There are quite a lot of things you need to watch out for when using telegrams as sources. Try to complete the tasks in this resource to help develop your skills when using this type of source. Telegrams are exciting sources to use as part of any historical investigation because they represent a form of instant communication at key moments in time and can reveal the attitudes and feelings behind them.
In this resource you will examine three original twentieth century telegrams. The first is from Harold Wilson, British Prime Minister (1964-1970) in July 1969 to Richard Nixon, President of the United States (1969-1974). The second, sent by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in November 1942, and the third sent by moral campaigner Mary Whitehouse to British Prime Minister Harold Wilson in January 1967.
In the twentieth century, the technology used to transmit messages wirelessly by telegram meant that messages sent in this way were often brief and words selected carefully. When using telegrams as sources we must try not to infer too much or too little from their economy of words. They allowed fast communication over long distances, useful if telephone lines were unavailable or insecure.
Some telegrams are be labelled with the term ‘Inward Saving’: meaning that the telegram did not need to be sent in code form for security. On arrival at the Foreign Office therefore, this type of telegram did not need to be de-coded. Some telegrams are also labelled ‘By Air Bag’ meaning the telegram was not so urgent and sent via airplane. The term ‘By Bag’ meant the telegram was important but had a wider distribution.
Telegrams are also classified. ‘RESTRICTED’ is a classification which refers to its distribution. In our first example, this means the telegram could only be seen by those listed at the end and circulation was limited. Telegrams were also labelled as ‘Confidential’, ‘Secret’ or ‘Top Secret’, as in our second example. They were numbered too, so it is possible to track a series of telegrams sent and received in a particular government department.