SOE in Afghanistan: Bradley F. Smith

Abstract

Among the many anomalies which affected intelligence and special operational organizations during the Second World War were a series of reversals of alliances which abruptly turned old friends into new enemies, and old enemies into new friends. Japan had a four-decades long alliance with Britain in the twentieth century, and had marched with the Western Powers during the First World War, but turned toward Germany during the 1930s, and on the eve of the Second World War aligned herself with the Axis Pact of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Japan’s new Fascist partner, Italy, had also been on the Allied side during the First World War. Then, after beginning the Second World War with Germany, and having experienced many failures and disappointments including the loss of much of her empire, and ultimately an Allied invasion and the destruction of the Fascist regime, again changed sides to become a quite junior member of the Anglo-American team during 1943.