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    Special Observers: A History of SPOBS and USAFBI, 1941-1942

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    Anderson_ku_0099D_15019_DATA_1.pdf (2.279Mb)
    Issue Date
    2016-12-31
    Author
    Anderson, Richard
    Publisher
    University of Kansas
    Format
    425 pages
    Type
    Dissertation
    Degree Level
    Ph.D.
    Discipline
    History
    Rights
    Copyright held by the author.
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    Abstract
    In late spring, 1941, a small group of U.S. Army officers traveled to Britain to plan for Anglo-American cooperation if and when the U.S. entered World War II. Because the United States was still a neutral country and to prevent potential enemies from knowing the group's purpose, the U.S. Army called its mission to Britain the "U.S. Army Special Observer Group" (SPOBS). From May, 1941 until June, 1942, SPOBS (known as U.S. Army Forces in the British Isles or USAFBI after January 8, 1942) developed plans with the British for establishing U.S forces in the British Isles. Changing strategic conditions however, made much of this work obsolete. As a result, the Allies had to develop new plans for establishing U.S. combat power in Britain. The fact that the Allies never implemented SPOBS’ plans in their entirety has led scholars to underestimate the significance of the group’s work with the British. This study asserts that the process of planning that the Special Observers engaged in with their British counterparts played an essential role in setting the conditions for Anglo-American cooperation in the European Theater.
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    http://hdl.handle.net/1808/24209
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    • History Dissertations and Theses [251]
    • Dissertations [4320]

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    Contact KU ScholarWorks
    785-864-8983
    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
    785-864-8983

    KU Libraries
    1425 Jayhawk Blvd
    Lawrence, KS 66045
    Image Credits
     

     

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