Today, Explained The new Cold War
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Sep 5, 2023 Calder Walton, a historian of espionage at Harvard's Belfer Center and author of "Spies," delves into the intriguing nuances of the Cold War, suggesting it may not have fully ended. He discusses the origins and evolution of U.S. intelligence, revealing how figures like the Cambridge Five and innovations like the U-2 spy plane shaped espionage. Walton also explores Russia's ongoing tensions and China's rising influence, highlighting the complexities of interpreting geopolitical shifts and the new dynamics between superpowers.
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Early Cold War Espionage
- In the 1920s and 1930s, the Soviet Union focused its espionage efforts primarily on Britain, not the US.
- Soviet intelligence recruited agents like the Cambridge Five, who were ideologically motivated communists.
US Intelligence Gaps
- Before WWII, the US lacked a dedicated foreign intelligence service, making it vulnerable to Soviet infiltration.
- The OSS, the CIA's predecessor, focused primarily on defeating the Axis powers, neglecting the Soviet threat.
US Intelligence Advances
- The US eventually caught up to and surpassed the USSR in spying capabilities, particularly under Eisenhower.
- The development of the U-2 spy plane was key in revealing Soviet bomber production was overstated.
