A in german of the stasi, equivalent to the first directorate of the kgb. The f 22 microfilms from 1960 to 1985 and supplementary microfilm. The agent steals top secret computer microchips as barter material to switch sides and is hunted by a u. But the war between the secret services was one dimension of a much larger conflict. The kgb in soviet union or the komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti has been out of commission since 1991, but still, it remains as one of the most interesting agencies of all time.
When east germany crumbled, the stasi employed upwards of 190,000 unofficial informants. The kgb remained there for two decades, until the collapse of the soviet union put an end to the surveillance operation in 1991. Oleg gordievsky was a kgb colonel and residentdesignate in london in 1985 when he defected. Marshall poe of new books in history interviewed him for their podcast the file. Stasi was actually the nickname for east german ministry of state security. The kgb was the primary security agency for the soviet union from 1954 until its collapse in 1991. This topsecret 639page history of the soviet state security organs was completed in 1977 under the auspices of viktor chebrikov, the deputy head of the kgb who later became head of the agency. The secret war is a 1985 american film directed by dwight h. Top secret files on kgb global operations 19751985 kindle edition by andrew, christopher m. Deception, espionage, and dirty tricks, 19391945 breuer, william b. World war ii 19391945 was the largest international event of the twentieth century and one of the major turning points in u. On december 7, 1941, following the japanese bombing of pearl harbor, the united states declared war on japan. Leonov was in the kgb from 1956 to 1991 and was the number two in. A spy thriller about a kgb agent operating inside the u.
Kgb full english name committee for state security, foreign intelligence and domestic security agency of the soviet union. For the first time, robert stephan now combines declassified u. Newly uncovered evidence points to andropovs major influence on foreign affairs from 1967 to 1982, his interest in superpower confrontations with the us, the space race, and disseminating information to the west via victor louis. The kgb also enforced soviet morals and promoted soviet ideology with propaganda. Many of his former colleagues currently hold important positions the russian government. Vladimir putin was not an impressive kgb agent, claims his. Cast michael billington peter hubbardpetyr kolpakov denise dubarry adelle martin. Secrets of war, the cold war 05 inside the kgb youtube. The inside story of the stasi by gary bruce is an excellent introduction to the stasi.
By 1989, approximately one out of every 90 east german citizens was a stasi informant. As the mitrokhin archive ii seeks to show, for a quarter of a century the kgb, unlike the cia, believed that the third world was the arena in which it could win the cold war. This second volume of the postwar history of the kgbbased on the mitrokhin archive of secret documents purloined by the late coauthor, a kgb dissidentsurveys the soviet spy agencys skullduggery in africa, asia and latin america. Since it was established back in 1954 to succeed agencies namely the mgb, nkgb and cheka, it became one of the most talked about agencies in the world. The main duties of the kgb were to gather intelligence in other nations, conduct counterintelligence, maintain the secret police, the kgb military corps and the border guards, suppress internal resistance, and conduct electronic espionage. Now 67, putin worked for the secret service from the mid1970s and was posted in dresden, then east germany, from 1985 to 1990, as soviet power was crumbling. This is the first of a threepart series based on neverbeforepublished training manuals for the kgb, the soviet intelligence organization that vladimir putin served as an operative, and that shaped his view of the world. Putins stasi spy id pass found in germany bbc news. Germanys secret war and the hunt for the first terrorist cell in america. A personal history by timothy garton ash is also an excellent look at police surveillance from the other side.
Going as far as 1990, durin andrew is a clear, wellresearched, but rather dry author of books on the history of espionage. Top secret files on kgb global operations 19751985 ebook written by christopher m. What are some good books to read on the stasi, the kgb, and. Putin was a mediocre kgb spy, former russian general claims. As might be expected, the story of the kgb is a depressing one. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read more instructions from the centre. Like our own cia, but often on a vaster scale, it has a sordid history, particularly during the stalin era. Nov 11, 2014 the kgb in soviet union or the komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti has been out of commission since 1991, but still, it remains as one of the most interesting agencies of all time. During the russian civil war of 19181920, the cheka led by the onetime polish aristocrat felix arrested, tortured, and executed thousands of citizens. The secret war 1985, michael billington drama movie. A town like alice 1981 war, drama, romance miniseries 1 season 1981 set against the brutal chaos of world war ii, a love story begins that will take two lovers through a living nightmare of captivity, across three continents and two decades.
Image afp image caption this building was the kgbs headquarters in dresden during the cold war. This top secret 639page history of the soviet state security organs was completed in 1977 under the auspices of viktor chebrikov, the deputy head of the kgb who later became head of the agency. Pdf germany after world war ii crucial frontline of intelligence. While a coldwar tension was rising and the two german states were built, a territory of the current federal republic of germany turned into one. Putin worked for the kgb in dresden from 1985 to 1990. List of world war 2 themed miniseries and television series. Topsecret history of kgb, 1977, chapters 112 and appendix. It operated legal and illegal espionage residencies in target countries where a legal resident gathered intelligence while based at the soviet embassy or consulate, and, if caught, was protected from prosecution by diplomatic immunity. Download citation reagan, the soviet union, and the cold war, 19811985 this chapter explores reagans foreign policy toward the union of soviet socialist republics ussr in his first. Thousands of kgb or cia, agents observed each other, cogs in the biggest information war in history. Putins stasi identity card discovered in german archives.
Cast michael billington peter hubbardpetyr kolpakov denise dubarry adelle martin michael ansara lyman tayler walter gotell nickolai dyukov sally kellerman fran simpson. In the course of this red terror, the cheka perfected the system of summary execution used by subsequent russian intelligence agencies. A time magazine article in 1983 reported that the kgb was the worlds most effective informationgathering organization. Yuri andropov yuri andropov, who was head of the kgb, and ultimately general secretary of the soviet government. With michael billington, denise dubarry, michael ansara, walter gotell.
The chancellery therefore has tasked its federal intelligence service bnd and the federal office for the protection of the constitution to investigate whether the kremlin has revived its old methods of cold war propaganda, which former kgb now fsb, russias federal security service used to apply skillfully back in the soviet times, according to sueddeutsche zeitung daily. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Jul 02, 2017 former russian general nikolai leonov was a powerful figure in the kgb credit. Reagan, the soviet union, and the cold war, 19811985. Michael billington, denise dubarry, michael ansara akas. How the 1980s explains vladimir putin the atlantic. The card was issued in 1986 when putin was a midranking kgb spy stationed in dresden in communist east germany, then under russian occupation. In response to the korean war and the perceived soviet threat in east germany, cia developed a major covert action capability, much of which was centered in berlin and directed against the soviet zone. The kgb was then renamed and restricted to counterintelligence, economic crimes, and air and rail security. Top secret files on kgb global operations 19751985. The rise and fall of the kgb in america yale university press was written by a pair of american cold war scholars, john haynes and harvey klehr, and a former kgb officer and journalist. Oct 14, 2018 thousands of kgb or cia, agents observed each other, cogs in the biggest information war in history.
Leonov was in the kgb from 1956 to 1991 and was the number two in the dreaded soviet secret service when putin served in dresden between 1985. Robert stephan talked about his book, stalins secret war. How the 1980s explains vladimir putin as the soviet system disintegrated, the russian president was a young kgb agent serving in an isolated part of east germany. The kgbs responsibilities also included the protection of the countrys political leadership, the supervision of border troops, and the general surveillance of the population. Sep 24, 2005 the result has been a curiously lopsided history of the secret cold war in the developing world the intelligence equivalent of the sound of one hand clapping. The kgb history shows that the soviet intelligence service and secret police checka changed many names and functions before it transformed into the kgb. In this spy caper, kgb agent peter hubbard michael billington has stolen some classified information on the u. Oct 31, 2019 now 67, putin worked for the secret service from the mid1970s and was posted in dresden, then east germany, from 1985 to 1990, as soviet power was crumbling. If the plot had succeeded, it would have given the russians the excuse they were looking for to roll out the tanks across east germany, the berlin wall would not. Select underlined title for a complete description and to order. The various name changes of cheka and their dates are given as follows, cheka december 1917 gpu february 1922 ogpu july 1923 gugb july 1934 released for publicnkgb february 1941. Kgb the secret work of soviet secret agents, john barron, 1974, history, 462 pages. Dec 11, 2018 germanys bild tabloid newspaper published a photo on tuesday of an east german secret police stasi identity card purportedly issued to vladimir putin when he served as a kgb officer in dresden during the cold war. Former russian general nikolai leonov was a powerful figure in the kgb credit.
Jul 26, 2018 kgb officers standing guard during margaret thatchers visit to russia in 1985. The kgb remained there for two decades, until the collapse of the soviet union. The cia would never have learned about the true causes of numerous incidents if it wasnt for defectors. A once top secret agreement between the kgb and stasi, seen by the. The result has been a curiously lopsided history of the secret cold war in the developing world the intelligence equivalent of the sound of one hand clapping. The kgb was a soviet union foreign intelligence and domestic security agency established in 1954, a year after dictator joseph stalins death. Kgb officers standing guard during margaret thatchers visit to russia in 1985.
Sep 28, 2016 the kgb was a soviet union foreign intelligence and domestic security agency established in 1954, a year after dictator joseph stalins death. My secret war against putin, the kgb and the stasi. Leonov was in the kgb from 1956 to 1991 and was the number two in the dreaded soviet secret service when putin. In truth, it had the secret 23rd floor, which housed kgb agents and the technology that they used to spy on all of the guests at the hotel. List of books and articles about kgb online research. The inside story of its foreign operations from lenin to.
Germanys bild tabloid newspaper published a photo on tuesday of an east german secret police stasi identity card purportedly issued to vladimir putin when he served as a kgb officer in dresden during the cold war. Putins stasi identity card discovered in german archives france 24. Heinz felfe as british spy, journal of intelligence and. Oct 02, 2015 this feature is not available right now. The identity card, issued more than three decades ago by east germanys stasi secret police, would be of.
On the outside, hotel viru appeared to have 22 floors. Heres what putin was likely doing as a kgb spy in germany. Top secret history of kgb, 1977, chapters 112 and appendix. Who were the east german spies in west germany and the rest of the western world. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Declassified kgb documents reveal russias putin was a. Under gorbachevs policies, the power of the kgb was strongly curtailed, and in the aftermath of the attempted coup 1991 against him, in which kgb leaders played a major role, reformers were named to head the kgb and interior ministry. What happened to east germanys brutally effective secret.
1127 290 377 780 808 956 1401 614 962 591 1427 184 627 192 1167 37 249 1390 216 951 31 1491 85 1105 725 1174 698 135