“The Foundations of American Intelligence in WWI” – with Mark Stout
Summary
Mark Stout (X; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his new book, World War I and the Foundations of American Intelligence. Mark Stout is a former intelligence analyst and former SPY Historian.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
- The first American intelligence “agencies”
- Codebreaking during WWI
- The American Protective League and spy paranoia
- WWI’s effect on American culture and politics
Reflections
- Challenging common historical thought
- Studying the “forgotten” wars
And much, much more …
Episode Notes
This week on SpyCast, Andrew was joined by Mark Stout to discuss his new book, World War I and the Foundations of American Intelligence. Mark has served as an intelligence analyst for both the CIA and the US Department of State and was previously a Senior Lecturer and the Program Director for the MA in Global Security Studies at Johns Hopkins University.
Common historical thought places the genesis of formalized intelligence during the Second World War, but Mark argues otherwise. In fact, he says, World War I proved that intelligence was an indispensable asset to nations during both war and peace. Tune in to learn more about the little-known American intelligence history of the Great War.
And…
Before “Freedom Fries,” there was Liberty Cabbage. German-Americans during WWI faced extreme xenophobia – Not even German food could escape the spy paranoia and scrutiny. In newspapers and grocery stores across the country, sauerkraut became “Liberty Cabbage,” hamburgers became “Liberty Steak,” and frankfurters became “Liberty Sausage.”
Quotes of the Week
“[After World War I] there will never be a time again when the United States won't have squadrons in the Army Air Corps, later the U. S. Air Force, and similarly the Navy. We would never again be without aerial reconnaissance squadrons. There would never again be a time when the United States didn't have at least one code-breaking organization.” – Mark Stout.
Resources
SURFACE SKIM
*Spotlight Resource*
- World War I and the Foundations of American Intelligence, Mark Stout (University Press of Kansas, 2023)
*SpyCasts*
- Rise of Devils: The Origins of Modern Terrorism with James Crossland (2024)
- Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East vs. West with Calder Walton (2023)
- The Lion and the Fox – Civil War Spy vs. Spy with Alexander Rose (2023)
- The Birth of American Propaganda – A Conversation on Manipulating the Masses with John Hamilton (2021)
*Beginner Resources*
- World War I, Explained in 5 Minutes! YouTube (2023) [5 min. video]
- The Journey of the Intelligence Community, M. Thomas, Office of the Director of National Intelligence (2023) [Timeline of the US IC]
- The United States in the First World War, National Park Service (2021) [Short article]
DEEPER DIVE
Books
- Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda, J. M. Hamilton (LSU Press, 2020)
- Codes, Ciphers and Spies: Tales of Military Intelligence in World War I, J. F. Dooley (Copernicus, 2016)
- The Zimmermann Telegram: Intelligence, Diplomacy, and America's Entry into World War I, T. Boghardt (Naval Institute Press, 2012)
Articles
- The forgotten codebreakers of the First World War, P. Gannon, The History Press (2020)
- World War I and the birth of American intelligence culture, M. Stout, Journal of Intelligence and National Security (2017)
- World War I Changed America and Transformed Its Role in International Relations, M. Hindley, The Magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities (2017)
- Spies Among Us: World War I and The American Protective League, M. Inman, New York Public Library (2014)
- Immigration, Migration, and "100% Americanism," Yale University Library Online Exhibitions (n.d.)
- Isolationism and U.S. Foreign Policy After World War I, Norwich University (n.d.)
Video
- Elizebeth Smith Friedman: The Woman All Spies Fear, International Spy Museum, YouTube (2021)
- How WWI Changed America: Coming Home, National WWI Museum, YouTube (2020)
Primary Sources
- Treaty of Versailles (1919)
- Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points Speech (1918)
- Telegram Announcing Armistice (1918)
- Sedition Act (1918)
- The Zimmermann Telegram (1917)
- Espionage Act (1917)
- Woodrow Wilson Third Annual Message, Warns of Espionage (1915)
*Wildcard Resource*
- 12 Step Method to Reveal Secret Writing (ca. 1913-1924)
- Germany was particularly fond of invisible ink as a tactic of spycraft during World War I. If you came across a document suspected of secret writing, you might use these 12 steps to reveal the hidden message …