Miscellaneous intelligence activities, conducted
already in the peacetime, are organically linked with the armed
struggle, and constitute an important factor in the history of the
mankind, and especially its military history. Simultaneously they are a
subject very difficult to research, because even after decades it is
not
always possible to access once secret archives, as well as other
trustworthy sources of information. True, there is a plethora of
studies
and reminiscences published in the post-Second World War era, but way
too often they miss proportions and perspective, while sensational
stories, real or just imaginary exploits of various "archspies" and
"superagents", obscure the meaningful matters. Meanwhile, the cardinal
problem of espionage is better described by its other name -
intelligence. Collecting and processing information about the enemy -
probable in the peacetime and real during the war - is the basic and
superior task of the intelligence services around the globe. More >>>
