(26 X 26 minute episodes)
THE SERIES
Unlike any other Century the last 100 years has provided filmed conflicts and adventures covering World Wars and many other sweeping military actions. All too often these huge conflicts have been taken at face value. The story has unfolded in newspapers and film clips in a way which has left historians to piece together the final jigsaw. But even now have their efforts given us the true picture?
Through the American Freedom of Information Act, the relaxation of the British Fifty Year Rule, and the opening of KGB secret files, there are now fascinating gems of information emerging from the previously forbidden archives which have been firmly closed to outside eyes. Documents and film footage previously designated as “Top Secret” or “Most Secret” have slowly been released sometimes without announcement or publicity, waiting for knowledgeable researchers to put two and two together in order to find out what really happened. A classic recent example is the story of the British spy John Cairncross who revealed the Allies’ Atomic Bomb to Stalin.
It is understandable when fighting a war against evil - whether a declared war against a fascist monster like Hitler or a Cold War tyrant like Stalin - not to disclose your greatest codebreaking achievements or espionage successes, for fear of compromising your agents or giving useful information to the enemy. However, when peace returns the population needs to know how their collective and sometimes secret efforts helped to destroy a crazed madman or an enslaving ideology.
In this new series “Great Spying Stories of the Twentieth Century” the research team have uncovered some of the most fascinating spying and espionage stories which helped win victory in the most harrowing circumstances.
It will examine the subterfuge and espionage which helped to defeat the Kaiser in World War I, how the Germans mounted a sabotage campaign in the United States during World War II, and how each major power enlisted sophisticated spy rings and elaborate hoaxes to mislead the enemy.
What were the real code breaking successes of World War II and why have they only been released now? How did American Intelligence break the Russian Military codes during the Cold War and which spy rings contained double - double agents? How did the Cambridge spy ring operate and did the KGB really appreciate the information it received?
With the wealth of new information now coming to light it is possible to look back over the major conflicts of the last 100 years and take for the first time a completely new look at what really happened. Did British and American Intelligence really crack the German and Japanese codes so well that they could assassinate a Japanese Admiral in mid-air? Did the Allies de-code Hitler’s orders faster than his own Generals could?
Which events that looked like chance at the time, were really brought about by the use of codebreaking and espionage?
Why were all Soviet maps deliberately inaccurate?
Were known spies given false intelligence in order to hoax the Russians during the Cold War?. Was a British frogman caught red-handed under a Russian cruisers hull? Who was James Bond based on and were his real exploits stranger than fiction?
Now for the first time this series can reveal the cloak and dagger world of spies and espionage during the last 100 years.
“Great Spying Stories of the Twentieth Century” - You will never look at History in quite the same way again!
FOR WORLDWIDE TV RIGHTS:
PLEASE CONTACT:
MICHAEL KATZ
VICE PRESIDENT PROGRAMMING & PRODUCTION
THE INTERNATIONAL DEPT,
THE HISTORY CHANNEL
A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS
235 EAST 45TH STREET
NEW YORK
NY - 10017
USA
TEL: 001 212 210 9003
FAX: 001 212 907 9476
E-MAIL: michael.katz@aetn.com
FOR WORLDWIDE VIDEO AND ALL PUBLISHING RIGHTS:
PLEASE CONTACT:
KATE WINN
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING HOME VIDEO
NEW VIDEO GROUP
A&E TELEVSION NETWORKS
216 EAST 45TH STREET
NEW YORK
NY - 10017 USA
TEL: 001 203 353 7204
FAX: 001 212 907 9418
EMAIL: kate.winn@aetn.com
ALSO DVDs ARE AVAILABLE IN THE USA
PLEASE CONTACT:
SUSAN MARGOLIN
NEW VIDEO GROUP INC
902 BROADWAY (9TH FLOOR)
NEW YORK
NY 10010
USA
TEL: (212) 206 8600 X 226
FAX: (212) 206 9001
E-MAIL: SMargolin@newvideo.com
(each programme = 46 mins)
Programme 1
Spying from the Skies
The balloon first gave mankind the ability to look down on the battlefield; then came ever more sophisticated aircraft with cameras. Today much of the work of intelligence gathering is undertaken by satellites. The fascinating story of spying from the air over the last 100 years, including the hitherto untold story of the secret spy flights of the Cold War.
For video availability click here.
Programme 2
Hitler’s Spies
Throughout the rise and fall of the Nazi Reich, two sinister organisations competed for control of Germany’s espionage and counter espionage war. One, a branch of the feared SS under the control of Reinhardt Heydrich, the other the Abwehr under the direction of Admiral Canaris, who was mysteriously executed shortly before the end of the war for suspected involvement with the plot to kill Hitler.
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Programme 3
The Atomic Spy Rings
During World War II the Soviet government operated a large spy ring that sought atomic secrets in Great Britain, Canada and USA. The success of this operation enabled the Russians to explode an atomic bomb several years earlier than believed possible. Not until the US ‘Venona’ code-cracking breakthrough was the full extent of the Soviet penetration revealed.
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Programme 4
Berlin’s Spy Secrets
Capital of the German Reich, the city that symbolised a unified Germany became a symbol of the Cold War. East confronted West in a battle of espionage which turned the city into a centre of spy fact and fiction. From Berlin, East German Intelligence mounted a massive effort to penetrate NATO and West German operations.
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Programme 5
Bletchley Park
An assuming Victorian mansion fifty miles North of London, Bletchley Park started life as the British Government's Code and Cipher School before World War II, but it developed into the most potent deciphering centre of the war when the German Enigma codes were broken by the 12,500 code breakers on its staff.
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Programme 6
Early Russian Intelligence
The Cheka was the infamous Bolshevik organisation which took control of Russia as Lenin’s feared secret police. It was licensed to carry out executions and was responsible for the ‘Red Terror’ from September 1918. Its brutality knew no bounds and it was run by the dreaded Felix Dzerzhinsky who founded the Gulag Archipelago.
For video availability click here.
Programme 7
Secret Air Operations
Aircraft were first used to drop agents behind enemy lines during World War I. The skills of the first pioneers were rediscovered twenty years later when Britain had to find ways of supporting Resistance throughout Nazi-occupied Europe. Agents were flown in or picked up, supplies and sabotage teams parachuted. The British Special Operations flights were joined by US ‘Carpetbagger’ squadrons, and their methods continued to be employed during the Cold War.
For video availability click here.
Programme 8
US Army Intelligence
This organisation traces its roots back to 1776 and the spying service set up by George Washington. Since then the service has distinguished itself throughout the Twentieth Century, with exciting stories of intelligence gathering in both World Wars and during the Cold War and Vietnam, culminating in its electronic intelligence units which were first used in the Gulf War in 1991.
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Programme 9
The CIA
Established by President Truman, the CIA became a global agency for collecting and evaluating intelligence and undertaking covert action. It has a fascinating history throughout the post-war world covering important areas of American history, including the U2 affair, the Cuban missile crisis, the Vietnam War, and its modern role to counter the spread of weapons of mass destruction, drug trafficking and international organised crime.
For video availability click here.
Programme 10
The Code Breakers
The fascinating story of this century’s efforts by all sides to break down the enemy's signals security, to protect the sender's signals and penetrate the enemy’s secret communications. Many battles in the last 100 years have been won or lost because one side or the other could read its opponents intercepted messages. From the famous Zimmerman Telegram in April 1917 through to the breaking of the Japanese “Purple” codes and the more recent Russian codes.
For video availability click here.
Programme 11
The FBI
The principal US counter-espionage agency which investigates violations of US espionage laws by foreign agents. The FBI also serves as a national police force for crimes that cross state lines. The programme includes the G-Man era, the interception of Nazi agents in World War II, the hunting of communists in the 1950s, and the agency’s role in the post Cold War World.
For video availability click here.
Programme 12
US Air Force Intelligence
From its early beginnings with General John J Pershing and his Mexican expedition of 1916, the US Air Intelligence arm has a fascinating history, spanning both World Wars. It is now the world leader in the collection and analysis of all forms of photographic and electronic data, and deploys a bewildering array of ultra-high speed aircraft, satellites and unmanned drones.
For video availability click here.
Programme 13
Mossad
Born in the crucible of Israel’s war of independence, and honed in the constant struggle for survival, the country’s intelligence service gained a fearsome reputation for ruthlessness. Whether tracking down criminals like Adolf Eichmann, or eliminating terrorists like the Palestinian Black September movement, Mossad allowed nothing to stand in its way.
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Programme 14
M.I.5
During both world wars, Britain’s counterespionage service was immensely effective - no German spies were able to operate for more than a few days, and many were ‘turned’ to send false information back to their masters. But later, the service was to face severe criticism for failing to expose the Cambridge Spies, before remodelling itself as a counter-terrorist organisation.
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Programme 15
The GRU
Sometimes referred to as the ‘Fourth Department, Russian military intelligence’, it was created in 1918 and produced a network of spies which operated worldwide through the Stalinist era, World War II and still employs 100,000. The GRU also controls Russia’s Special Warfare Services known as the Spetsnaz.
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Programme 16
Spy Ships and Submarines
Throughout the Twentieth Century in all the major conflicts both sides have operated intelligence collection ships. In World War II the warships of many navies began carrying high-frequency, direction-finding equipment and subsequently electronic intelligence collection equipment. But there have been a fascinating array of non-naval vessels. Some of them like the USS Pueblo have been involved in major international incidents. Others have mysteriously disappeared.
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Programme 17
Japanese Intelligence
Japan’s traditional fascination with the West led at the beginning of the 20th century to the foundation of an elaborate spying network based on the need for military intelligence. Historically its enemies were China and Russia but by the 1920s and 1930s its main focus became the USA. The programme looks at the story of the Japanese intelligence network in the build up to Pearl Harbor and beyond.
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Programme 18
The KGB
The Soviet agency responsible for state security which took over from OGPU and the NKVD. The KGB functions included counter espionage, foreign intelligence collection and analysis, protection of the state's land, maritime borders and certain special security functions including the control of nuclear weapons, communications and the Kremlin’s guards. It was probably larger than all the Western intelligence agencies combined and its story is nothing short of incredible.
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Programme 19
French Intelligence
Already in position at the beginning of the 20th Century the French had a sophisticated intelligence network which was actively useful during World War I and which went on to confront the Bolsheviks during the inter War years. It continued during World War II and has since been involved in post war intelligence and various colonial conflicts which have provided a fascinating story.
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Programme 20
US Naval Intelligence
The US’s longest surviving intelligence service was created in 1882. One of its most prominent divisions was the American Photographic Interpretation Centre created in 1941 to train and support fleet photographers. It played an active role in the Cold War era particularly in electronic monitoring. By 1970 a vast expansion in Russian Naval operations on a worldwide scale created the necessity to keep track of all Soviet naval-related activities.
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Programme 21
The OSS
The famous US World War II intelligence and sabotage agency. It was established by William J Donovan and modelled on the British Special Operations Executive. The first overseas operations were in Europe and Africa but based in London. Much of its work was concerned with the landings in North Africa and Europe and the placing of agents on joint missions to assist French Resistance groups.
For video availability click here.
Programme 22
British Intelligence - M.I.6
Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, and ‘employer’ of the fictional James Bond, grew out of the need to combat Imperial German and then Bolshevik Russian ambitions in the early part of the century. Its clandestine war continued against Nazi Germany and then the Soviet Empire during the Cold War. Spectacular successes like the breaking of the Enigma codes, were offset by disasters like its failure to spot Kim Philby.
For video availability click here.
Programme 23
Spying and Espionage in Vietnam
The fascinating story of the secret war conducted by the CIA and US army intelligence in the longest war of the 20th Century. Exciting stories abound, among them behind the lines activity, secret missions and attempts to monitor the notorious Vietcong in some of the most difficult fighting country in the world.
For video availability click here.
Programme 24
The SOE
‘Set Europe ablaze’ was Winston Churchill’s order when Britain stood alone against Nazi Germany. To achieve it, an extraordinary collection of men and women was brought together, dedicated to organising resistance throughout Europe. They fought a ruthless secret war which climaxed at D-Day when German communications were cut, and reinforcements prevented from reaching the battlefront.
For video availability click here.
Programme 25
The Cambridge Spies
The KGB regarded them as ‘The Magnificent Five’, the most successful deep-penetration agents it ever ran. The story of five students who were recruited while at Cambridge University and went on to become key members of Britain’s ruling elite - all the while feeding back the nation’s most closely guarded secrets to its ideological enemy.
For video availability click here.
Programme 26
Great Spies of the Twentieth Century
From Mata Hari, Sidney Reilly, Lawrence of Arabia, Josephine Baker, to Richard Sorge, Oleg Penkovsky and many other famous names. The programme covers some of the most daring and outrageous individual cases to have been publicised in the Twentieth Century.
For video availability click here.
FOR WORLDWIDE VIDEO AND ALL PUBLISHING RIGHTS:
PLEASE CONTACT:
KATE WINN
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING HOME VIDEO
NEW VIDEO GROUP
A&E TELEVSION NETWORKS
216 EAST 45TH STREET
NEW YORK
NY - 10017 USA
TEL: 001 203 353 7204
FAX: 001 212 907 9418
EMAIL: kate.winn@aetn.com
ALSO DVDs ARE AVAILABLE IN THE USA
PLEASE CONTACT:
SUSAN MARGOLIN
NEW VIDEO GROUP INC
902 BROADWAY (9TH FLOOR)
NEW YORK
NY 10010
USA
TEL: (212) 206 8600 X 226
FAX: (212) 206 9001
E-MAIL: SMargolin@newvideo.com