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Military Intelligence Files: Land, Sea & Air, 1938–1974 - Volumes
Volumes
12 volumes in Military Intelligence Files: Land, Sea & Air, 1938–1974
Weekly Army Intelligence Summaries, 1939-1945
This volume contains weekly intelligence summaries compiled by the War Office and British Army during the Second World War. Signed off by the General Staff and intended for the eyes of divisional commanders and above, their purpose was to: (a) provide information on the situation in Axis and Axis occupied countries; (b) deliver a frank assessment of internal resources and morale; and (c) convey the position of allied and non-aligned actors.The summaries include discussions about politics, economics, and diplomacy, as well as estimates of the distribution and movements of Axis forces at the divisional level. Every major theatre of war is touched upon, with the defence of British colonial territories and the use of colonial soldiers featuring heavily. Much of the commentary regarding the Far East focuses on the Sino-Japanese conflict. Series: WO 208 (War Office: Directorate of Military Operations and Intelligence, and Directorate of Military Intelligence; Ministry of Defence, Defence Intelligence Staff). Read more →
Monthly Army Intelligence Summaries, 1946-1954
This volume contains monthly intelligence reports compiled by the War Office and British Army during the early years of the Cold War. Signed off by the General Staff and intended for the eyes of divisional commanders and above, their purpose was to provide information on the political, economic, and diplomatic situation across the globe. Each summary is divided into four sections—(1) Europe; (2) Middle East; (3) Far East; (4) Americas—while the final pages include relevant photographs, diagrams, and maps.Much of the content is dedicated to analysing the intentions, capabilities, and internal machinations of adversarial powers such as the Soviet Union and People’s Republic of China. Newly independent colonial states feature heavily, too—especially Egypt and Myanmar—as do existing British colonies. When it comes to allied and non-aligned nations, a great deal of effort goes into analysing the strength of indigenous communist movements. Series: WO 208 (War Office: Directorate of Military Operations and Intelligence, and Directorate of Military Intelligence; Ministry of Defence, Defence Intelligence Staff). Read more →
Quarterly Army Intelligence Summaries, 1955-1962
This volume contains quarterly intelligence summaries compiled by the War Office and British Army during the period 1955-1962. Signed off by the General Staff and intended for the eyes of divisional commanders and above, their purpose was to provide information on the political, economic, and diplomatic situation across the globe. Each summary was published in a bound book, divided into four sections—(1) General; (2) Europe including USSR; (3) Middle East and North Africa; (4) South-East Asia and the Far East—which includes relevant photographs, diagrams, and maps.The subject matter of quarterly summaries is similar to that of monthly summaries. The intentions, capabilities, and internal machinations of adversarial powers such as the Soviet Union are, of course, analysed in great detail. The role played by post-colonial states is also of great interest, as is the influence of communist movements in friendly nations. So-called ‘Special Articles’ afford students with an interesting, if not novel, addendum, with contributions from military attaches, defectors, and specialists.Series: WO 208 (War Office: Directorate of Military Operations and Intelligence, and Directorate of Military Intelligence; Ministry of Defence, Defence Intelligence Staff). Read more →
Monthly Naval Intelligence Summaries, 1938-1939
This volume contains monthly intelligence summaries compiled by Naval Intelligence on behalf of the Naval Staff and Admiralty in the years immediately prior to the Second World War. The purpose of these summaries was to keep relevant personnel abreast of the political, diplomatic, and military situation. Although confidential (and later secret), they were intended to be read by all commanding officers and distribution was arranged as such. Each summary is divided into four sections: section one covers the international situation with an overview of recent events; section two includes short reports thought to be of interest to officers; section three consists of extracts from the press with the aim of informing officers without access to daily newspapers; and the last section features reviews of recently published naval and martial literature. The content of the summaries focuses on the threat posed by Nazi Germany, and not just in the realm of guns and gunboats—the plight of Jews is also reported, for instance. In addition, Japan’s ambitions in the Pacific receive a great deal of attention. Series: ADM 223 (Admiralty: Naval Intelligence Division and Operational Intelligence Centre: Intelligence Reports and Papers). Read more →
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