History of the Soviet and Russian information

Following the Révolution Bolshevik of 1917 is founded VTchéKa (extraordinary commission panrusse of fight against the counter-revolution and sabotage), in charge of the information interior, external, of safety and the fight against the opponents. N the other hand, the Red Army obtains in October 1918 its own intelligence service, IVe principal direction general staff red. After the Second world war, this service will be famous: it will become the GRU, Principal Direction of the Information.

Concerning VTchéKa, it will change several times of name (Tchéka, OGPU, NKVD, NKGB, MGB, MVD), but its tasks will remain the same ones. Small difference however: when old Tchéka becomes the NKVD or MVD, the Soviet security services lose in autonomy; it are not whereas a branch of the various police services of the USSR, the NKVD including as well against-espionage as the police force, the firemen or the Gulag. The security services and of information outsides, within the NKVD, are joined together in the GUGB (Principal Direction of the Safety of State) of the NKVD.

Cold war

The Cold war arriving, Stalin decides to take as a starting point the model of the CIA. Is then created the KI, the Committee of information, which gathers the political external information and the GRU. But the experiment fails.

By decree of 1954 is created the KGB, is charged as well with the against-espionage as of the frontier guards, the external information, the fight against the opponents or the protection of the personalities. He make competition the GRU, attached to the Red Army , but also MVD, i.e. the police force. The Minister of Interior Department under Brejnev, Chtchelokov, will not have of cease to try to reduce the weight of the KGB on the internal plan.

The KGB has nevertheless an advantage of size on the police force and the GRU: on the one hand, it can supervise these two organizations, by the means of the 3rd direction of the KGB (military against-espionage), for example, while recruiting officers of the GRU or while trying to uncover the traitors (this role there returns to the 2nd sub-section of the 1st department of the 3rd direction of the KGB, inside the USSR, and with the internal safety of the information external of the KGB, the section " K" the First Principal Management, in the embassies, consulates, delegations, etc). Concerning the police force, is created into 1982 within the 3rd direction the section " M" , in charge of the fight against corruption within the armed forces (thus the police force included/understood). The KGB thus has in first a means of interfering in the work of these two concurrent organizations.

In addition, the KGB can double the two competitors. Indeed, nothing prohibits the KGB from collecting military informations; it is even one of its roles, and thus it competes with the GRU of which it is the mission. And nothing prohibits either the KGB to inquire (what is also one of its roles) in the businesses of organized crime, terrorism or fight against corruption, thus doubling MVD (ministry for the Interior, organizes).

the fall of the USSR

The fall of the USSR in 1991 changes gives it, the KGB is divided into several independent services: the ex-direction of the information external of the KGB (1st Head office) becomes the SVR, external intelligence service. The protection service of the personalities from now on is directly attached to the president of the Federation of Russia, it names the FSO, just like another service much less known, the GUSP (Principal Direction of the Special programs, makes the ex-15th direction of the KGB of it, responsible for the construction of the bunker S protecting the leaders in the event of war).

The GRU does not see its amended, on its side, while the services in charge of the creation of the secret codes (8th direction of the KGB) and of the brisage of the codes used by the adversaries (16th Head office) are gathered in an Federal agency, the FAPSI. Lastly, the KGB loses its capacities of instruction, and its units of elite enter the bosom of the competitor, the Ministry for the Interior. The services in charge of the Internal security (protection of the secrecies economic, industrial, of against-espionages, the safety of transport, antiterrorism and fight against the Organized crime) are gathered in the FSK, which, insecurity then Guerre of Chetchnia helping, very quickly regains its capacities of instruction and listenings (since 1993). To replace the FSK is created in 1995 the FSB, Federal security service, with the same missions. The units of elites return in the bosom of the FSB this year, and in 2002, the FAPSI and the frontier guards are returned with the FSB.

External bonds

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History of the Soviet and Russian information

Cold war

the fall of the USSR

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External bonds