Espionage | Kim Philby and The Cambridge Five
When he walked in, the lights were still off. He walked over to a hot plate and put on a kettle, placing a bag of tea leaves on a small plate near the edge of the table.
From there, he went to a desk and turned on a lamp, watching the room come into focus. Outside, he could hear distant cars contrasting with the sounds of wagons as if the old world was somehow trying to overshadow the new one. No light came in the windows, and when he turned, his movement was the only one in the room.
He had requested some time in this room, the archives, the week before, citing a theory on Nazi encryption and wanting to review some recent findings from the code breakers in the building. Upstairs, he could hear people moving rapidly. The building was never empty, but he had staked out this room, at this time, for weeks in order to understand when people came in and when they went out.
Near him, he could hear the water start to move in the kettle. And he hurried to a shelf with a set of file boxes, taking out two that one of his associates had marked with a blue pen. Opening the first one, he found three earmarked files, and pulling the first, took out a small camera and began to take pictures.
The files detailed the methods by which the British code breakers deciphered new information from German messages being passed back and forth. The news of these methods had spread quietly through the facility, if for no other reason than to raise the morale of the staff overall.
The kettle began to stir. He could hear the water begin to boil, and he went to the next folder, taking out a second camera. And then a third.
He finished the first box and went to the second, seeing only two files with the noticeable fold on their tabs. He pulled out a fourth camera, recorded the information as fast as possible, put the files into the box, and put it back on the shelf.
The kettle began to whistle. He walked over to the hot plate and removed it from the heat, placing it on a metal pedestal. The man poured some hot water into a cup of dried tea leaves and watched the amber color diffuse into the clear water until only the color remained.
After a moment, the door opened and one of the secretaries saw the man standing over the kettle and cup. He turned to her, smiled, and asked, “Would you care for a cup of tea?”
An Uncommon Exchange of Ideas
In the 1930s, the University of Cambridge in England was considered a hotbed of radical ideas and thought. Discussions on new systems of government, bound in ideology, were surfacing throughout the campus, with secret clubs and gatherings diving deep into subjects that before, had rarely been considered. During the 1920-30s, fascism was on the rise in Europe. Benito Mussolini led the Fascist Party to take control of Italy and the Nazi Party was rising to power in Germany. Conversely, free market ideology (dubbed capitalism by Karl Marx) was seen as an equal or greater evil when compared to fascism, due to the perceived inequality of the proletariat, or working class, by the bourgeoisie – the elite class. Fueled by nightmare experiences from the Industrial Revolution, free market economics was not seen as a viable alternative to fascism by a large portion of the Cambridge student population. Because of this, the only solution they saw for the workers was communism, and specifically, communism in the Soviet Union.
It's important for me to remind you, our audience, why the concept of communism – as promulgated by the Soviets – was popular at the time. First, the atrocities of the Soviet Union that are often cited today were at that time, not widely known. State-controlled media rigorously prevented news from spreading to the wider world, and whatever news did escape past the red curtain was propagandized. Second, as fascism grew in prominence across Europe, there was less attention given to the investigation of the ongoing genocide being conducted by the Soviets at that time. Finally, because the communist ideology was relatively new to Western thought, it was widely glamourized in a way that hid its true nature from the rest of the world. Due to this, many in the Western media and governments were either privately in favor of the ideology or outright supported it.
In history, it is easy to identify what rises from the pool of untested, ideological thought. The results are often far-reaching and devastating to both the practitioners and the victims. Among the many stories of espionage and deception, the true story of the Cambridge Five stands out as an example of what rises from such a pool. Disillusioned by British imperialism and sympathetic to communist ideals, they were recruited by Soviet handlers who recognized both their potential access to sensitive information and their vulnerability to ideological persuasion.
The members—Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt, and John Cairncross—passed almost 17,000 classified documents to the Soviet Union over a course of 30 years. The information was so extensive and the volume so large, that Soviet intelligence initially suspected some of it might be disinformation, due to the high-ranking positions these spies held and the access they had. However, much of this intelligence was invaluable, influencing Soviet strategies during pivotal moments of World War II and the Cold War.
It is important to note that there is no record that any of the five betrayed their country for money. No bribes were recorded, and the group, while comfortable, did not show signs of sudden wealth or practice extravagance. Ideology, and the belief that utopia could be achieved within a communist society, was their primary motivation.
Stories of Espionage
After being recruited at Cambridge, each member of the five went on to hold prestigious positions within the British government. The most notorious and notable, Kim Philby, rose to prominence at MI5 and MI6, eventually serving as the liaison between British intelligence and the CIA, giving him direct access to secret information which he most often communicated directly to the Soviets. Philby was known as a charming man with a commanding presence, comfortable in any room. Of the five, he stands out due to his ability to gain access to the deepest secrets within MI6 and then send them to the Soviet government without being detected. Even one of his best friends in the service, Nicholas Elliot, did not pick up on Philby’s double life.
Elliot, a fellow Cambridge alum, was well-connected with the British government due to his father’s position as head of Eaton College. Exposed to but not seduced by the “radical atmosphere” at Cambridge, went on to MI5 and MI6 and became a rising star. Philby and Elliot became best friends. They vacationed together. Their families were close and their wives had tea on a regular basis. They worked on classified operations and Elliot, trusting and sometimes revering Philby, shared with him all of his intel and secrets, unaware that every single piece was being transmitted, eventually, to Moscow. Among the many operations conducted by Philby, a few stand out.
In September 1945, Konstantin Volkov, a Soviet vice-consul in Istanbul, Turkey, contacted British intelligence with a request to defect and an offer to reveal the identities of Soviet agents in Britain. Philby, learning of this through his position in the British Embassy in Istanbul, informed his Soviet handlers. This led to Volkov's arrest by Soviet agents in Turkey before he could defect. Volkov was returned to the USSR, where he was likely executed. This incident not only saved Philby and his colleagues from exposure but also underscored the depth of Soviet penetration within British intelligence.
In 1949, MI6 and the CIA conducted operations to support and bolster anti-communist forces in Albania against a rising Stalinist supporter and his regime. Dubbed, Operation Valuable, it involved parachuting in trained Albanian operatives who would organize and form a resistance against the communists. Philby, who had access to all records, names of agents, and locations where the operatives would be dropped, leaked the information immediately to the Soviet Union. As a result, the operation was a catastrophic failure, with many of the agents being captured and executed. This was entirely due to Philby’s actions and his betrayal of not only the British and American governments, but to the agents who risked their lives in the operation.
In July of 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, sparking a military response from the British, French, and Israeli forces. Though there is no direct evidence that Philby informed the Soviets of this operation, it is considered one of his leaks due to his awareness of operational details. The operation’s failure could have been due to international political pressure, especially from the United States and the Soviet Union, and not necessarily from intelligence leaks. However, Philby's access could have been a factor in Soviet threats to intervene, a threat that was seen as Cold War escalation by the United States, which caused them to pressure the British, French, and Israeli forces to abandon the campaign.
Kim Philby was responsible for thousands of other incidents as a result of his continued leaks to the Soviet Union, and though he was suspected of being a double agent in 1951, he was not truly exposed until 1963. Philby suspected that MI6 was closing in, and in the weeks before his exposure, he became despondent and drank heavily. While working for the British newspaper, The Observer, Philby received a visit from his longtime friend, Nicholas Elliot.
In the book, A Spy Among Friends, Ben Macintyre details the moment that Philby was exposed. Due to the apartment being bugged, Macintyre was able to obtain the exact transcript of the conversation after Philby was asked to come for a routine meeting. According to the account, when Philby arrived and Elliot answered, Philby responded by saying, “I rather thought it would be you.” The men shook hands, and discussed each other’s health and family. Then, the conversation changed.
“Wonderful tea,” [Elliott] said. A pause.
“Don’t tell me you flew all the way here to see me?” said Philby.
Elliott took out his Mont Blanc pen, placed it on the table, and began to roll it back and forth under his palm. It was an act of nervous tension, but also an old interrogation trick, a distraction.
“Sorry for getting right on with it. Kim, I don’t have time to postpone this. And we’ve known each other forever, so, if you don’t mind, I’ll get right to the point,” said Elliott, not getting to the point. “Unfortunately it’s not very pleasant.” Another pause.
“I came to tell you that your past has caught up with you.”
The Other Four
When Philby was exposed, he managed to leave Beirut aboard a Soviet ship, defecting to the Soviet Union. Though he received a hero’s welcome when he arrived, over time he found Soviet life to be less rewarding than he imagined. He died alone in his apartment after years of depression and alcoholism.
Now, you may be wondering about the other four individuals who made up the Cambridge Five. Ladies and gentlemen, per usual, we find ourselves nearly out of time. Next week, I fully expect Jon to ask me questions about them, and as always between now and then, request that you do the same. In the meantime, here are some summaries of the different members, their impact, and how they ended up.
Guy Burgess - Burgess worked at MI6 and the foreign office. He is responsible for the distribution of propaganda during WWII, and transmitted secrets about NATO and American Wars to the Soviet Union. He was under suspicion when he defected to the Soviet Union along with Donald Maclean in 1951. After their defection, he lived in Moscow, where he continued to engage in espionage activities, though his life was marked by alcoholism and disillusionment. Burgess died in Moscow in 1963 from acute liver failure due to his heavy drinking.
Donald Maclean - Maclean was a diplomat in the British Foreign Office. He transmitted atomic secrets, information about NATO, and foreign policy on Germany to the Soviets. He defected to the Soviet Union in 1951 with Burgess. He initially struggled with the Soviet lifestyle but eventually adapted, working in various capacities within the Soviet administration, including in the foreign ministry and contributing to Soviet intelligence. Maclean lived out his life in Moscow until his death from cancer in 1983.
Anthony Blunt - Blunt worked for MI5 during WWII and later had a distinguished career as Surveyor of the King's/Queen's Pictures, serving the British Royal Family. He was the last member to be publicly exposed in 1979, although his confession had been made to MI5 in 1964. Due to his cooperation, he was granted immunity from prosecution. He lived in London after his exposure, continuing his academic work but stripped of his knighthood. He died of a heart attack in 1983.
John Cairncross - Cairncross had worked in various governmental positions, including at Bletchley Park, a code-breaking facility, during WWII. He was identified by KGB defector Oleg Gordievsky as part of the Cambridge Five in 1990. He had already confessed to MI5 in 1964 but was never prosecuted due to a lack of evidence that could hold up in court. After the war, he moved to the United States and later France, working as a translator and writer. He returned to England in the late 1980s and died there in 1995.
Good Idea/Bad Idea
Folks, I have a question. What compelled Kim Philby to dedicate so much of his life to the betrayal of his nation, friends, and family? What about communist ideology and the utopian, Soviet fantasy kept him active, even after he was suspected of being a double agent? These are sincere questions, and I hope that you will send us your thoughts via our email at 15minutehistory@gmail.com, on X, or on Instagram.
When I read about and see pictures of the charming, engaging man who rose to prominence in British intelligence, it’s almost impossible to see the monster that he was, a man responsible for countless deaths, the prolonging of the Cold War, and the betrayal of his country and everyone he held dear.
The good idea and bad idea comparison this week goes beyond simple questions of “Is intelligence work important?” – because yes it is – and “Does the ethical question surrounding intelligence gathering justify the tactics used?” – probably so. Intelligence gathering, by its very nature, demands a commitment to integrity, even in the face of moral ambiguity. When such integrity is compromised, the line between espionage and treason can blur. The actions of the Cambridge Five underscore the importance of ethical boundaries in intelligence, and serves as a reminder that intelligence gathering should always be tempered by a commitment to ethical principles and national loyalty.
Kim Philby and the rest of the Cambridge Five knowingly joined intelligence agencies or took prominent roles within the British Government having the intent to betray the standards they swore to uphold, all because of the ideology that had so corrupted them.
Belief and conviction are positive things. All of us have them and as we grow - absolute truth notwithstanding - most of us adjust our beliefs based on life experience and ongoing learning. Others hold to their convictions regardless of what they experience, never adapting to realities that challenge their systems of thought. Kim Philby and the Cambridge Five fall into the latter category, and thousands paid for it.
Where do we draw the line between our ideological beliefs and our commitments? How do we align our moral convictions with ideology? How do we balance adhering to these convictions with the risk of becoming enslaved by them? We will discuss these questions further next week, and as always, we leave the interpretation or resolution up to you.
