Spy mania and state security
The Great Retreat of 1915 and the expansion of the internal enemy in Imperial Russia
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21502467 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jamie Bryson (0009-0002-1886-3296, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-24 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Intelligence & National Security (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0268-4527 • E-ISSN: 1743-9019 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02684527.2026.2695069 |
| OpenAlex | W7167608686 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 29 |
This article examines the transformation of Russia’s secret police (Okhrana or Okhranka) during the First World War, particularly after the Great Retreat of 1915. Drawing extensively on archived reports and official circulars, it argues that military defeat and political upheaval expanded the category of the ‘internal enemy’ and pushed the secret police to adapt surveillance beyond its traditional remit. The analysis situates spy mania, patriotic violence and jurisdictional struggles with military intelligence within broader wartime dynamics. These related security challenges highlight how wartime paranoia transformed state security’s responsibilities, introducing unfamiliar issues, while also exposing the limits of its actions
Adversary · National security · Paranoia · Politics · State of exception · Intelligence, Security, War Strategy · Soviet and Russian History · World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact
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Liberal Politics in Wartime Russia
Information Is the Alpha and Omega of Our Work
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |