OSS-SOE Relations, Albania 1943-44

In: Intelligence and national security, Band 15, Heft 2, S. 20-35

Abstract

A prominent feature in the historiography of Anglo-American special operations during WWII has been the concept of "competitive cooperation." The Balkans, in particular, where both nations initially agreed that GB should call the shots, proved a battleground for diverging British & US policies on which guerrilla movements deserved support. Recently declassified, the Balkan files of GB's Special Operations Executive confirm that SOE, in line with the Foreign Office, sought to resist excessive interference by the American Office of Strategic Services just as OSS sought greater involvement. Yet care must be taken not to exaggerate the scope of this friction & the geographical area affected. Indeed, there is a danger of attention being diverted from operational failings & weaknesses in the field. Contrary to the claims of the official OSS historian, SOE was not responsible for the limited involvement & achievements of OSS in the mountains & forests of Albania. Adapted from the source document.