Essay on "History of Espionage Class Reading"

Essay 27 pages (7517 words) Sources: 29

[EXCERPT] . . . .

The chapter also circles back to the "Cambridge Five," and how even with Soviet spy Kim Philby placed so highly in the British Secret Service, the Soviet leader's inability to trust others effectively invalidated the expert-level espionage of the "Cambridge Five."

To conclude, the chapter reviews how Stalin's increasingly deluded worldview managed to turn Philby's incredible subterfuge -- perhaps the most important spy games ever waged -- into a useless resource, illustrating that effective intelligence gathering can only be successfully exploited by flexible leaders capable of adapting their previous positions.

October 24th -- Stephen Budiansky, "Prologue: Midway," in Battle of Wits: The Complete Story of Codebreaking in World War II (2000), pp. 1-24.

This reading discusses the continual struggle by both American and Japanese intelligence personnel to encrypt sensitive messages and crack enemy codes.

The author begins with a detailed description of the maneuvering which took place between Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto -- Commander in Chief of Japan's Combined Fleet -- and the American Commander Joseph J. Rochefort, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

One of these naval exercises was led by Lt. Colonel James H. Doolittle, who piloted a fleet of B-25 bombers during a covert attack on Tokyo. Upon learning of this attack, which was actually launched from the U.S. aircraft carrier Hornet, Yamamoto believed that the Pacific island of Midway represented the crucial base of operations.

The reading then moves on to an in-depth discussion of the encryption efforts used by the Japanese Navy, which hoped to secure Midway and prevent the Americans from establishing a crucial foothold in the Pacific theatre. This section also includes a thorough review of Rochefort's efforts to break the new Japanese code, which was known first as "AN" and later as "JN-25."

A geographic target of interest emerged after months of codebreaking efforts -- which was designated as "AF" -- and it soon became apparent through deductive reasoning that Midway island was Japan's latest target for an invasion force.

The reading makes it clear that the Battle of Midway, which is historically regarded as one of the most crucial in all of WWII, actually represented a titanic struggle between the intelligence gathering agencies of both Japan and the U.S., as Yamamoto sought to lure the American fleet into an ambush by disseminating false and misleading misinformation.

By employing superior codebreaking techniques, however, the U.S. was able to successfully anticipate Yamamoto's plan and essentially beat the Japanese to the punch, and the Battle of Midway was actually won before it ever began.

October 24th -- Ken Kotani, Japanese Intelligence in World War II, pp. 86-90

This reading provides a detailed examination of the Imperial Japanese Navy's (IJN) intelligence and counter-intelligence failures leading up to the Battle of Midway.

Kotani mentions many of the direct consequences of Japan's ineffective intelligence efforts, including the death of Admiral Yamamoto and the decisive and disastrous defeat at the Battle of Midway.

According to Kotani, the IJN was presented with insurmountable evidence that its encryption systems had been compromised, as he states "it is inevitable that secret documents are sometimes intercepted by the enemy and coded communications are decoded, yet the fact remains that the IJN took no counter measures, despite an awareness that secrets were being leaked."

An inability or unwillingness to respond to code failures directly led to the death of Japan's most revered military hero, Admiral Yamamoto, after "the U.S. intercepted and decoded the IJN's coded telegram 'NTF Secret, number 131755,' then ambushed and shot down the airplane of Yamamoto, who was visiting the Solomon Island."

Kotani also reviews the case of an IJN codebook and Secret "Z-Plan" document which were captured by American forces off of Cebu Island.

October 28th -- P.R.J. Winter, "British Intelligence and the July Bomb Plot of 1944: A Reappraisal," War in History Volume 13, Number 4 (2006): 468-494. (Cohen)

This reading examines the role of anti-Hitler resistance fighters working to topple the Third Reich from within Germany, as well as the connection between their efforts and the work of British intelligence services.

As the author reveals, Hitler was targeted for assassination more than 30 times before the WWII had even begun, and in 1943 alone six separate attempts on his life were made by disenchanted German officers.

The July Bomb Plot of 1944 was yet another assassination attempt aimed at removing Hitler from authority and ending WWII before a total defeat of Germany by Allied forces could be achieved.

Led by German Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the July Bomb Plot of 1944 commenced on Thursday, July 20th, at roughly 12:50 in the afternoon. According to the author, "At the Wolf's Lair, Hitler's headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia, the conference hut in which he and his military advisers were meeting was blown apart by a bomb von Stauffenberg had planted just feet away from his intended victim."

The reading then explores the possibility that British intelligence services may have been capable of executing a successful assassination attempt -- or of assisting von Stauffenberg in his attempt -- but failed in this regard because they underestimated the scope of the German resistance movement.

The rest of the reading is an exhaustive historical investigation aimed at determining the level of awareness or involvement that British intelligence services had in regards to the July Bomb Plot of 1944.

October 28th -- SEE FILM: Valkyrie (2008). A very accurate portrayal of the July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolph Hitler and its aftermath

The 2008 major motion picture Valkyrie presents a historically accurate portrayal of the July Bomb Plot of 1944, with actor Tom Cruise playing the role of Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg.

The film attempts to depict the complex preparations taken by von Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators, who hoped to remove Hitler from power in a coup d'etat that would empower moderate members of the German military, and hopefully lead to a surrender that preserved German lives and prevented further losses.

Filmed in a highly realistic fashion, Valkyrie illustrates several aspects of this era in global history for modern viewers, including the cult-like level of worship reserved for Hitler by his loyal subordinates, the ruthless manner of retribution used by the Nazis to punish dissenters, and the sheer audacity displayed by von Stauffenberg in his attempt to kill the most feared man on the face of the planet.

The film recreates the assassination attempt itself in visceral fashion, as well as the resulting fallout when Hitler miraculously survived the point blank bombing, including the summary executions of von Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators.

October 28th -- Burds, World of the Shadows: An International History of Espionage, Chapter 22

This chapter moves the discussion from a purely espionage activity -- that is, gathering intelligence, copying documents, and cracking codes -- to the specialized position of soldier-spy necessitated by the realities of WWII.

According to Burds, this soldier-spy was capable of conducting traditional espionage activities, while also working actively to disrupt and destroy the enemy's military and infrastructure capabilities.

The duties of the special operations soldier-spy included sabotage of key facilities, bridges and factories, effecting two-way radio communication from within enemy territory, and airborne deployments or extractions using paratrooper elements.

The chapter also discusses the connection between British intelligence agencies and resistance movements operating within Nazi-occupied territories, stating that "resistance groups could be used throughout the invasion in support of conventional Allied forces. The only thing needed to make this plan into reality was an intermediary group that could locate, organize, and guarantee effective cooperation from the decentralized French Guerrilla groups."

To achieve this arm of the Allied offensive, "the British Special Operations Executive was created explicitly for the purpose of using unconventional methods to destabilize the enemy occupation of Europe, creating as much of a psychological nightmare for the Axis as it would a tangible and logistical one."

According to the chapter, American intelligence capabilities were practically nonexistent prior to the outbreak of WWII, but close cooperation with the British eventually enabled the U.S. To catch up in terms of espionage and special operations.

Also known as "shadow warfare," the use of special operations solder-spies proved to be integral in turning the tide of WWII, as entire German tank divisions were hobbled after encountering tire-puncturing spike traps, while diversionary tactics spread Axis defensive forces thin enough to permit steady Allied advances.

Operation Jedburgh = "named after the town in the Scottish Highlands where allied Special Forces personnel were trained, represented the first real cooperation in Europe between the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Special Operations branch of America's Office of Strategic Services (OSS)."

Jedburghs were used to help mobilize French resistance fighters within Nazi-occupied territory, and "The Jedburgh teams normally parachuted in by… READ MORE

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