The paper will first briefly introduce the field of military intelligence before zooming in on the Pacific Theater of WW2, which proves to be an insightful case study when analyzing the value of intelligence in managing war and crises. Yet, other influential strategists such as Sun Tzu have argued somewhat differently, often emphasizing that intelligence is essential in military operations.Īccordingly, this paper taps into this debate about the ambiguity surrounding the value of intelligence by considering the role of intelligence in the early stages of the Pacific Theater in the Second World War (WW2), specifically concerning the Battle of Midway (1942), to analyze how intelligence, and how decision-makers used it, helped with the preparation and management of the engagement. He noted that intelligence was often inaccurate and not insightful enough to influence the battlefield situation, primarily determined by superior forces and firepower (Clausewitz, 1873, pp. Indeed, within the military domain, the role of intelligence has famously been downplayed by none other than Carl von Clausewitz when writing about the Napoleonic Wars. The famous twentieth-century American comedian Groucho Marx once said: “Military intelligence is a contradiction in terms.” While probably unintentional, this quote perfectly illustrates an essential paradox surrounding the field of (military) intelligence: although intelligence is often described as being about ‘reducing uncertainty’ for governments and decision-makers, it can also make matters more complicated due to its fragmentary, uncertain, and secretive nature.
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