Which secret organization did Churchill create in 1940 to support resistance in occupied Europe?

The secret organization Churchill created in 1940 to support resistance in occupied Europe was the Special Operations Executive, or SOE.

The SOE was formally established on 22 July 1940, after Churchill urged Britain to coordinate sabotage and clandestine operations against Nazi Germany. Its mission included espionage, reconnaissance, sabotage, weapons distribution, and assistance to resistance movements across occupied Europe.

Churchill was the political force behind the organization, although Hugh Dalton, the Minister of Economic Warfare, was given responsibility for it. Dalton reportedly recorded Churchill telling him to “set Europe ablaze,” reflecting the SOE’s purpose: to disrupt German control from behind enemy lines.

The SOE worked with resistance networks in countries including France, Norway, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy. It is sometimes confused with MI6, or the Secret Intelligence Service, which focused primarily on intelligence gathering. The SOE specialized in irregular warfare and direct action, and was dissolved in 1946.