Russian Intelligence Operatives : A Personal Assessment Of The Relative Utility Of Each Theory

Under a backdrop of systematic fear and terror, the Stalinist juggernaut flourished. Stalin’s purges, otherwise known as the “Great Terror”, grew from his obsession and desire for sole dictatorship, marking a period of extreme persecution and oppression in the Soviet Union during the late 1930s. “The purges did not merely remove potential enemies. They also raised up a new ruling elite which Stalin had reason to think he would find more dependable.” (Historian David Christian, 1994). While Stalin purged virtually all his potential enemies, he not only profited from removing his long-term opponents, but in doing so, also caused fear in future ones. This created a party that had virtually no opposition, a new ruling elite that would be

The Sources of Soviet Conduct, a highly influential article written by George Keenan in 1946, states that the US must pursue afirm and consistent opposition to the Soviet Union. In Keenan's argument for this, he explores the two factors of ideology and circumstance which shaped the Soviet Union. This is used in order to explain the behaviour of the Soviet Union. Thus, the most effective method for the US to counteract this behaviour is then explained.

Rohm wanted a government that scared the people to do the right thing similar to kidors government because they didn’t want the people in the areas to revolt ageist them.

John Le Carre calls upon his own experiences in the world of espionage in his novel The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. In doing so, Le Carre moves from the action-filled and glamorous world created by blockbusters such as James Bond, and delves deeper into the ramifications of political ideologies, such as the idea that the end justifies the means. With the Cold War a political battle significantly between the US and the USSR, society was plagued with the competition between their two political doctrines - Democracy and Communism, East and West. Le Carre explores this oppositional divide though the extended metaphor of binary opposites hot and cold. The cyclical form of the novel provides a physical example

The Russian Civil War (1918-1922) was a fight for political power between the Bolshevik Red Army, who fought for socialism, and the White Army. During this time, the Bolshevik’s secret Communist Police, the Cheka, conducted a series of military operations that became known as the Red Terror. The Red Terror was more than just a collection of mass arrests, tortures, and murders; it was systematic oppression that targeted an entire class. The Red Terror helped the Red Army win the Russian Civil War through any means necessary.

The year was 2007. The fall of the Soviet Union occurred about sixteen years prior, and according to all international governments and news sources, the Cold War was over. The hostility between two superpowers had thawed, but upon closer inspection, this was not true. Based on counterintelligence acquired by the CIA, the Russian spy population in the United States had reached Cold War levels. Three years later, in 2010, a ring of ten Russian sleeper agents were discovered to be living normal lives in the northeastern part of the United States. However, these people were deceiving their friends

Wilson’s actions in Russia caused a combination of anger, confusion and praise. Anger arose from the anti-communist wings of the government and society which sought a complete destruction of the Soviet system. Confusion came from a vast portion of society which did not understand the entire situation or America’s role in it. Praise came from the wing of Wilsonian Democrats and associated supporters who championed Wilson as, “the sincerest and most lucid friend of the Russian Revolution…” Perhaps most shocking was the role of Wilson’s State Department in the course of events in Russia. Wilson’s State Department has been argued to have been pro-interventionist and anti-Bolshevik. Late in the World War and early in the domestic conflict in

There has been a lot of contention on the matter of spies and whistleblowers since the cold war to today. Recent acts of espionage have the public questioning government, on the acts it has taken with these widespread criminals. The practice or act of spying to discover military and political secrets of other nations can also be known as committing espionage. During the cold war many spies sought out secrets of other countries for military and political information.

For decades, the United States and Russia, formerly The Soviet Union, have held tensions with each other over different political stances and military actions and intelligence. Starting from the late years of World War II - when the Soviet Union had aggressively spread communism throughout Eastern Europe - up to a couple years ago when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in Ukraine out of nowhere; their relationship has been a rollercoaster of a ride for these two countries. Even though the United States and Russia are no longer in a Cold War, there has been and continues to be tension between the two countries as exemplified by many events of conflict including the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Russian military’s current presence in Syria.

On the gloomy Friday night of June 19, 1953, a man named Julius Rosenberg was led into a room containing an electric chair; he was strapped in and then executed. After his body was removed, his wife suffered the same fate. This marked the end of one of the biggest espionage cases from World War II and the Cold War. This fascinating and complex couple were double agents, who worked for both the American and Russian governments. During the mid 20th century, it was not uncommon for American and British citizens to become enamored and sympathetic with communist ideals. However, only a few wanted them so badly that they turned against their own countries. Some of the most famous spies during this time included, the Rosenbergs, David Greenglass, and the Cambridge Five. Each decided to undermine the democratic and capitalist ideals of their countries and work for the Soviet Union. A spy’s role during World War II and throughout the Cold War was to gather information from the opposing side, and during this time, that information mostly related to weapon developments. Initially, the United States used people to spy and gather information, similar to the Russians. However as the Cold War progressed, the United States decided to go a step further and use technology to carry out their espionage. Spying played a critical role in the nuclear arms race which took place throughout World War II and the Cold War. The actions of American and British double agents contributed to tensions and

The production, analysis, or dissemination of intelligence can be improve to provide actual benefit to homeland security leaders and practitioners in numerous ways. For this to happening, everyone who receives access to intelligence reports must be educated about intelligence itself and willing to understand it. The Washington Post reported in 2004, no more than six senators read beyond the five-page executive summary of the NIE, although 77 senators voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq. (Lowenthal, 2008). Even though it was inevitable of going to war with Iraq. The NIE can foreshadow problems to occur, and could have aid senators in different ways. From understanding the situation better, to helping with foreign policy. Homeland security leaders and practitioners must be direct of what types of reports they are requiring.

In June of 2016, Donald Trump Jr. expressed interest in meeting someone described as a Russian government lawyer who had damaging information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. This contradicts what members of the Trump presidential campaign have been saying for months, which is they never sought or received help from Russia to defeat Clinton. The denials and subsequent disclosure of the emails from Trump Jr. are only escalating the controversy surrounding President Trump’s administration.

Russian cyber-interference in the 2016 U.S. elections as well as its aggressive posturing in Eastern Europe have proven to be a significant threat to U.S. security, both at home an abroad. HR 3364 proposes to punish Russia for its ongoing crusade in meddling in democratic processes/elections, while still maintaining support for U.S. allies around the globe. In order to combat Russian hostilities against the U.S. and its allies, U.S. foreign policy should first, place an emphasis on fiscal penalties over militaristic punishment, while still maintaining strong alliances in NATO; second, promote multilateral cooperation on past, present, and future economic sanctions; and third, balance punitive measures with positive incentives to signal to

In the past four months, the United States has been acclimating to the Trump administration. Since election day the Trump White House has been plagued with in house fighting, confrontations with the press, and various allegations (Huetteman). In addition to the in house problems, there are numerous global concerns. First of all, many people are suspicious of Russian hacking and involvement in the 2016 presidential election. The extent of the hacking and it involvement of the Trump campaign is now under investigation, where “the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee vowed to forge ahead by interviewing key players connected to Mr. Trump and pressing intelligence agencies to provide all relevant information,” (Huetteman).

When Trump’s campaign was just taking off, “a 35 page dossier written by an ex British Intelligence agent compiled many allegations about Trump and Russia, even including that Russia had blackmail over Trump” (Osnos et al. 4). Senator of Arizona, John McCain, “passed the dossier to the FBI in hopes of an investigation being placed on Trump” (Osnos et al. 5). This was the start of Trump’s vengeance toward director of FBI, James Comey. When the dossier was released to the public, Trump and Putin had some words to say about it. They both “portrayed the dossier as a fake and full of false accusations” (Osnos et al. 3). This made the accusations of Trump and Russia being the arbitrators behind the hacking more evident than before (Osnos et al).