Mata Hari, who obtained information for Germany by seducing French officials, was the most noted espionage agent of World War I. Congress passed the Espionage Act of 1917. In order to protect the country against foreign agents, the U.S. In the 20th century, at the height of World War I, all great powers except the United States had elaborate civilian espionage systems and all national military establishments had intelligence units. Madame Minna Craucher ( right), a Finnish socialite and spy, with her chauffeur Boris Wolkowski ( left) in 1930s Though not a spy himself, George Washington was America's first spymaster, utilizing espionage tactics against the British. ĭuring the American Revolution, Nathan Hale and Benedict Arnold achieved their fame as spies, and there was considerable use of spies on both sides during the American Civil War. Under Elizabeth I, Francis Walsingham was appointed foreign secretary and intelligence chief. Venice became obsessed with espionage because successful international trade demanded that the city-state could protect its trade secrets. Those revealing official secrets could face the death penalty. In 1481 the Council of Ten barred all Venetian government officials from making contact with ambassadors or foreigners. Renaissance Venice became so obsessed with espionage that the Council of Ten, which was nominally responsible for security, did not even allow the doge to consult government archives freely. Western espionage changed fundamentally during the Renaissance when Italian city-states installed resident ambassadors in capital cities to collect intelligence. During the Renaissance European states funded codebreakers to obtain intelligence through frequency analysis. Inquisitions were marked by centrally organised mass interrogations and detailed record keeping. In the Middle Ages European states excelled at what has later been termed counter- subversion when Catholic inquisitions were staged to annihilate heresy. The thesis that espionage and intelligence has a central role in war as well as peace was first advanced in The Art of War and in the Arthashastra. Espionage was also prevalent in the Greco-Roman world, when spies employed illiterate subjects in civil services. The Ancient Egyptians had a developed secret service, and espionage is mentioned in the Iliad, the Bible, and the Amarna letters as well as its recordings in the story of the Old Testament, The Twelve Spies. The oldest known classified document was a report made by a spy disguised as a diplomatic envoy in the court of King Hammurabi, who died in around 1750 BC. Įspionage has been recognized as an importance in military affairs since ancient times. However, the benefits gained through espionage are often so great that most governments and many large corporations make use of it. Almost all nations have strict laws concerning espionage and the penalty for being caught is often severe. Counterintelligence is the practice of thwarting enemy espionage and intelligence-gathering. In times of crisis, spies steal technology and sabotage the enemy in various ways. They can also find dissidents within the organization and influence them to provide further information or to defect.
Spies can then return information such as the size and strength of enemy forces. This is the job of the spy (espionage agent). One of the most effective ways to gather data and information about a targeted organization is by infiltrating its ranks. Spying involving corporations is known as industrial espionage. However, the term tends to be associated with state spying on potential or actual enemies for military purposes. In some circumstances, it may be a legal tool of law enforcement and in others, it may be illegal and punishable by law.Įspionage is often part of an institutional effort by a government or commercial concern. The practice is clandestine, as it is by definition unwelcome. Any individual or spy ring (a cooperating group of spies), in the service of a government, company, criminal organization, or independent operation, can commit espionage. A person who commits espionage is called an espionage agent or spy.
Illegal consumption (such as prohibition of drugs, alcohol, and smoking)Įspionage, spying or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangible benefit.( February 2019) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate.
The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject.
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