Spooks and Spies: a History of the British and US Intelligence Communities, 1909 to the present

Dr Peter Martland

This course traces the development of the British and American intelligence communities in the twentieth century, taking as its starting point the public debate over German espionage activity that led to creation of the British Secret Service Bureau in 1909. Candidates are advised that the July module - Nowhere Else To Go: The Anglo American relationship 1784 to the present - offers an interesting introduction and context to many of the broader issues examined in this course.

Today the activities of the British and American intelligence communities are the subject of widespread public discussion, scrutiny and criticism. It might therefore come as something of a surprise to learn that this kind of public scrutiny is quite new, and is a function of changing political climates of the 1980s and 1990s. It is against this background that this course tries to explain how and why at different times in the 20th century Britain and the US found it necessary to create their own intelligence services. It looks at the problems they faced and how they proved invaluable to the societies they were protecting during two world wars and in the dangerous period of the Cold War confrontation between the West and Soviet Union.

Until quite recently it would have been impossible to study this clandestine world as much of the documentation was kept — and for some remains — highly confidential. However, since the end of the Cold War, research has helped rescue secret intelligence history from the fantasy world of James Bond and for the first time it is possible to document the role it played in twentieth century political history and international relations. From searching for the German Kaiser's spies before World War I to the post 9/11 war on terrorism this course focuses on the nature and growth of the modern British and American intelligence communities: the intelligence they have provided; their changing use by governments; and their influence on policy and events. Specifically, the course highlights how the British and American intelligence services forged a unique alliance during World War II that matured to became the most remarkable intelligence relationship ever to exist between two independent nations: a relationship that continues and flourishes to the present.

This course takes the form of formal teaching sessions, some videos, plenary lectures from important figures in world of intelligence history and a number of relevant field trips. Trips may include a visit to Bletchley Park, the wartime location of the organisation that broke the German Enigma codes and provided the most important intelligence of the Second World War, the Imperial War Museum at Duxford near Cambridge and the American military cemetery at Madingley, also near Cambridge.

Bibliography

Assessment:

• 1 Final Exam: 45%
• 1 Final Essay: 45%
• Participation: 10%

Lecture Hours: 12 x 1 hour 15 minutes (total 15 hours)

Seminar Hours: 8 x 1 hour 15 minutes (total 10 hours)