United States intelligence agency (1942-1945)
Factsheet
Agency overview
Formed June 13, 1942; 83 years ago (June 13, 1942)
Preceding agency Coordinator of Information
Agency overview
Formed June 13, 1942; 83 years ago (June 13, 1942)
Preceding agency Coordinator of Information
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Office_of_Strategic_Services
Office of Strategic Services - Wikipedia
2 weeks ago - The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the second-ever non-departmental civilian intelligence agency of the United States. It was formed during World War II, second chronologically only to its direct predecessor, the Office of the Coordinator of Information (COI).
Videos
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" WAR DEPARTMENT REPORT " 1943 OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES (OSS) ...
THE HISTORY OF THE CIA: The OSS and the Birth of American ...
01:52:02
The OSS: Office of Strategic Services (WW2HRT_22-07) - YouTube
03:26
A Toast to the Office of Strategic Services - YouTube
06:46
The OSS: America’s First Central Intelligence Agency - YouTube
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The OSS - The Office of Strategic Services and their role in WWII ...
National Archives
archives.gov › research › guide-fed-records › groups › 226.html
Records of the office of Strategic Services [OSS]
Redesignated ODD-SSO, November 1943, implementing JCS directive JCS 155/11/D, October 27, 1943, which ordered that the term "psychological warfare" be replaced by the term "strategic services." Responsibility extended to include Special Projects Office (see 226.14), December 1943; and Field Experimental Unit, March 1944. Abolished with OSS, effective October 1, 1945. Textual Records: Records relating to plans, policies, and administrative activities, 1943-45. Reports and other records relating to branch operations, 1943-45. Budget and finance records, 1943-45. Personnel records, 1943-45. ... History: Office of the Deputy Director--OSS Services (ODD-OSSS) established, effective October 19, 1942, by General Order 1, OSS, October 17, 1942, assuming responsibilities formerly exercised in OCOI by the Executive Office.
U.S. National Park Service
nps.gov › articles › office-of-strategic-services.htm
Office of Strategic Services (U.S. National Park Service)
December 16, 2015 - The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and America’s Special Forces Units. Formed to aid the Allied cause in World War II, the OSS gathered information about the enemy, aided resistance groups, and sabotaged enemy assets.
Foreign Policy Research Institute
fpri.org › articles › a new office of strategic services?
A New Office of Strategic Services? - Foreign Policy Research Institute
May 1, 2025 - Using the president’s vague guidance and access to presidential “unvouchered funds,” Donovan created a centralized organization from COI, which on June 13, 1942 would become the Office of Strategic Services. Donovan’s team provided the president with what we now call the intelligence cycle where he provided intelligence and then received requirements for future collection. Donovan also created a small irregular warfare capability focusing on sabotage and subversion. To minimize the hostility within Washington, the executive order creating Donovan’s OSS also placed it directly under the command of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
Osssociety
osssociety.org
Office of Strategic Services Society
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Society honors the historic accomplishments of the OSS during World War II, the first organized effort by the United States to implement a centralized system of strategic intelligence, and the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Special ...
National Archives
archives.gov › research › military › ww2 › oss
OSS Records | National Archives
February 3, 2021 - After the start of World War II, Donovan worked with the newly created Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) to place the COI under JCS control; while preserving COI autonomy, and gaining access to military support and resources. On June 13, 1942, the COI became the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).
CIA
cia.gov › resources › csi › static › Office-of-Strategic-Services.pdf pdf
The Office of Strategic Services: America's First Intelligence Agency
About 7,500 OSS employees served overseas, and about 4,500 were women (with 900 of them serving in overseas postings). In Fiscal Year 1945, the · office spent $43 million, bringing its total spending over its four-year life to around $135 million (almost $1.1 ... American academics and experts in the Office of Strategic Services virtually invented the discipline of non
Archives.gov
text-message.blogs.archives.gov › 2021 › 08 › 24 › the-creation-of-the-office-of-strategic-services-oss
The Creation of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) – The Text Message
August 24, 2021 - Simultaneously with the Executive Order, there was issued a Military Order which established the Office of Strategic Services, comprising all of COI except FIS, under the jurisdiction of JCS — “The OSS shall perform the following duties: collect and analyze such strategic information as may be required by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and plan and operate such special services as may be directed by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
USNWC
usnwc.libguides.com › c.php
Office of Strategic Services - Counterintelligence - LibGuides at Naval War College
May 12, 2026 - The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was a wartime intelligence agency of the United States established by Franklin Roosevelt during World War II, and a predecessor of the modern Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
National Archives
archives.gov › research › military › ww2 › oss › organization.html
Organization | National Archives
August 15, 2016 - Below is an organizational chart of the Office of Strategic Services. Click on an office name for more information on that individual branch. I: Office of the Director The Office of the Director of the OSS had command responsibilities for the agency as a whole; including assistant directors, special assistants and representatives, and all offices and branches IA: Secretariat This unit was the channel for submitting programs, plans, and projects to the Director and served as his reports and editorial staff.
Study.com
study.com › history courses › general military history lessons
Office of Strategic Services | History, Activities & Facts | Study.com
Donovan intended the agency to conduct research and analyze foreign threats, oversee counterintelligence, and develop new technology to continuously improve the agency's capabilities.
Encyclopedia.com
encyclopedia.com › history › united-states-and-canada › us-history › office-strategic-services
Office Of Strategic Services | Encyclopedia.com
May 29, 2018 - OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICESOFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES. On 13 June 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) to centralize the nation's fragmented and uncoordinated intelligence activities during World War II [1].
Osssociety
osssociety.org › national_archives_oss.html
Office of Strategic Services Society
National Archives to Open Official Personnel Files of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) · The National Archives will open more than 35,000 official personnel files of men and women who served in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which was the U.S. wartime intelligence agency during ...
Ibiblio
ibiblio.org › hyperwar › USG › JCS › OSS › OSS-Functions › index.html
HyperWar: Office of Strategic Servcices (OSS) Organization and Functions
The information contained in this book is a privileged communication to OSS students and is designed to help them understand and perform their jobs intelligently overseas or in the States. This information is not to be imparted to unauthorized persons outside the organization. ... NOTE:--A "Glossary of Frequently Used Initials" appears at the end of this book. ... The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) is an agency of the Joint Chiefs of Staff charged with collecting and analyzing