Author(s): Christer Jorgensen

History

This full story of German espionage in World War II, illustrated with 150 black-and-white photographs, explores the rivalry between Nazi intelligence services. Includes Nazi counter-intelligence operations and examines the popular issues surrounding Nazi intelligence myths and mysteries. Written by an expert on World War II espionage.

Spying for the Fuhrer is the story of German intelligence agencies leading up to and during World War II. From the fledgling beginnings of the Nazi SA, or Stormtroopers, grew an espionage machine to rival any in the world. The words SD, Abwehr and Gestapo are some of the most evocative words associated with the war, and all these were German intelligence units. Tasked with suppressing internal unrest, planting agents abroad to gather intelligence or sabotage, the Third Reich's espionage machinery had a long reach.

Spying for the Fuhrer is a detailed examination of all the varied facets of the Nazi intelligence apparatus, ranging from the dreaded Gestapo,the daring Brandenburg battalions through to the SD under the Central Security Service of the Reich. The book examines the history of each unit, its formation, the missions, and its importance in the war as a whole. It also explores the nature of the myths and mysteries that have grown up around the German intelligence agencies, with rumors of their activities still rife over 60 years after the defeat of the Third Reich. Similarly, it explores the rivalry rife throughout the intelligence community, and analyzes the effect that this had in damaging Germany's intelligence, especially the rivalry between Canaris, head of the Abwehr, and the SS intelligence service.