The secret services in northern Spain during World War II: the German Abwehr and the English SOE

Authors

  • Javier Rodríguez González Universidad de León

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v4i8.118

Keywords:

Spain, denazification, Espionage, World War II, secret services

Abstract

During World War II, northern Spain became an arena of activity for the intelligence services of the different powers involved in the conflict.In this geographical setting, German and British secret services shared a stage on which Franco's intelligence services also played a far from negligible role.

Northern Spain was strategically important owing to its borders with France and Portugal, its numerous seaports, and the foreign consular offices located there. Both the German Abwehr and the English SOE were aware of the importance of this region for their intelligence networks, as the subsequent denazification process revealed.

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Author Biography

  • Javier Rodríguez González, Universidad de León
    Javier Rodríguez González es Profesor Titular de Historia Contemporánea de la Universidad de León. Está especializado en el estudio de la Guerra Civil y la Dictadura Franquista, así como en el papel jugado por España en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Ha sido director e investigador principal de los proyectos Represión y clandestinidad política en el Noroeste de la Península Ibérica (1939-1945) y Represión y clandestinidad política en el noroeste de la Península Ibérica (1945-1953). Entre sus últimas publicaciones se reseñan las siguientes: “A implantación da ditadura franquista. A represión e os procesos de control social”, en Emilio Grandío (ed.), Vixiados. Represión, investigación e vixilancia na Galiza da Guerra Civil (1936-1939) (2011); De las urnas al paredón con Enrique Berzal (eds.) (2012); War Zone. La Segunda Guerra Mundial en el noroeste de la Península Ibérica con Emilio Grandío (eds.) (2012); y Derribar a Franco. Oposición y Guerra Fría en el Noroeste de la Península Ibérica con Emilio Grandío (eds.) (2013).

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FUENTES ARCHIVÍSTICAS

The National Archives (Reino Unido)

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Published

2016-01-12

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 8 (2015): Guerra de silencios. Redes de Inteligencia en España durante la II Guerra Mundial

Section

Dossier

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How to Cite

The secret services in northern Spain during World War II: the German Abwehr and the English SOE. (2016). Revista Universitaria De Historia Militar, 4(8), 75-100. https://doi.org/10.53351/ruhm.v4i8.118

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