Foreign Armies East
Encyclopedia
Foreign Armies East, or Fremde Heere Ost (FHO), was a German
military intelligence organization that focused on analyzing the Soviet Union
and other East European countries before and during the Second World War.
Starting in 1942, it was run by Reinhard Gehlen
, and employed about 35 people. Gehlen predicted the downfall of the Nazi state, and the coming cold war
between the US and the Soviet Union. He planned to preserve his office of the FHO and then present it to the US as a sort of gift. As the war ended, Gehlen was temporarily lost in the chaos of the downfall of Hitler's government. However, General Quinn of the US Seventh Army
, recognized Gehlen's name from a report by Allen Dulles of the OSS
. He picked Gehlen out of obscurity and brought him to the attention of the US government.
Gehlen revealed his plan for Foreign Armies East to captain John Boker of US Military Intelligence, who persuaded general Edwin Sibert of USFET to listen to Gehlen. The G-2 section of the Pentagon
was also involved. These operations eventually led to the formation of Operation X, Operation Rusty, 'the Organization', 'the Org', and finally, 'The Gehlen Organization
'.
The Gehlen Organization
became a powerful spy ring during the early years of the Cold War
. Eventually, this organization was transformed into the Bundesnachrichtendienst
, or BND, West Germany's intelligence service.
Many of the controversial aspects of Gehlen and his organization, such as its links to old Nazis, and its infiltration by Eastern bloc
agents, were later described by Heinz Höhne & Hermann Zolling, in articles and a book, 'The General Was a Spy'.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
military intelligence organization that focused on analyzing the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and other East European countries before and during the Second World War.
Starting in 1942, it was run by Reinhard Gehlen
Reinhard Gehlen
Reinhard Gehlen was a General in the German Army during World War II, who served as chief of intelligence-gathering on the Eastern Front. After the war, he was recruited by the United States military to set up a spy ring directed against the Soviet Union , and eventually became head of the West...
, and employed about 35 people. Gehlen predicted the downfall of the Nazi state, and the coming cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
between the US and the Soviet Union. He planned to preserve his office of the FHO and then present it to the US as a sort of gift. As the war ended, Gehlen was temporarily lost in the chaos of the downfall of Hitler's government. However, General Quinn of the US Seventh Army
United States Army Europe
United States Army Europe and Seventh Army, is an Army Service Component Command of the United States Army and the land component of United States European Command. It is the largest American formation in Europe.-Invasion of Sicily:...
, recognized Gehlen's name from a report by Allen Dulles of the OSS
OSS
-Science and technology:* Open-source software* Open Sound System, a standard interface for making and capturing sound in Unix operating systems* Open Search Server, search engine software...
. He picked Gehlen out of obscurity and brought him to the attention of the US government.
Gehlen revealed his plan for Foreign Armies East to captain John Boker of US Military Intelligence, who persuaded general Edwin Sibert of USFET to listen to Gehlen. The G-2 section of the Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
was also involved. These operations eventually led to the formation of Operation X, Operation Rusty, 'the Organization', 'the Org', and finally, 'The Gehlen Organization
Gehlen Organization
Gehlen Organization was an intelligence agency established in June 1946 by U.S. occupation authorities in the United States Zone of Germany, and consisted of former members of the 12th Department of the Army General Staff...
'.
The Gehlen Organization
Gehlen Organization
Gehlen Organization was an intelligence agency established in June 1946 by U.S. occupation authorities in the United States Zone of Germany, and consisted of former members of the 12th Department of the Army General Staff...
became a powerful spy ring during the early years of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Eventually, this organization was transformed into the Bundesnachrichtendienst
Bundesnachrichtendienst
The Bundesnachrichtendienst [ˌbʊndəsˈnaːχʁɪçtnˌdiːnst] is the foreign intelligence agency of Germany, directly subordinated to the Chancellor's Office. Its headquarters are in Pullach near Munich, and Berlin . The BND has 300 locations in Germany and foreign countries...
, or BND, West Germany's intelligence service.
Many of the controversial aspects of Gehlen and his organization, such as its links to old Nazis, and its infiltration by Eastern bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
agents, were later described by Heinz Höhne & Hermann Zolling, in articles and a book, 'The General Was a Spy'.
See also
- Oberkommando des HeeresOberkommando des HeeresThe Oberkommando des Heeres was Nazi Germany's High Command of the Army from 1936 to 1945. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht commanded OKH only in theory...
(German army high command) - SicherheitsdienstSicherheitsdienstSicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
(the Nazi party's SS intelligence service) - Ostministerium (German ministry for recruiting Soviet refugees to help the Nazi cause)
- AbwehrAbwehrThe Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
(German military intelligence organization)