KGB and Intelligence

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer provides a review of the peer-reviewed and scholarly literature concerning the early history of Russia's intelligence service prior to the beginning of the Cold War. The writer then looks at the major features of Soviet internal counter-intelligence operations and the major strengths and weaknesses of Soviet counter-intelligence during this period. A discussion of the major features of Russian foreign intelligence operations against the United States during this period is followed by an evaluation of the degree of success of these early operations and the reasons for such success. A summary of the research and salient findings are presented in the conclusion.

Outline:
Introduction
Review and Discussion
Early History of Russia's Intelligence Service Pre-Cold War
Major Features of Soviet Internal Counterintelligence Operations
Major Strengths and Weaknesses of Soviet Counterintelligence Pre-Cold War
Major Features of Russian Foreign Intelligence Operations against the US
Degree of Success of Early Operations and the Contributing Factors
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The world watched in wonder as the former mighty Soviet empire collapsed in the early 1990s, and the ugly face of the Iron Curtain was finally erased from the European continent. One of the more interesting mechanisms by which the Soviet Union managed to survive as long as it did was the KGB, the infamous Russian spy agency that was officially dissolved in 1991, but has since managed to reformulate itself into yet another intelligence-gathering organization. The KGB's activities prior to the Cold War, though, also contributed to the successful outcome of World War II as well as the Soviet Union's subsequent efforts to "bury the West" in years to come. To determine what transpired pre-Cold War ..."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Andrew, Christopher and Vasili Mitrokhin. 1999. The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB. New York: Basic Books.
• Ebon, Martin. 1994. KGB: Death and Rebirth. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
• Kalugin, Oleg D. 2002. "Window of Opportunity: Russia's Role in the Coalition against Terror." Harvard International Review 24(3), 56.

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