History
The History of Espionage
From the Trojan Horse to the modern drone, from ninjas to the KGB: join us in exploring the history of spies, information gathering, and covert operations.
Questions to Discuss9 questions
- When, if ever, is it right to pretend to be someone you're not?
- To what extent have spies and covert operations shaped the course of history?
- Are state-sponsored assassinations ever justified?
- To what extent should our daily activities, on the Internet and in real life, be tracked and cataloged—by whom, and to what end?
- Does fiction mislead us about spies in the real world?
- Do we live in a surveillance society? Should we?
- Have changes in technology made it easier or harder to be a spy?
- Is industrial espionage a legitimate business strategy?
- What might motivate a spy?
Introduction to Espionage4 questions
- Historical Origins and Evolution
- Key Vocabulary (the Covert Code)
- Distinguishing espionage, intelligence, and covert operations
- The private sector: industrial espionage, whistleblowing, and confidential informants
A Secret History4 questions
- Organizations and Operations
- Spies of the Emerging Modern World
- Espionage in the Cold War
- Intelligence gathering today
The Technology of Espionage4 questions
- Classic Tools of the Trade
- Evolution of Encryption
- Drones and Remote Sensing
- Surveillance in the Information Age
Espionage in the Popular Imagination3 questions
- Moments of Panic and Paranoia
- Fictional Portrayals of Spies
- Fact vs. Fiction
People to Investigate (Examples)6 questions
- Aldrich Ames | Alfred Dreyfus | Allan Pinkerton
- Edward Snowden | Gustav Weber | Giacomo Casanova
- J. Edgar Hoover | Julius and Ethel Rosenberg | Mary Bowser
- Mata Hari | Nathan Hale | Richard Sorge | Sydney Reilly
- Robert Baden-Powell | Cambridge Spies | Valerie Plame
- Violette Szabo | Anna Chapman
Terms to Learn (Examples)7 questions
- Agent | Asset | Black Operations | Bona Fides | Brush Contact
- Burned | Carnivore | Cipher | Colossus | COMINT
- Counterintelligence | Cover | Covert Operations | Dangle
- Dead drop | Double Agent | ElInt | Espionage | Exfiltration
- Eyes Only | Handler | HUMINT | L-Pill | Little Birds
- Provocateur | Sabotage | Sheep Dipping | SIGINT | Sleeper
- Tradecraft | U-2 | Wet job | Window Dressing
Organizations to Research (Examples)3 questions
- Assassins | Cheka | CIA | KGB
- MI6 | Mossad | MSS | NSA
- Okhrana | Oprichniki | Shinobi | Stasi