Spy Web: International Espionage

Berlin has always been a hotbed of espionage. Uncover the secrets under the Kaiser, during the tyranny that was Hitler's Third Reich and the Cold War that followed the destruction of the Nazis.

From early days of biplanes to today's spy satellites, the spies in the sky have proved to be an enduring component of modern warfare.

During World War II, German intelligence spread across the globe, operating throughout occupied and neutral Europe and even as far afield as the U.S. See how this formidable foe became totally compromised.

The history of U.S. Army intelligence, from its Revolutionary War Roots to the World Wars, Cold War and Vietnam, culminating in in electronic intelligence units, first used in the Gulf War.

In addition to serving as a national police force, the FBI handles violations of U.S. espionage laws by foreign agents. Probe the department's history from the G-man era to the post-Cold War world.

Examine how air missions in Europe supported the work of the Office of Strategic Services in World War II, and how the B-24 and B-27 planes were used to drop supplies to resistance groups.

Since its origins aiding Gen. John J. Pershing in Mexico in 1916, the U.S. air-intelligence arm has had spectacular successes using spy planes.

Born in the crucible of Israel's war of independence and honed in the struggle for survival against hostile neighbors, the Mossad intelligence service gained a reputation for ruthlessness.

Created by President Harry Truman, the CIA became a global agency for collecting and evaluating intelligence through covert action. Learn its fascinating Cold War story and its changing role in the post-Cold War world.

U.S. Naval Intelligence has played an active role since its founding in 1882, including World War II and during the Cold War, when it was tasked with tracking Soviet naval-related activities.

Take a look inside America's Office of Strategic Services, the famous U.S. World War II intelligence and sabotage agency (and precursor of the CIA) established by William J. Donovan.

Britain's Special Operation Executive was responsible for recruiting and training hundreds of secret agents dropped into Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe to fight the enemy behind the lines.

The history of the secret war conducted by the CIA and U.S. Army Intelligence during the Vietnam War, filled with secret missions and attempts to monitor the notorious Vietcong.

Mata Hari, Sidney Reilly, Lawrence of Arabia, Cicero, Lonsdale, the Lucy Spy Ring: are just a few of the most daring and outrageous individual spy cases to have been publicized in the 20th century.

See how the spectacular successes of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, like breaking the Enigma code during World War II, were offset by devastating failures like superspy Kim Philby.