Wed, 30 Oct 2013

Spies Of The Cold War Era


Spies, a part of the cold war - this is very true. And it might even be better to say that spies really are not just a part but a big part of the game. The cold war happened during the years 1947-1991. This is a war between the Western Bloc, or the United States versus the Eastern Bloc or the Soviet Union. It is also called the war between the Capitalists or the United States, and Communists, or Soviet Union. To get information from the enemy, both factions used spies to get to know what the others are planning or doing without getting busted.


Cold War


The term "cold war" originated from the author, George Orwell, who wrote the novels Animal Farm and Homage to Catalonia, amongst others. He coined the term after the first atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima in 1945. The cold war meant that nuclear weapons were being used by these powerful nations and that they did not really care if innocent lives were spared or not. The Korean War, Vietnam War, Soviet war in Afghanistan and Yom Kippur War were all cold wars, as well.


Everyone Was Welcome To Be A Spy


There are no recommendations as to what races to hire as spies; everyone was welcome to be a spy - whatever your nationality is because it was a crucial moment in time and in war history. As long as you know how to be stealthy and if you have the intelligence, the capacity and the strength of being one, you can be a spy. US forces even hired some Russians to spy for them and Russian hired Americans to do the same for them, as well. That way, they were sure that the other wouldn't know that the spy is a spy because he seemed to be working for his home country.


Popular Spies


Some of the most popular spies were the infamous Cambridge Five. They got high positions in the British establishment because of their clean backgrounds and because of their intelligence and wits. They were spies for the Eastern Bloc and four of them have already been identified and they are Donald McLean or Homer; Guy Burgess or Hicks; Anthony Blunt or Johnson; and Kim Philby or Stanley. Their lives have even been portrayed in some books and movies such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Jigsaw Man, Cambridge Spies, The Innocent and the Trinity Six. These spies were known all over the world and were even applauded for their courage and their stealth.


Some Spies Died

Some spies were not too lucky. Some of them, such as John Vassall, a Russian spy, were imprisoned for eighteen years. Some have been reported to authorities and to the enemies. Some died while doing some spying. Some were not found after the war. Some returned to their old, more private lives and did not dabble on any wars anymore. Needless to say, spies were truly a big part of the cold war. Without them, some of the successes of both factions would not have been possible.


The End Of The Cold War

The cold war has ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall a long time ago but these days, there are still some spies who do work not just for countries and nations at war but also for the government and those businesses that are involved in high-profile negotiations. Spies truly make life easier for some people and make life harder for the others. But whatever their beliefs are and whoever they spy for, it is good to say that they still are worthy of praise: They're smart, intelligent and they sure know how to kick some ass - even if it's just with their brains.



Read:
Wilhelm Canaris - A Legendary Nazi Spy Chief
Aldrich Hazen Ames - The Worst Case of Espionage in US History
Sidney Reilly - the James Bond of the People
Robert Lee Johnson Spied For the Soviet
Patty Hearst and the Stockholm Syndrome
USS Cole - The Aftermath
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