Soviet Intelligence

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer introduces, discusses and analyzes the topic of intelligence in Russia. Specifically the writer discusses how the Soviets used espionage and intelligence to keep the Soviet state viable. The writer notes that the Soviet spy agency, the KGB, is legendary in the history of counterintelligence, spying, and keeping their country safe from all threats, internal or external. The Soviet Union was paranoid and extremely secretive about their spying activities and those of other nations, and this paranoia fueled their intelligence gathering for decades. The writer maintains that the Soviets used intelligence like a weapon, and deployed spies and agents all over the world in an attempt to keep their regime safe from internal and external threats - real or imagined. The writer concludes that ultimately, the KGB was one of the most powerful intelligence agencies in the world, and it did keep communism safe and relatively secure for decades.

From the Paper:

"The Soviet spy agency KBG had its origins in the Bolshevik Revolution, although it altered drastically in the generations since its inception. At one point, the KGB was one of the notorious intelligence agencies in the world; legendary for the lengths they would go to gather intelligence, from infiltrating foreign countries to incarcerating their own citizens they thought might pose a threat to national security. Ostensibly, the KGB existed to keep the Soviet state safe and viable, but in reality, the KGB also existed to intimidate and quash resistance and dissidence in the Soviet state, thus controlling the Russian people along with gathering intelligence worldwide.
"One way the Soviets used espionage and intelligence to keep the Soviet state safe was in sending spies and agents all over the world. Disguised as everything from piano tuners to diplomats, they infiltrated cities and towns across America and the world where they sent back information on everything from everyday life to political decisions."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Andrew, Christopher, and Vasili Mitrokhin. The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB. 1st ed. New York: Basic Books, 1999.
• Kalugin, Oleg D. "Window of Opportunity: Russia's Role in the Coalition against Terror." Harvard International Review 24, no. 3 (2002): 56+.

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• Essay # 25493 : "Soviet Espionage"

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