Pöhlmann:Geheimnis und Sicherheit

Since time immemorial, states have been interested in gaining knowledge about the military potential of their neighbors. However, it was not until the last third of the 19th century that they established secret organizations that continuously gathered, analyzed, and provided this information to decision-makers. This book examines the founding history of military intelligence services between 1871 and 1914 - for the first time from a comparative perspective for the three armies of the German Empire, France, and Great Britain. It analyzes the political and social conditions, the role of the intelligence community, the challenges posed to the armed forces by science and technology, and their response to perceived threats to internal and external security. The author traces the emergence of the modern leadership domain of "military intelligence." The presentation of selected operations demonstrates that it has always been about more than just espionage; it involves state knowledge management at the intersections of the military, police, and diplomacy.