Codename CYNTHIA: The Unsung Spy Heroine of World War II
Amy Elizabeth “Betty” Thorpe. Wars are not won by respectable methods — Betty Thorpe Pack, Codename CYNTHIA Betty Thorpe Pack was a remarkable woman who sought out and led an…
The Return of SMERSH: Russia Revives Stalin’s Notorious Spy-Hunting Unit
1943 SMERSH identity document cover. Russian (English): НКО (Народного Комиссариата Обороны (People’s Commissariat of Defense) Главного управления (Main Department) контрразведки (Counterintelligence) СМЕРШ (SMERSH) SMERSH, a counter-intelligence agency with a name…
The OSS ALIU: Unraveling Nazi Art Looting Networks
German soldiers of the Hermann Göring Division posing in front of Palazzo Venezia in Rome in 1944 with a painting taken from the Biblioteca del Museo Nazionale di Napoli. Attribution:…
Secret Warriors: The FBI’s Special Intelligence Service During World War II
Flag of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) played a significant role during World War II. The FBI was tasked with running surveillance…
From Stage to Shadows: How Magic Influences Espionage
Harry Houdini prepares to do the overboard box escape c. 1912, courtesy of the Library of Congress. Magic and espionage are really kindred arts.” — John E. McLaughlin, former CIA…
Covert Cartoon: The CIA’s Role in the Production of “Animal Farm’”
Cel from “Animal Farm”. Public Domain. The animated film adaptation of renowned British writer George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a significant piece of cinema history, not just for its artistic…
National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations: Honoring Those at the Tip of the Spear
Aerial rendering of the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations. Courtesy of Charles Pinck / The OSS Society. The National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations® is a future…
The CIA Museum: A Journey into the Hidden World of US Intelligence
The CIA Museum was established in 1988 to give employees a sense of the unique history of their profession. This collection focuses on the CIA’s World War II predecessor, the…
BRIXMIS: Espionage and Diplomacy during the Cold War
An Opel Senator ‘touring’ saloon car used by BRIXMIS in East Germany, ca. 1985. Collection of the National Army Museum, London. Photo: Brigade Piron / CC BY 3.0 DEED. The…
John Ford: Hollywood & the OSS
John Ford with Oscar® statuette, circa 1946. He is the essence of classical American cinema. Any serious person making films today, whether they know it or not, is affected by…