A Matter of Intelligence: MI5 and the Surveillance of Anti-Nazi Refugees, 1933–1950

Description

This is an unusual book, telling a story which has hitherto remained hidden from history: the surveillance by the British security service MI5 of anti-Nazi refugees who came to Britain fleeing political persecution in Germany and Austria. Based on the personal and organisational files that MI5 kept on political refugees during the 1930s and 1940s – which have only recently been released into the public domain – this study also fills a considerable gap in historical research. Telling a story of absorbing interest, which at times reads more like spy fiction, it is both a study of MI5 and of the political refugees themselves. The book will interest academics in the fields of history, politics, intelligence studies, Jewish studies, German studies and migration studies; but it is also accessible to the general reader interested in Britain before, during and after the Second World War. A MATTER OF INTELLIGENCE: MI5 AND THE SURVEILLANCE OF ANTI-NAZI REFUGEES, 1933–50: Charmian Brinson and Richard Dove......Page 1 Half Title Page......Page 2 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 8 Introduction......Page 10 Part I: I spy 1933–39......Page 16 1. Defending the realm: MI5 in the making......Page 18 2. Liddell in Wonderland: MI5 and the Prussian Secret Police......Page 25 3. The undesirables: political refugees from Germany and Austria after January 1933......Page 29 4. The mysterious case of Dora Fabian......Page 38 5. Nazi spies and the ‘Auslandsorganisation’......Page 53 6. No more peace: Otto Lehmann-Russbueldt and German rearmament......Page 64 7. Flying and spying: Claud W. Sykes, MI5 and the ‘Primrose League’......Page 72 8. ‘The Red Menace’: keeping watch on the Communists 1933–39......Page 88 9. ‘Peace for our time’......Page 99 Part II: Secrets, lies and misinterpretations......Page 106 10. ‘A state of confusion which at times amounted almost to chaos’: MI5 1939–41......Page 108 11. The internment of ‘enemy aliens’......Page 112 12. ‘The largest Communist sideshow in London’: the Free German League of Culture......Page 124 13. The Austrian Centre – and ‘the great Eva’......Page 137 14. ‘About the most dangerous of all these organisations’: the Czech Refugee Trust Fund......Page 151 15. Whispers and lies: the informers......Page 166 16. Friends in need: British supporters of the refugees......Page 182 Part III: Preparing for the Cold War......Page 194 17. Red alert: keeping watch on the Communists......Page 196 18. ‘Tube Alloys’: the British atomic bomb project......Page 202 19. The spy who was caught: the case of Klaus Fuchs......Page 205 20. The spy who got away: the case of Engelbert Broda......Page 219 21. Parting company......Page 231 Conclusion......Page 241 A note on sources......Page 249 Select bibliography......Page 253 Index......Page 257