2019 №3 (64) Article 3

O.V. Karimov, V. V. Kalinov

INTELLIGENCE-RELATED ACTIVITIES  OF THE RUSSIAN NAVY IN THE EARLY YEARS OF WORLD WAR I IN THE BALTIC SEA

УДК 356.251.2:359:947.083.76

The article focuses on intelligence-related activities of the Imperial Russian Navy in the early years of World War I (1914–1918). Since Germany presented a potential threat to St. Petersburg, the Russian Navy General Staff understood the significance of the Baltic Sea in the Russian-German opposition. The intelligence information gathered by the Russian naval intelligence officers in Germany, Denmark, and Sweden in 1914 was often misleading and overestimated German activities in the Baltic region. Believing that the German Fleet would invade the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Fleet Commanders did their best to prevent enemy invasion. The main task of the Russian naval intelligence was to detect enemy forces approaching. The task was performed by cruisers, coastal observation posts, naval aviation and radio intelligence.

During the abovementioned period, intelligence officers had no adequate means of timely transferring collected information. The article analyzes challenges experienced by Russian naval intelligence officers in Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, their failures and their success.

 

World War I; Russian Navy General Staff; naval intelligence officer; intelligence activity; naval communication; intelligence

 

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