Marching Orders: The Untold Story of How the American Breaking of the Japanese Secret Codes Led to the Defeat of Nazi Germany and Japan

by Bruce Lee

Although it is difficult to imagine that these plans for the postwar occupation of Europe were not discussed in their early stages by the Army with the civilian leadership, this is the case. In a memo dated November 10, 1943, from Maj. Gen. John H. Hildring, Chief of the Civil Affairs, to General Marshall, Hildring tells Marshall that “JCS [Joint Chiefs of Staff] has barred all civilian agencies from the early phases of civil affairs. It is unreasonable and impossible therefore in the event of a southern collapse [in Europe] to pass responsibility for relief and rehabilitation over to civilian agencies who are not present on the scene.… It is believed inadvisable to bother the President at this time.”3