제1차 세계대전 시기 일본 육군 무관의 연합군 종군과 정보 수집

초록

This article examines the whole aspect of intelligence activity of Japanese army by dispatching military attachés to the Allies, the change of position of the army on intelligence, and the reaction of the Allies to Japanese attachés during the First World War. Before Japan entered the war, its army tried to use its officers in Europe for intelligence. After declaring war against Germany, the army dispatched many attachés, not only to Triple Enténte, but also to the countries newly entering the war on the Allied side, to gather information. Its intelligence activity through them continued until the end of the war by Treaty of Versailles. During the war, Japanese army dispatched most officers to Britain and Russia, and among their attaché groups in the Allied Forces, the one in Russian army was biggest and including many high ranking officers. Judging by the number, rank, and branch of the attachés, the army tried to acquire information about trench and artillery warfare on the western front, mainly from Britain and France, and about mobile warfare and German army on the eastern front from Russia. And through the change of instructions to their attachés, intelligence activity of Japanese army was systemically completed and became brisk since around 1916. However, the reaction of the Allies to Japanese attachés was not always positive. Some countries denied accepting them until some point of time, or tried to limit its number. Also, Britain and America did not allow the attachés to be assigned to their front headquarters until the eve of armistice. And there was their dissatisfaction against Japan pursuing its national interests, rather than cooperating with them during the war, behind it.