“The word ‘spy’ has always jarred the American ear,” |
In a nation championing free and open society, clandestine operations clash with its character. Nevertheless, in times of war and desperation, any strategy seems honorable if it serves to unmask the enemy’s intentions. So, with such reservations in the minds of the American people, how did the history of American intelligence turn out to result in the renowned Intelligence Community we see today?
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ABSTRACTAs the world moved toward a new age of warfare in World War II, William "Wild Bill" Donovan’s role as the Director of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was central to U.S. military success. He changed the landscape of intelligence service, inviting people of all backgrounds to the cause and opening new backdoors of opportunity for the military. This site seeks to explore the innovation that the OSS employed under Donovan's leadership that contributed to the Allied victory, as well as his efforts after the war that led to the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency still standing to this day.
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OSS Gold Medal Insignia (Source: OSS Society)
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AFTER THIS SITE: ADDITIONAL READING
Image Sources: Amazon
Written by newspaper men who went into the OSS as parachutists and write more about the early days of the organization, its training program, the eccentric personality of General William Donovan, and the friction with the other intelligence service organizations. Delving into the inner workings of the OSS, fascinated by what they saw but in no way blind to its faults. |
Although the OSS was the least publicized on U.S. war agencies during its time, the authors of this book delve into the dramatic stories of its efficient, bizarre, and hazardous missions to uncover enemy secrets.
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A book about the politics of personality with many of the characters in William Donovan's life, as well as his own larger-than-life character. Rather than an account of the operations of the OSS, this biography gives extraordinary insight into Donovan as a rule-bender and innovator.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
This site was created by Nadia Shahab Diaz, a member of the Dickinson College Class of 2021, as a multimedia web project for the History -282 class, "U.S. Diplomatic History," taught by Matthew Pinsker.
Header Images: Image of OSS Headquarters and portrait of General William J. Donovan courtesy of The Washington Post and World War II Gravestone, respectively.
Header Images: Image of OSS Headquarters and portrait of General William J. Donovan courtesy of The Washington Post and World War II Gravestone, respectively.
