Spying on Science
Western Intelligence in Divided Germany 1945-1961
Published on 16. February 2006
Book
Hardback
344 pages
978-0-19-926750-7 (ISBN)
Description
The years 1945-61 saw the greatest transformation in weaponry that has ever taken place, as atomic and thermonuclear bombs, intercontinental ballistic missiles and chemical and biological weapons were developed by the superpowers. It was also a distinct era in Western intelligence collection. These were the years of the Germans. Mass interrogation in West Germany and spying in East Germany represented the most important source of intelligence on Soviet war-related science, weapons development and military capability until 1956 and a key one until 1961. This intelligence fuelled the arms race and influenced Western scientific research, weapons development, and intelligence collection.
Using intelligence and policy documents held in British and US archives and records of the Ministry of State Security (MfS) of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), this book is the most penetrating study of the scientific intelligence-gathering and subversive operations of the British, US, and West German intelligence services in the period to date. East Germany's scientific potential was contained by inducing leading scientists and engineers to defect to the West, and Paul Maddrell shows that the US Government's policy of 'containment' was more aggressive than has hitherto been accepted. He also demonstrates that the Western secret services' espionage in the GDR was very successful, even though the MfS and KGB achieved triumphs against them. George Blake twice did appalling damage the MI6's spy networks. The book reveals the identity of the most distinguished scientist to spy for the CIA as yet uncovered.
Using intelligence and policy documents held in British and US archives and records of the Ministry of State Security (MfS) of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), this book is the most penetrating study of the scientific intelligence-gathering and subversive operations of the British, US, and West German intelligence services in the period to date. East Germany's scientific potential was contained by inducing leading scientists and engineers to defect to the West, and Paul Maddrell shows that the US Government's policy of 'containment' was more aggressive than has hitherto been accepted. He also demonstrates that the Western secret services' espionage in the GDR was very successful, even though the MfS and KGB achieved triumphs against them. George Blake twice did appalling damage the MI6's spy networks. The book reveals the identity of the most distinguished scientist to spy for the CIA as yet uncovered.
Reviews / Votes
[The] most convincingly argued and well researched study on the subject. * European History Quarterly * Spying on Science is one of the most impressive studies of Cold War intelligence to have emereged in many years...reliable and remarkably detailed...a model study of intelligence activity. * Richard J. Aldrich Journal of Cold War Studies * The intrinsic pertinence of Maddrell's book to the world today, combined with the author's research, means that both specialised and non-specialised readers will find it wide-ranging, stimulating and useful ... a valuable contribution to the early history of the Cold War * Calder Walton, English Historical Review * An excellent account...easily accessible...it provides stimulating reading * Pauline Elkes, History * a highly informative book, which not only offers much new and to some extent surprising information but also once again clearly underlines the point that the Cold War was a comprehensive struggle, to which the combatants committed themselves completely. * Dr Bernd Stoever, H-Soz-u-Kult * ...a wealth of empirical evidence that broadens our understanding of the early years of the Cold War. * Dr Gary Bruce, German History * Research into intelligence cannot do better than the synthesis of such varied sources. Maddrell is one of those who are thus taking this difficult area of research forward into the future. This empirically well-supported analysis by Paul Maddrell is exciting to read. It fits very neatly into the researches of Bernd Stoever, Armin Wagner and Matthias Uhl into Stoevers presentation of the Cold War context and into Wagner and Uhls examination of the operations against the GDR of the Organization Gehlen (later the BND). * Helmut Mueller-Enbergs, Deutschland Archiv Vol 40, No 6 * Maddrell's book is an example of what can be accomplished by a dedicated author and is a significant contribution to the history of cold war intelligence. * Jeffrey T. Richelson, Technology and Culture * Spying on Science is an important contribution to Cold War and intelligence history. [It] contains a wealth of detail about how the British and American intelligence services operated * Ben Fischer, Formerly the Chief Historian of the CIA, International Journal of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Scholars and students of the Cold War, historians of intelligence, historians of East Germany.
Illustrations
map
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
687 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-926750-7 (9780199267507)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Content
Introduction ; 1. The Soviet Exploitation of German Science and the Origins of Scientific Containment ; 2. Refugees and Defectors ; 3. Other Key Sources of Intelligence ; 4. The Prisoners-of-War Come Home ; 5. Mass Espionage: Western Spying in Germany 1945-1961 ; 6. The Scientific and Military Spy Networks ; 7. The Inducement of Defection ; 8. Operation 'Dragon Return' ; 9. The Western Secret Services and the Wall ; 10. The Uses of the Intelligence Gathered ; Conclusion: The Years of the Germans ; Appendix: map ; Bibliography ; Index