The Birth of the Soviet Secret Police: Lenin and History's Greatest Heist, 1917-1927

This book is the first in a series entitled A New History of the KGB'. Written by an acknowledged expert on the subject.

Format: Hardback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 30 April 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

The book delves into the origins of the KGB, tracing its history from the Tsarist Okhrana to the OGPU, one of its predecessors between 1923 and 1934. Based on documents from Russian archives, the author reveals that the Cheka and GPU/OPGU were initially established to defend the revolution rather than engage in espionage. The Okhrana operated in both the Russian Empire and abroad against revolutionaries, with its operations being largely unknown. After the Cheka's establishment in December 1917, it remained a primary tool of terror until Trotsky's expulsion from the Communist Party and Stalin's rise to power. The book also highlights the parallel activities of the Cheka and its successors against revolutionaries with British and American operations against the Soviets. It presents the creation of the Communist International (Comintern) as an alternative Soviet espionage organization for foreign propaganda and subversion. Additionally, it explores early Soviet intelligence operations in several countries and raids on Soviet missions abroad. The book sheds light on the Bolshevik smuggling of the Russian language and its impact on foreign propaganda.

Weight: 746g
Dimension: 166 x 242 x 44 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781526792259