Historical Dictionary of United States Intelligence

1942 U.S. establishes Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS)

to collect radio broadcasts and press information. 1 January:President

Roosevelt forms “grand alliance” against Axis powers through the “De-

claration of the United Nations” to fight collectively. 11 February:

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) establishes the Joint Intelligence Committee

(JIC). 9 March:Military Intelligence Service (MIS) established as the

operating arm of the Military Intelligence Division. April:President

Roosevelt signs order to intern Japanese Americans. 13 June:President

Roosevelt abolishes the coordinator of information position and estab-

lishes the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

1943 Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) and OSS launch

Jedburgh teams behind enemy lines in Europe. 27 January:OSS De-

tachment 101 launches mission against the Japanese in Burma.

1944 6 June:Allied landings in Normandy, France after OSS decep-

tion operation to convince the Germans that landing would take place

in Calais. Early November:President Roosevelt asks William Dono-

van to prepare a plan for a permanent postwar intelligence agency. 18

November:Donovan sends President Roosevelt a secret memo calling

for a permanent intelligence organization much like the OSS, with no

law enforcement powers at home.

1945 9 February:American press discloses Donovan’s plan, effec-

tively killing the proposal. February:Project VENONAinitiated. April:

President Roosevelt dies. May:Germany surrenders unconditionally. 6

August:First atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. 9 August:Sec-

ond atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. 15 August:Japan surren-

ders. 1 October:President Harry Truman abolishes the OSS.

1946 22 January:President Truman establishes the National Intelli-

gence Authority (NIA) and within it the Central Intelligence Group (CIG),

headed by Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) Sydney W. Souers.

March:Army, navy, and air force intelligence directed to join CIG in pro-

ducing assessment of Soviet military capabilities. House of Representa-

tives establishes the House Armed Services Committee. The Senate estab-

lishes the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC). June:Lt. General

Hoyt S. Vandenberg succeeds Souers as DCI. 23 July:First national in-

telligence estimate on Soviet strategic posture produced by CIG. July:Di-

rector of Central Intelligence Hoyt Vandenberg establishes the Office of

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