Origins of British-American cooperation in political intelligence, 1914–1919

While British-American intelligence cooperation in World War One has recently received important scholarly attention, the specific phenomenon of cooperation in political intelligence, as distinct from military and signals intelligence, has not – nor have the propaganda efforts that complemented it. This paper examines the several channels through which trans-Atlantic cooperation on political intelligence developed. During US neutrality, efforts were dominated by the British and concerned anti-imperial subversion, counter-espionage, and pro-Entente propaganda aimed at building support among Americans for Britain’s war effort. The British personnel and agencies involved developed crucial relationships with US counterparts. Once the US entered the war, political-intelligence cooperation increased dramatically, with a new emphasis on planning for the postwar sharing of power by the US and the British empire. This aspiration for ongoing coordination was not met, but intelligence cooperation was later revived as the challenge of fascism brought the two powers together for a second time and the traditional historiography of British-US intelligence cooperation begins.