Earliest Permanent Intel Agency in US

While many find this idea strange, prior to WWII the United States had no permanent intelligence agencies. In spite of being supported by figures like George Washington, the United States only maintained intelligence during times of armed conflict. Both the United Kingdom and France emphasized the importance of intelligence but for some reason the United States never saw the need.

Keeping this in mind, I have two questions. First, how early can permanent foreign and domestic intelligence agencies be established in the United States? Second, what would these organizations look like?
 
While many find this idea strange, prior to WWII the United States had no permanent intelligence agencies. In spite of being supported by figures like George Washington, the United States only maintained intelligence during times of armed conflict. Both the United Kingdom and France emphasized the importance of intelligence but for some reason the United States never saw the need.

Keeping this in mind, I have two questions. First, how early can permanent foreign and domestic intelligence agencies be established in the United States? Second, what would these organizations look like?

The Civil War, have more Copperheads up North and have the Brits closer to intervention you might get a permenant intelligence agency that infiltrates the Copperheads during the war (Pinkerton did this already during the war, have a government agency do so instead or as well) and the KKK afterwords and another agency that spies on the Brits to see what they are up to and to make sure they don't intervene. By this time you have the telegraph so the government might use its military telegraph system to do so. Eventually the domestic agency would investigate other criminal orginizations than the KKK and the foregin will spy on the French, the Russians, the Mexicans and the Germans alongside the Brits and of course almost everyone else in the long run.
 
While many find this idea strange, prior to WWII the United States had no permanent intelligence agencies. In spite of being supported by figures like George Washington, the United States only maintained intelligence during times of armed conflict. Both the United Kingdom and France emphasized the importance of intelligence but for some reason the United States never saw the need.

That's not true, actually. The Black Chamber (Cipher Bureau) came into existence in 1919 as a joint State-Army organization. Technically speaking it was then closed in 1929, but in reality the US Army Signal Corps absorbed most of its functions.

Furthermore the Office of Naval Intelligence has been around since 1882.

If you're talking about a civilian agency like Christians In Action or No Such Agency then I suppose the State Department would be the best place to start.
 
Sorry for the double post, but I suppose Washington himself could have formalized the Culper Ring as some kind of proto-intelligence agency under his control.

Which probably would have forced Congress to create their own intelligence agency or wrest control of the Culper Ring and turn it into whatever.
 
Last edited:

Wolfpaw

Banned
That's not true, actually. The Black Chamber (Cipher Bureau) came into existence in 1919 as a joint State-Army organization. Technically speaking it was then closed in 1929, but in reality the US Army Signal Corps absorbed most of its functions.

Furthermore the Office of Naval Intelligence has been around since 1882.

If you're talking about a civilian agency like Christians In Action or No Such Agency then I suppose the State Department would be the best place to start.
I'd suggest the Treasury. Everything shady used to be handled by the Treasury Department until most of the juicier responsibilities got passed on to Justice, State, and Defense.

Or have the Radical Republicans give the Bureau of Military Intelligence some sweeping jurisdictions after a more successful Assassination Plot that sees Lincoln, Johnson and Seward killed.
 

abc123

Banned
That's not true, actually. The Black Chamber (Cipher Bureau) came into existence in 1919 as a joint State-Army organization. Technically speaking it was then closed in 1929, but in reality the US Army Signal Corps absorbed most of its functions.

Furthermore the Office of Naval Intelligence has been around since 1882.

If you're talking about a civilian agency like Christians In Action or No Such Agency then I suppose the State Department would be the best place to start.

I agree. Also, Military Intelligence ( G-2 ) is also a pretty old institution, at least from Spanish-American War.
 
Top