. Their only child was John Julius Norwich (1929–2018), who became a well-known writer and TV presenter. Cooper's granddaughter, Artemis, has also written books. One of these includes letters between Duff and Diana Cooper.
Duff Cooper had a connection to royalty. One of his great-great-grandfathers was King William IV.
Images for kids
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The coat of arms of Viscount Norwich. The motto "Odi et Amo" means "I hate and I love."
