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22 - Intelligence

from Part III - Fighting Forces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2015

John Ferris
Affiliation:
University of Calgary
Evan Mawdsley
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow
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Summary

From 1942, the balance of intelligence and power turned simultaneously and systematically toward the Allies. Intelligence did little to cause Axis defeat, but much to shape how the Allies achieved victory. The cooperation between the Western Allies in intelligence was imperfect, but better than anything ever known before. German spies against Britain, the USSR and the United States were controlled by its enemies. The effect of intelligence on the Eastern Front was constrained because tyrants who were military micromanagers, poor as strategists and consumers of information, dominated policy for both sides. The USSR led the world regarding intelligence in peacetime, but that strength had little value for war. More than any other power, spies gave it strategic intelligence, but against allies rather than enemies. The United States won the Pacific War because of the quality of its forces and commanders and the scale of their resources, but intelligence let it win far speedily and cheaply than could have happened otherwise.
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2015

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  • Intelligence
  • Edited by John Ferris, University of Calgary, Evan Mawdsley, University of Glasgow
  • Book: The Cambridge History of the Second World War
  • Online publication: 05 June 2015
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHO9781139855969.027
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  • Intelligence
  • Edited by John Ferris, University of Calgary, Evan Mawdsley, University of Glasgow
  • Book: The Cambridge History of the Second World War
  • Online publication: 05 June 2015
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHO9781139855969.027
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Intelligence
  • Edited by John Ferris, University of Calgary, Evan Mawdsley, University of Glasgow
  • Book: The Cambridge History of the Second World War
  • Online publication: 05 June 2015
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHO9781139855969.027
Available formats
×