Britain's exploitation of Occupied Germany for scientific and technical intelligence on the Soviet Union
At the beginning of the Cold War, the gathering of intelligence on the Soviet Union's current and future military capability seemed a near-impossibility. Soviet high-level communications were secure against decryption. Agent networks in the USSR were very difficult to establish and of uncertain reliability. Aerial reconnaissance of warrelated targets in the Soviet Union was risky and could only be occasional. But valuable intelligence was gathered in the years 1945-55 on the USSR's frantic arms build-up, thanks to its policy towards Germans and their country. Its exploitation of Germans and its Zone of Germany in its war-related research and development and the reconstruction of its war-related industries gave British Intelligence penetrable targets in the Soviet Zone and gave great numbers of Germans sought-after information on the USSR itself. The ease of recruiting age nts in East Germany and the flight (including enticed defections) of refugees from it allowed research and development projects and uranium.-mining operations there to be penetrated. Intelligence of Soviet weapons development and of the quality of Soviet military technology was obtained. The mass interrogation of prisoners-of-war returned
Maddrell, John Paul
Second world war; Cold war; British; Spying
Britain's exploitation of Occupied Germany for scientific and technical intelligence on the Soviet Union. At the beginning of the Cold War, the gathering of intelligence on the Soviet Union's current and future military capability seemed a near-impossibility. Soviet high-level communications were secure against decryption. Agent networks in the USSR were very difficult to establish and of uncertain reliability. Aerial reconnaissance of warrelated targets in the Soviet Union was risky and could only be occasional. But valuable intelligence was gathered in the years 1945-55 on the USSR's frantic arms build-up, thanks to its policy towards Germans and their country. Its exploitation of Germans and its Zone of Germany in its war-related research and development and the reconstruction of its war-related industries gave British Intelligence penetrable targets in the Soviet Zone and gave great numbers of Germans sought-after information on the USSR itself. The ease of recruiting age nts in East Germany and the flight (including enticed defections) of refugees from it allowed research and development projects and uranium.-mining operations there to be penetrated. Intelligence of Soviet weapons development and of the quality of Soviet military technology was obtained. The mass interrogation of prisoners-of-war returned
britain exploitation occupied germany scientific technical intelligence soviet_union begin cold_war gather intelligence soviet_union current future military capability seem near impossibility soviet high_level communication secure agent network ussr difficult_establish uncertain reliability aerial target soviet_union could occasional valuable intelligence gather ussr arm build_up thanks policy_towards germans country exploitation germans zone germany war related development reconstruction war related industry give british_intelligence target soviet zone give_great number germans sought after information ussr itself ease recruit age east germany flight include refugee allow development project mining operation penetrate intelligence soviet weapon development quality soviet military technology obtain mass interrogation war return