Abteilung IIIb

Abteilung or Division IIIb was the military intelligence of the Prussian / German Army until the end of First World War (1918).

History

The service was created in 1889 as a section in the General Staff . At the beginning of World War I, the section was upgraded to a department.

Tasks

First, the area of responsibility of the A III b comprised only the counterintelligence. A foreign intelligence was only limited. 1893 also news stations on the borders of the empire were to "Russia Enlightenment" set up, such as in Gumbinnen, Jarotschin, Kempen, Lublinitz , elk, Soldau and Thorn.

Heads

• 1889-1892: Major Artur Waenker v Dankenschweil.
• 1892-1895: Major Mueller
• 1895-1900: Major Friedrich Theodor Dahme
• 1900-1910: Major (later Colonel) Karl Brose
• 1910-1913: Major Wilhelm Heye
• 1913-1918: Major (later Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel last) Walter Nicolai

Outline

During the First World War the Division III b was significantly upgraded. The A III b was divided into press, propaganda, intelligence and defense.

Outline 1915

The A III b was divided into three main sections, which were "Chef III b" under the umbrella of.

• Chef III b
  • Mobile Division III b (OHL)
    • News Service
    • Counterintelligence in operation and occupation area
    • Press
    • Neutral Military Attachés
      • IIIb West
      • IIIb East
      • NO Oberost
      • NO Berlin
  • Deputy Division III b (Berlin)
    • Politics
    • News Service
    • Counterintelligence in Germany
    • Press
  • War Press Office
    • Information Agency
    • Upper censorship
    • Auslandsstelle
    • Domestic spot

War years and resolution

In 1917, an explicit authorization for domestic education was adopted. The secret IIIb developed under his last boss Walter Nicolai in as war is increasingly increased teh need for secret police. Never before had a German intelligence such influence in the German Reich. After the war, the division was disbanded.

Overall, the performance as a secret service were rather poor. After the war began, the network of agents burst into the enemy countries together quickly, because the agents were arrested. The Secret Service could not provide information about enemy intentions and operational deployment plans. The enemy situation Editor of News Department (from 1917 Foreign Armies) at the General Staff were more suspicions delivered as facts. Often the reports of the intelligence proved wrong. The enemy situation arranger wrong with the secret IIIb writing. Since the enemy situation editors no knowledge of the seriousness of the sources of the intelligence service templates, these reports could not be assessed clearly. Therefore, there was in the assessment of the enemy situation a mishap after another. The fundamental error lay in the separation of news gathering and analysis.

As the war progressed, it increasingly became a secret police and propaganda organization. The head of the secret Nicolai was in the left press, among other things as "father of lies" and disinformation. Despite the increasingly massive form of interference and influence in the Empire the Empire broke in 1918 for the secret surprise together. Altogether, performance was poor in the kingdom and abroad.

In addition, the A III b a massive competition from the Naval Intelligence (also "News Department") and the intelligence operations of the Foreign Office was exposed.

Literature

• Heinz Höhne: Canaris - Patriot in the twilight. Bertelsmann, Munich 1976, ISBN 3-570-01608-0.
• Markus Pöhlmann: German Intelligence at War, 1914-1918. In The Journal of Intelligence History. Vol 5 (Winter 2005), pp 25–54..
• Jürgen W. Schmidt: Against Russia and France. The German military intelligence 1890-1914. 3rd ed., Ludwigsfelde of 2009.
• Jürgen W. Schmidt (eds.): Intelligence services, the military and politicians in Germany. 2nd Edition, Ludwigsfelde of 2009..
• Florian Altenhöner: Total War - Total Control? German Military Intelligence on the Home Front, 1914-1918 . In: The Journal of Intelligence History. Jg. 5 (Winter 2005), pp 55–72.
• Robert T. Foley: Easy target or Invincible Enemy? German Intelligence Assessments of France Before the Great War . In: The Journal of Intelligence History. Jg. 5 (Winter 2005), pp 1–24.
• Jürgen W. Schmidt: Against Russia: Department IIIb of the Deputy General Staff in Berlin - Intelligence, Counter-intelligence and Newspaper Research, 1914-1918. In: The Journal of Intelligence History. Jg. 5 (Winter 2005), pp 73–89.
• Hanne Hieber: 'Mademoiselle Docteur': The Life and Service of Imperial Germany's Only Female Intelligence Officer . In: The Journal of Intelligence History. Jg. 5 (Winter 2005), pp 91–108.

Weblinks

• Prezi presentation