Alfred Cooper British statesman Date of Birth: 22.02.1890 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Alfred Duff Cooper

Alfred Duff Cooper, 1st Viscount Norwich (22nd February 1890 - 1st January 1954), was a British statesman and diplomat. He received his education at Eton and New College, Oxford. From 1913 to 1924, he served in the Foreign Office, and from 1922 he was the personal secretary to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

Cooper was a member of the House of Commons from 1924 to 1929 and again from 1931 to 1945. He belonged to the Conservative Party (Unionist). In 1935-1937, he served as the Secretary of State for War. In 1937, he was appointed as the First Lord of the Admiralty. He was vocal in his opposition to Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement with Germany and resigned after the signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938.

When Winston Churchill formed his cabinet in 1940, Cooper was appointed as the Minister of Information. He implemented various measures to enforce censorship during wartime, significantly expanding the list of information classified as state secrets. Cooper's actions drew criticism and dissatisfaction from the British press. As a result, he was removed from his position in June 1941 and appointed as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1941-1943).

In August 1941, Cooper was sent to Singapore to inspect the defensive measures undertaken by the local command. From December 1941, he served as the Resident of the Cabinet in the Far East. In October 1942, he was appointed as the British representative in the French Committee of National Liberation. Cooper played a significant role in improving Anglo-French cooperation, which was often complicated by the differing positions of Charles de Gaulle and Winston Churchill.

From 1944 to 1947, Cooper served as the ambassador to France. He was also the author of memoirs documenting his experiences.