Office of Strategic Services
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | Date: 2008
Office of Strategic Services (OSS), U.S. agency created (1942) during World War II under the jurisdiction of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the purpose of obtaining information about enemy nations and of sabotaging their war potential and morale. Headed by William J. Donovan , the OSS comprised personnel from all the branches of the armed forces as well as civilians. Although the "cloak and dagger" section gained the most publicity after the war, some of the most valuable work was done by the research and analysis section. Behind enemy lines, the OSS acted as a liaison with the underground in Nazi-occupied countries. The OSS was disbanded in 1945. Later many of its functions were assumed by the Central Intelligence Agency .
Bibliography: See S. Alsop and T. Bradon, Sub Rosa: The O.S.S. and American Espionage (1946, repr. 1964); R. H. Smith, OSS (1972).
Author not available, OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES.,
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2008
The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press
Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles from HighBeam Research
 "Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)")
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'OSS 117' PROOF THERE'S ROOM FOR SPOOF.(LA.COM)
Daily News (Los Angeles, CA); 5/9/2008; 444 words
; Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic Four years before 007, French super-spy OSS 117 donned a tuxedo, treated women and foreigners with clueless contempt and muddled his way through Cold War espionage circles. Jean Bruce wrote 265 OSS 117 novels, selling some 75 million copies and spawning seven movies
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A bright spot in the back office? Carriers speak frankly about OSS.(Operations support)
America's Network; 9/1/2003; 1171 words
; The operations support system industry was hard-hit by the telecom downturn, which wiped out some of the smaller vendors in the market.But there could be a light at the end of the tunnel, as service providers recognize that the right OSSs can help cut operational costs and grow their revenues.
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Communists at the OSS
The Washington Post; 1/8/2008; 176 words
; In his Dec. 24 column, "Subverting Bush at Langley," Robert D. Novak included a swipe at the Office of Strategic Services, the World War II predecessor of the CIA. Mr. Novak wrote that the OSS "was infiltrated by communists." The Soviet Union was our ally during World War II. The OSS was not
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Ian Dear. Sabotage and Subversion: The SOE and OSS at War.(Book review)
Sabretache; 6/1/2006; Richmond, Keith; 603 words
; Ian Dear. Sabotage and Subversion: The SOE and OSS at War, Cassell Military Paperbacks, London, 1996, 224 pages, maps, photographs, $19. Exploits of undercover operators in World War II remain fascinating to modern readers, and the activities of ...
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OSS: The Secret History of America's First Central Intelligence Agency.(Book review)
Air Power History; 9/22/2007; O'Sullivan, Curtis Hooper; 751 words
; ... mostly casual group shots rather than formal portraits, but it might have been more meaningful to show more of the main actors. Maps aren't essential but would have been handy. There is an extensive bibliography which always suggests research in depth. Obviously ...
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Sisterhood of Spies: The Women of the OSS
Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin; 1/1/2003; Coviello, Katherine R; 704 words
; Sisterhood of Spies: The Women of the OSS, by Elizabeth P. McIntosh (Dell Publishing Company, reprint March 9, 1999, originally published in hardcover by US Naval Institute Press in May 1998), 368 pages, $6.50. By documenting many tales of the courage and exploits of dozens of women of the Office
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OSS heyday predicted: TeleManagement World emphasizes Next Generation OSS. (Telemanagement World Report).
America's Network; 11/15/2002; Levine, Shira; 558 words
; Attendance may have been down at last month's TeleManagement World show, but speakers and organizers still pushed a message of optimism and hope for the operations support system (OSS) sector. There is reason to be optimistic. This is the time when the greatest opportunity exists, said Van Macatee,
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OSS: From back office to cable's front lines.(cable television industry; operations support systems, analysis)(Industry Overview)(Statistical Data Included)
Multichannel News; 11/19/2001; Kuhl, Craig; 1374 words
; While cable operators prepare for a full fledged leap into the murky waters of data, interactivity and telephony, Operations Support Systems and their subscriber-management relatives -- customer care and billing -- have moved from the back office to the front burner. OSS and subscriber-management
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OSS: OPERATIVES, SPIES & SABOTEURS-THE UNKNOWN STORY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF WWII'S OSS
Sea Classics; 5/1/2005; Redman, Rod E; 355 words
; OSS: OPERATIVES, SPIES & SABOTEURS THE UNKNOWN STORY OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF WWII'S OSS By Patrick K. O'Donnell 366 Pgs, Illustrated, 6"x 9.5", Hardback. ISBN: 0-7432-3572-X $27.00. Free Press/Simon & Shuster, New York, NY; www.simonsays.com While most everyone knows that the cloak and
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French actress Berenice Bejo on 'OSS 117' and co-star Jean Dujardin.(Entertainment)
Manila Bulletin; 7/25/2007; 627 words
; Byline: KAYE VILLAGOMEZ OSS 117 female lead actress Berenice Bejo denied her co-star Jean Dujardin is gay. No, no, no! she told the Manila Bulletin in an interview during the local press preview of the James Bond spoof. No way is he gay. For one, his character is too much of a jerk to be one, she
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