Investigating soviet espionage and subversion: the case of Donald Maclean
This essay sets out the dimensions of investigating Soviet espionage and subversion, highlighting how Maclean's image as a Soviet agent has developed over the past 50 years. It will then consider to what extent new documents at the Public Record Office alter his image. Maclean's crime was treachery but what exactly is the intellectual challenge in investigating espionage? Just what can be achieved? Sir Dick White former head of MI6 offered this advice: Espionage is a crime that often leaves no trace of evidence. The investigator relies upon intuition for coincidences. After considering the circumstances, he might reach the moment of epiphany when all the facts added up to one conclusion1
TAJNI VARUHI DRŽAV PRED ZUNANJO KONTAMINACIJO OZIROMA PROTIOBVEŠČEVALNA DEJAVNOST V OBDOBJU HLADNE VOJNE V FIKCIJI IN REALNOSTI: PRIMER JOHN LE CARRÉ IN NJEGOV ROMAN TINKER, TAYLOR, SOLDIER, SPY
If one party is carrying out intelligence activities, another party must necessarily be acting to try to prevent this. The activities of counterintelligence services developed markedly during the Cold War era, since it was in the perceived interests of states to protect themselves against external, ideological contamination. These activities inspired several authors: one of the best in the fi eld is the British novelist John le Carre. This paper presents an analysis of his novel Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy, fi rst published in 1974, which addresses the discovery of the Soviet moles in the British secret services. The author compares fi ction and reality in conformance with recent historiographic methodologies. He analyses to what extent literary content concurs or does not concur with the fi ndings of historians on one of the most signifi cant aspects of Cold War secret services confrontation and he exposes the most relevant characteristics of the then British intelligence services activities regarding the prevention of external Soviet contamination. It is demonstrated that Le Carre's novel is not just a genre masterpiece – and, as such, an attractive reading of a tense spy story – but additionally contains many elements on the activities of secret services that are in accord with reality. The most distinctive of these, such as the defects and weaknesses of the British intelligence services (MI6 and MI5), the activities of the moles (the known Cambridge Five ring), the surroundings in which they operated and the different methods of secret data acquisition, HUMINT and SIGINT, are analysed in the paper.
The Claws Of The Bear - A History Of The Soviet Armed Forces from 1917 to the Present
This survey reveals the facts of the superpowers' situation and places it in an historical perspective which dates back to the foundation of the New Army under Trotsky. It gives an account of how the military exercises power and influence throughout Soviet society and helps form policies in the world. It contains information about Soviet military "hardware", nuclear and non-nuclear and the author gives his insight into the minds of the men operating the Soviet military. Brian Moynahan is the European Editor of the "Sunday Times".