Welcome to the blog for our project, which in the coming years will feature posts from all our team members as their research progresses.
At its core, this project is motivated by the fact that, although it was disbanded at the end of the Second World War, the Special Operations Executive has never been far from public view. Indeed. recent imaginings such as Guy Ritchie’s film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, or new reporting of historical material in the media, indicates that the SOE is perhaps as famous as ever.
But why has such a short-lived agency gained so much attention? This project wants to consider this issue, not just by examining the exploits of the SOE during wartime itself (although this will play a crucial part of our work), but also through asking wider questions such as: what factors influenced the founding of the SOE? What motivated its original officers, and conceptions of the way they should conduct irregular warfare? What beliefs and stories motivated agents during the war? What influence did SOE personnel wield when they went back into civilian life after the war and took up jobs in publishing, academia, the civil service, Parliament, or the media? And how have the tales of covert action and espionage published by former SOE members gone on to influence the subsequent public imaginations surrounding these topics?
So do keep an eye on this website for further posts and details of publications and talks, and we will also aim to build links and resources as a hub for anyone interested in the study of the SOE.