Political operations of Abwehr in Germany

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Political operations of Abwehr in Germany

The Abwehr, the German military intelligence service, engaged in political operations, including espionage, sabotage, and counter-intelligence, both within Germany and abroad, with its headquarters in Berlin and field offices in various locations, including neutral countries disguised as "War Organizations". [1, 2, 3, 4]

Here's a more detailed breakdown of the Abwehr's political operations:

1. Structure and Organization: [2, 2, 4, 4]

• Headquarters: The Abwehr's headquarters were located at 76/78 Tirpitzufer, Berlin, adjacent to the offices of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). [2, 2, 4, 4]
• Field Offices: In Germany and occupied countries, field offices were known as "Abwehrstellen" (Asts), with branches called "Nebenstellen" (Nests). In neutral countries, they were called "Kriegsorganisationen" (KO's) and often disguised as diplomatic missions. [1, 1, 3, 3]
• Branches: The Abwehr was organized into three main branches: Abwehr I (intelligence), Abwehr II (sabotage and subversion), and Abwehr III (counterintelligence). [5, 5]
• Abwehr I (Intelligence): This branch was responsible for gathering intelligence, including military, naval, air, and economic intelligence. It was further divided into sections based on geographical areas and specific types of intelligence. [3, 3, 6, 6]
• Abwehr II (Sabotage and Subversion): This branch focused on planning and executing sabotage operations against enemy targets. [3, 3, 5, 5]
• Abwehr III (Counterintelligence): This branch was responsible for counter-espionage and protecting the Abwehr's own operations. [3, 3, 5, 5]

2. Operations: [1, 1, 3, 3, 6, 6, 7, 7]

• Espionage: The Abwehr sent agents to spy on enemy nations, intercepting communications, and gathering information on military capabilities, troop movements, and strategic plans. [1, 1, 3, 3, 6, 6, 7, 7]
• Sabotage: The Abwehr engaged in sabotage operations, including disrupting enemy supply lines, damaging infrastructure, and assassinating key figures. [3, 3, 5, 5, 7, 7]
• Counter-intelligence: The Abwehr worked to identify and neutralize enemy intelligence agents and disrupt their operations. [1, 3, 3, 5, 5, 7]
• Neutral Countries: In neutral countries, the Abwehr often disguised its activities by attaching personnel to German Embassies or trade missions, known as "War Organizations" (Kriegsorganisationen or KO's). [1, 1]

3. Key Personnel and Events: [8, 9]

• Wilhelm Canaris: The head of the Abwehr from 1935 to 1944, Canaris was a key figure in the resistance against Hitler, and he was executed by the Nazis in 1945. [8, 9]
• Abwehr in Spain: The Abwehr detachment in Spain (Kriegsorganisation Spanien, KO-Spanien) was one of the largest of such groups, led by Captain Gustav Leissner, who acted under the alias "Lenz". [10]
• Collaboration with the IRA: The Abwehr attempted to cultivate a working relationship with the Irish Republican Army (IRA), but these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. [11]

4. Legacy: [7, 7, 12, 12]

• The Abwehr's operations during World War II had a significant impact on the course of the war, and its legacy continues to be studied and debated by historians.
• The Abwehr's activities provide insights into the nature of intelligence gathering and political operations during wartime. [7, 7, 8, 12, 12, 13]

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abwehr

[2] https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-abwehr

[3] https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/g/german-espionage-and-sabotage.html

[4] https://www.weggum.com/Abwehr.html

[5] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/16161262.2020.1801018

[6] https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-figures-publications/publications/wwii/cryptologic_aspects_of_gi.pdf

[7] https://www.encyclopedia.com/politics/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/abwehr

[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Canaris

[9] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wilhelm-Canaris

[10] https://academic.oup.com/gh/article/42/4/540/7887681

[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Republican_Army%E2%80%93Abwehr_collaboration

[12] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eDDIvGZINU

[13] https://thestrategybridge.org/the-bridge/2018/9/11/managing-world-war-the-army-service-forces-and-general-somervells-rules-for-getting-things-done