[book]Gollomb - Armies of Spies (Nazi covert operations befo
This is Joseph Gollomb's rare and shocking book Armies of Spies (1939) which, written right on the eve of World War II, correctly anticipated the enormous scope and effectively successful activities of the Fifth Columnists in nations slated for the incomming Nazi invasion. Composed of ideological supporters of the fascist philosophy and directed by the German intelligence agencies, these Fifth Column movements were instrumental in realizing Nazi blueprints for military conquest during the war, as well as postwar continuation and enlargement of those plans. Much of the book consists of Gollomb’s analysis of the Third Reich’s various programs of subversion around the world. The foundation of his work is his analysis of the transformational nature of espionage under the Nazis. Rather than simple clandestine operatives concerned with purloining information and communicating it to their controlling agencies, the “spy” operating on behalf of the Third Reich became a member of a “combatant secret service.” Espionage and covert operations were the essence and core of the Third Reich from its inception. Indeed, Hitler got his start in political affairs as a spy and undercover operative for the Reichswehr - the German army between the World Wars. Gollomb describes Hitler’s work as a spook infiltrating German revolutionaries and identifying them for subsequent retribution. The Nazi Party itself also began as a Reichswehr intelligence front. Expanding on this operational base, Hitler conceived of infiltration, agitation and covert operations as a touchstone of his methodology of conquest. Realizing this project, Hitler transformed his intelligence agencies into “combatant secret services” - armies of spies. This thorough application of infiltration, covert action and subversion had dramatic results for all future wars. Armies of Spies important lessons for the contemporary observer. Long before fascism becomes evident to the casual observer, its clandestine destruction of democratic institutions is already hard at work through covert action. This insidious process must be recognized to be effectively resisted. Dismissing fascist subversion as “conspiracy theory” only furthers the process of disintegration, something which can today be readily seen in USA. 215 pages. A must read for everyone.
