Chapter 246: Chapter 324 Intelligence Work
On the other side of the Atlantic, in the United States of America.
Washington, the White House.
"Italy has also declared war on the UK?" President Roosevelt looked at the documents in his hand and couldn't help but exclaim. "It's simply a blatant plot. Crown Prince Wilhelm is truly adept at both overt and covert schemes."
"Yes, and no one even knows when he started plotting against Italy. Three years, five years, or ten?" The speaker was General George C. Marshall, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
The Chief of Staff of the United States Army is the highest position in the U.S. Army, usually under the leadership of the Secretary of Defense. However, during wartime, he can be considered the top commander of the army. Moreover, before World War II, the United States only had the Army and the Navy, and many policies in the Navy were also formulated by Marshall. In simple terms, the entire direction and strategy of the United States joining World War II were formulated by Marshall alone.
Before the end of World War II, that is, during the Normandy landing, Roosevelt felt a bit sorry for Marshall, after all, as a general, he hadn't fought in any battles and felt very uncomfortable. So he wanted to let him command the entire Normandy landing, but later found that after he left, there was no one to take over the Army Staff, and finally had to choose Eisenhower to command.
At that time, the highest military rank in the United States was the five-star general, which means marshal. For example, familiar figures like Eisenhower, MacArthur, Bradley, etc., were all five-star generals. These people were promoted to five-star generals based on military merits and had fought in many battles. However, only Marshall, who did not fight in any battle throughout World War II, was promoted to a five-star general, earning the respect of everyone.
"What's even more terrifying is that he is not only good at conspiracies but also involved in almost every field: politics, technology, economy, military, education, society, culture, entertainment—he excels in every field. He's simply a polymath. Over these years, he has almost monopolized awards in every field."
"Could it be that God favors Germany?" Roosevelt sighed again before getting back to business. "Now, Germany, Italy, and Vichy France want to unite against the UK. Is there any possibility of Italy withdrawing?"
"I'm afraid there's not even a 1% chance." Marshall smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I heard that Queen Silvia arrived in Germany a few years ago and has been living in the Berlin Palace, to be precise, cohabiting with Crown Prince Wilhelm. After taking office, the top echelons of the Italian government were immediately purged and replaced with pro-German elements. Now, Italy has become Germany's most loyal follower. Unless Germany is thoroughly defeated, Italy will stick with Germany to the end."
"This is not good news. What about Vichy France? Will they also follow Germany unswervingly?"
"It's hard to say, because of the British 'Operation Crossbow,' the hostility towards the UK within France has now surpassed even that towards Germany. The German military should be able to recruit quite a few French soldiers willing to teach the UK a lesson."
"With 'Operation Crossbow,' the UK really made a wrong move. By the way, how did the German military learn about the British action plan and set up an ambush?"
"The British side hasn't investigated it thoroughly yet. But at that time, the German broadcasts mentioned code names like 'Duke,' 'Marquis,' 'Count,' 'Viscount,' etc. This might be to confuse listeners, or perhaps those were the actual code names of the spies."
"So, Germany has a very advanced intelligence network within the British high command? Advanced enough to get advance information on highly confidential plans like the 'Operation Crossbow'?"
"Very likely. And not just within the UK, I suspect there might be a German intelligence network even here. A few days ago, all the spies the United States had planted in Germany lost contact almost simultaneously, and their fates are unknown. Some of them were old operatives planted during the previous World War, having stayed undercover for 20 years without incident. Suddenly, they were exposed, which is quite unbelievable."
In the future, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States is one of the most famous intelligence agencies in the world and has appeared in various films and TV shows across different genres. Influenced by many movies and TV shows, many people assume that the CIA must be a long-established intelligence agency.
However, the CIA was officially established in 1947 after the end of World War II, which is why reliable World War II-themed movies and TV shows do not feature the CIA.
Starting from the late 19th century, with the acceleration of the industrial revolution, the United States gradually transformed into imperialism. At this time, the U.S. government and military had already established specialized intelligence agencies, and intelligence work, including surveillance, dispatch, and collection, had taken shape and become fixed through several iterations. A professional and stable intelligence force gradually formed. From the inception of intelligence agencies, due to historical and geographical reasons, intelligence activities in the United States had always lagged behind those in Europe.
Later, with the drastic changes in the international situation, in 1911, Congressman Pearson proposed the establishment of the "National Defense Committee" to determine the distinct needs of the army and navy. The committee's members were to include the Secretary of State, Secretary of War, Secretary of the Navy, chairs of relevant congressional committees, and the president of the War College. However, due to the U.S. adherence to "Monroe Doctrine" at the time, low involvement in international affairs, a relatively small military, and the absence of an imminent threat, this proposal faced opposition from the State Department at the time, and Congress took no action.
As World War I erupted and the conflict expanded, on August 29, 1916, the "National Defense Committee" was established with the passage of the "Army Appropriations Act" in the U.S. Congress. In the eyes of Woodrow Wilson, "Congress has realized that preparing the nation thoroughly for peace is the best preparation for war." The committee consisted of the Secretary of War, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, among others. Its main responsibility was to coordinate resources and industries to support the war, including coordinating transportation, industrial and agricultural production, financial support for the war, and boosting public morale.
It is worth noting that the committee did not focus on military or diplomatic affairs but rather on coordinating defense resources and motivating the people's spirit.
During World War I, the United States established its first historically significant intelligence agency—the U.S. Black Chamber. However, the duration of this intelligence agency was not long. Its main responsibility was codebreaking. After a debate in 1929 on the need for an intelligence department, then-Secretary of State Henry Stimson closed the "Black Chamber" on the grounds of "gentlemen do not read each other's mail."
Until the outbreak of World War II, due to mutual opposition between the U.S. government and the military, a complete intelligence security system was not established domestically in the United States. Intelligence work in various departments operated independently. Although intelligence agencies were established in the Army and Navy, there was little exchange and collaboration between the two.
In 1938, Secretary of State Cordell Hull proposed the establishment of a "Liaison Executive Committee" between the Army and Navy, with members including the Deputy Secretary of State, the Chief of Staff of the Army, and the Chief of Naval Operations. The committee was "the first institution in the United States for regular political and military consultations on foreign policy." In reality, this standing liaison committee did not regularly address important policy issues. Instead, it provided a platform for sharing information between departments, especially intelligence about the Latin American region. However, due to the State Department's reluctance to take on too much responsibility at the time, the committee's management scope was greatly limited.
It can be said that the current state of U.S. intelligence work is practically crap. Even if Marshall suspected a German intelligence network within high-ranking officials, effective investigation was not possible.
In fact, Roosevelt noticed the backwardness of U.S. intelligence work early on and intended to establish an intelligence coordination department. However, once this department was established, military intelligence agencies and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) would surely resist the decline of their status and obstruct it. Therefore, this plan has not been announced for a long time.
Sometimes he envied the autocratic rule of the German crown prince. Whatever he said was like a decree, a law, and no one dared to disobey, with execution efficiency reaching astonishing levels.
"It seems that Britain's situation has become even more challenging." Originally, facing just Germany was challenging enough, and now with the addition of Italy and Vichy France, Roosevelt doubted whether Britain could hold on.
Once the British Empire fell or surrendered, Germany, consolidating all European resources, would be the United States' greatest enemy. "We must support Britain, preferably having the British Empire engage in a bloody conflict with the European continent, resulting in mutual destruction. This is the outcome most in line with American interests."
At this point, Roosevelt had already predicted that the United States would inevitably join the war. Therefore, he convinced Congress to increase funding subsidies to Britain. Negotiations between the United States and Britain were currently underway.
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