World War 2: Intelligence Operations, Successful and Failed

Meeting Date: Weekly
Meeting Time: 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM Pacific
Meeting Location: Zoom

Instructor: Aly Alford

Module Descriptions
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1. Road to War (1918-1939)
Sessions: 3+
Explore the aftermath of the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler's rise to power, and the early covert operations setting the stage for global conflict.
- Operation Himmler (1939): False-flag operations by Nazi Germany to justify the invasion of Poland.
- Abwehr Operations: German military intelligence activities in Europe.
- Operation Tannenberg (1939): Targeting Polish elites to eliminate potential resistance.
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2. Blitzkrieg (Sept. 1939 - June 1940)
Sessions: 4
Understand the rapid German offensives and the critical intelligence operations that influenced the early stages of the war.
- Operation Fall Weiss (1939): German invasion of Poland involving extensive deception.
- The Venlo Incident (1939): A failed British intelligence operation leading to agent captures.
- Operation Lena (1940): German espionage operation in Britain, largely a failure.
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3. Battle of Britain
Sessions: 4
Delve into the air battles, the strategic importance of Bentley Priory, the role of Commandos, and the Special Operations Executive (SOE).
- Ultra Intelligence: British decryption of German communications.
- Operation Sea Lion (1940): German invasion plan of Britain, ultimately unsuccessful.
- Operation Lena: German attempt to infiltrate spies into Britain, mostly failed.
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4. The Blitz
Sessions: 3
Examine the destruction caused by nightly bombings, the role of nurses, and the contributions of Bletchley Park.
- Operation Double Cross: British counter-espionage turning German agents.
- Operation Lucid: Failed British plan using fire ships against German barges.
- Operation Columba: British intelligence using carrier pigeons for information from occupied Europe.
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5. The East Attacks
Sessions: 3
Learn about Unit 731's horrors, crimes against the Chinese, and Japan's early Pacific footholds.
- Unit 731: Japanese biological warfare and experimentation.
- Doolittle Raid (1942): American bombing of Tokyo, showcasing Japanese vulnerability.
- Richard Sorge’s Spy Ring: Soviet espionage in Japan, providing critical intelligence.
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6. Mediterranean under Attack
Sessions: 3
Explore the conflicts in Greece, the Balkan region, and North Africa, focusing on strategic operations and intelligence.
- Operation Compass (1940-1941): British offensive aided by Ultra decrypts.
- Operation Mincemeat (1943): Deception misleading the Axis about invasion targets.
- Operation Exporter (1941): Allied invasion of Vichy French Syria and Lebanon.
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7. Hitler Goes East
Sessions: 3
Analyze Hitler's strategic errors and intelligence operations as Germany invades Russia.
- Operation Barbarossa (1941): German invasion of the Soviet Union with flawed intelligence.
- Rote Kapelle (Red Orchestra): Soviet spy network in Nazi Germany.
- Operation Zeppelin: Soviet deception operations in 1944.
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8. Operation Overlord
Sessions: 3
Study the Allies' entry onto the Western Front and the intelligence operations that supported D-Day.
- Operation Fortitude: Deception operation misleading Germans about D-Day.
- Operation Bodyguard: Comprehensive deception for the success of D-Day.
- Operation Jedburgh: Allied teams supporting resistance ahead of D-Day.
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9. War in the Pacific
Sessions: 3
Review the collapse of the Japanese Empire and the intelligence that shaped Pacific battles.
- Magic: American cryptanalysis of Japanese codes.
- Operation Vengeance (1943): Mission to kill Admiral Yamamoto.
- Operation Starvation (1945): Mining campaign disrupting Japanese logistics.
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10. Closing In
Sessions: 3
Follow the Allies' push across Europe, focusing on intelligence and operations leading to the end of the war.
- Operation Bagration (1944): Soviet offensive supported by intelligence and deception.
- Operation Market Garden (1944): Failed Allied operation in the Netherlands.
- Operation Grapeshot (1945): Final Allied offensive in Italy.
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11. Victory in Europe
Sessions: 3
Celebrate the end of the war in Europe and the intelligence operations that secured victory.
- Operation Sunrise (1945): Negotiations leading to the surrender of German forces in Italy.
- Operation Werwolf: Failed Nazi plan for guerrilla warfare.
- Operation Alsos: Mission to secure German nuclear research.
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12. Victory in the Pacific
Sessions: 3
Conclude with the surrender of Japan and the critical intelligence operations in the Pacific.
- Manhattan Project: Development of atomic bombs.
- Operation Ketsugo: Japanese defense plan against invasion, thwarted by atomic bombings.
- Operation Matterhorn (1944-1945): Strategic bombing campaign in Southeast Asia.
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13. Post-War Intelligence Operations (1945-1950)
Sessions: 3
Examine the intelligence operations that set the stage for the Cold War, focusing on the transition from wartime to peacetime espionage.
- Operation Paperclip (1945): Secret program to recruit German scientists for American research.
- Operation Gladio: NATO's clandestine stay-behind operations in Europe to counter potential Soviet invasions.