Office of Strategic Services

E2897

The Office of Strategic Services was the United States’ World War II-era intelligence and covert operations agency that laid the groundwork for the modern American intelligence community.

All labels observed (7)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (67)

Predicate Object
instanceOf government agency
intelligence agency
archivesAt U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
commemoratedBy OSS Society
conflict World War II
country United States
dissolved 1945-10-01
employed Allen Dulles
Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
David Bruce
E. Howard Hunt
Frank Wisner
James Jesus Angleton
John Ford
Julia Child
Moe Berg
Paul Mellon
Ralph Bunche
Sterling Hayden
William Colby
hasAbbreviation OSS
headOfGovernmentBody William J. Donovan
headquartersLocation Washington, D.C.
inception 1942-06-13
influenced Central Intelligence Agency
United States Special Operations Command
modern United States intelligence community
jurisdiction federal government of the United States
keyPerson William J. Donovan
legalBasis presidential military order of 1942
mainFunction covert operations
propaganda and psychological warfare
special operations
strategic intelligence collection
support to resistance movements
motto “Semper Occultus” (attributed, unofficial)
nickname Wild Bill Donovan’s organization
notableOperation Operation Jedburgh
intelligence operations in Switzerland
operations with Chinese Nationalist forces
support to French Resistance
operatedIn Asia
Burma
linked to: Myanmar

China
Europe
France
Germany
Italy
North Africa
parentOrganization Joint Chiefs of Staff
United States Armed Forces
partOf United States war effort in World War II
predecessor Coordinator of Information
shortName OSS
significantEvent established by order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
subOrganization Morale Operations Branch
Operational Groups
Research and Analysis Branch
Secret Intelligence Branch
Special Operations Branch
successor Central Intelligence Agency
Office of Policy Coordination
Office of Special Operations
Strategic Services Unit
trainingFacility Area B-5 (Catoctin Mountain Park)
Camp David
Camp X

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (82)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Central Intelligence Agency precededBy Office of Strategic Services
Donal McLaughlin employer United States Office of Strategic Services
linked to: Office of Strategic Services
British Security Coordination coordinatedWith Office of Strategic Services
OSS Society namedAfter Office of Strategic Services
OSS Society focusesOn Office of Strategic Services
Special Operations Branch partOf Office of Strategic Services
Special Operations Branch operatedBy Office of Strategic Services
Special Operations Branch foundedBy Office of Strategic Services
European resistance movements cooperatedWith Office of Strategic Services
OSS fullName Office of Strategic Services
Strategic Services Unit predecessor Office of Strategic Services
Strategic Services Unit continuedFrom Office of Strategic Services
Office of Policy Coordination mergedInto Directorate of Plans
linked to: Office of Strategic Services
Julia Child employer Office of Strategic Services
Julia Child militaryBranch Office of Strategic Services
Research and Analysis Branch partOf Office of Strategic Services
Research and Analysis Branch parentOrganization Office of Strategic Services
Research and Analysis Branch operatedBy Office of Strategic Services
Secret Intelligence Branch partOf Office of Strategic Services
Secret Intelligence Branch employer Office of Strategic Services
Secret Intelligence Branch supervisingAgency Office of Strategic Services
Operational Groups partOf Office of Strategic Services
Operational Groups parentOrganization U.S. Office of Strategic Services
linked to: Office of Strategic Services
Area B-5 (Catoctin Mountain Park) usedBy Office of Strategic Services
Semper Occultus associatedWith Office of Strategic Services
Semper Occultus describesMissionStyleOf Office of Strategic Services
John Ford founded Field Photographic Branch of the Office of Strategic Services
linked to: Office of Strategic Services
Morale Operations Branch partOf Office of Strategic Services
Morale Operations Branch operatedBy Office of Strategic Services
Morale Operations Branch foundedBy Office of Strategic Services
Sterling Hayden militaryBranch Office of Strategic Services
Moe Berg employer Office of Strategic Services
William J. Donovan positionHeld Coordinator of Information of the United States
linked to: Office of Strategic Services
William J. Donovan founded Office of Strategic Services
British Security Coordination collaboratedWith Office of Strategic Services
subject linked to: BSC
Navy SEALs precededBy Office of Strategic Services Maritime Unit
linked to: Office of Strategic Services
Allen Dulles militaryBranch Office of Strategic Services
William Colby memberOf Office of Strategic Services
Frank Wisner employer Office of Strategic Services
Frank Wisner memberOf Office of Strategic Services
James Jesus Angleton memberOf Office of Strategic Services
James Jesus Angleton employer Office of Strategic Services
Operation Jedburgh operator Office of Strategic Services
Merrill's Marauders supportedBy Office of Strategic Services
William J. Casey workedFor Office of Strategic Services
Central Intelligence Group predecessor Office of Strategic Services
French Resistance supportedBy Office of Strategic Services
Sterling Hayden militaryBranch Office of Strategic Services
subject linked to: Hayden
Paul Cushing Child servedIn Office of Strategic Services
Paul Cushing Child metSpouseIn Office of Strategic Services