As they attempted to thwart the Axis powers, some spies in the field were incredibly effective; others, like Hemingway, were just incredibly bold. In this course, distinguished experts and former intelligence personnel introduce you to some of the bravest among them.
FEB 1 Juan Pujol Garcia
Spaniard Juan Pujol Garcia—codename Garbo—was one of history’s best double agents. While working for the English, he deceived the Germans into believing he was operating a valuable spy network. It was valuable…for the Allies. International Spy Museum historian and former CIA analyst Mark Stout reveals how Garbo managed to trick the Germans into believing that the D-Day invasion of Normandy was a ploy to distract from the real invasion in the Pas-de-Calais.
FEB 8 Josephine Baker
Cabaret sensation Josephine Baker escaped racism in the U.S. to become the toast of Parisian cafe society. Her affection for France was so great that when World War II broke out, she became a spy for her adopted country. Jonna Mendez, former CIA chief of disguise, describes Baker’s intelligence work with the French Resistance.
FEB 15 Jeannie de Clarens
A member of Georges Lamarque’s French Resistance network, de Clarens’ exact reports on Germany’s secret military plans helped persuade Prime Minister Winston Churchill to bomb the German test site at Peenemunde. David Ignatius, Washington Post foreign affairs columnist and spy novelist, profiles this formidable spy.
FEB 22 Ernest Hemingway
True to his macho mystique, Hemingway’s exploits as an eager player in WWII intelligence read like a novel in which he searches for Fascist spies in Cuba, patrols the Caribbean for Nazi subs, parachutes into occupied France, and meets secretly with the KGB. Nicholas Reynolds, an intelligence and military historian who has taught at the Naval War College, recounts Hemingway’s adventures in spying.
4 sessions
Smithsonian Connections
Tour the World War II section of the American History Museum’s online exhibition
The Price of Freedom: Americans at War.