The most famous spies in history

1. Sir Francis Walsingham 1532-1590 - Sir Francis Walsingham 1532-1590 Many attribute the beginning of modern espionage and the development of many spy methods to Sir Francis Walsingham, who was the principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I. Facing dangers from the Catholic world, Walsingham, a zealous Protestant, created a secret service that uncovered and averted several plots against the queen.

2. Benedict Arnold 1741-1801 - Benedict Arnold 1741-1801 No doubt, the early war-hero-turned-traitor is one of the more infamous figures in American history. Some may not consider him a spy in the pure sense of the word, but no one doubts Benedict Arnold turned sides mid-war and was going to surrender the American fort at West Point, New York, in return for money and a command in the British army

3. Nathan Hale 1755-1776 - Nathan Hale 1755-1776 Unlike Benedict Arnold, Hales name has forever entered the American psyche as a symbol of patriotism. The American Revolutionary war officer served in New York under General George Washington, who needed information about enemy troops. Hale volunteered to go on a spy mission behind enemy lines, and for a week he gathered information.

4. 4. Rose ONeal Greenhow 1817-1864 - Rose ONeal Greenhow 1817-1864 Perhaps unlike any other war, the Civil War had an abundance of female spies — on both sides. Rose ONeal Greenhow, or Wild Rose, was an avowed secessionist and renowned spy for the Confederacy. Confederate President Jefferson Davis credited her with helping the South win the First Battle of Bull Run or Manassas because of her secret messages to General Pierre G.T. Beauregard. Rose was arrested and sent to the Confederate states, and Jefferson Davis sent her to Europe.

5. Elizabeth Van Lew 1818-1900 - . Elizabeth Van Lew 1818-1900 Elizabeth Van Lew of Richmond, Virginia, grew up with strong abolitionist sentiments, and as the Civil War broke out, she began working on behalf of the Union. First helping captured Union soldiers escape, Van Lew soon became a spymaster. Her spy ring included more than a dozen people and even ran through the White House of the Confederacy, where another Union spy, African-American Mary Elizabeth Bowser, worked as a servant

6. Mata Hari 1876-1917 - Mata Hari 1876-1917 Mata Hari was born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle in the Netherlands. After some life tribulations, Mata Hari became an exotic dancer in Paris, where during WWI she agreed to spy for France. She was, however, later accused of revealing important Allied secrets to the Germans and was tried and executed by firing squad.

7. Carl Lody 1877-1914 - Carl Lody 1877-1914 Carl Lody was another amateur spy. Thanks to his failed marriage to an American woman, the German spoke fluent English. When the war broke out, he was asked to spy for Germany, but given little training. Posing as an American, Lody travelled to Edinburgh, Scotland, and Ireland and observed British naval movements and defenses.

8. 8. Frederick Fritz Joubert Duquesne 1877-1956 - Frederick Fritz Joubert Duquesne 1877-1956 Nicknamed the Black Panther, Fritz Duquesne of South Africa spied during three wars. He gathered human intelligence, operated a spy ring, and carried out sabotage missions, first against the British in the Second Boer War and WWI, then in the United States. A master of disguise, he was able to create advantageous aliases and managed to rub elbows with influential people.

9. Richard Sorge 1895-1944 - Richard Sorge 1895-1944 Born in Russia, Richard Sorge grew up and was educated in Germany. He joined the Communist Party of Germany in 1919 and was sent to China to organize a spy ring. While there, he built a reputation as a loyal German and even joined the Nazi Party. He was sent in 1933 to Japan, where he used his connections to learn of the German attack against the USSR in June 1941 — but his warning was ignored.

10. William G. Sebold 1899-1970 - William G. Sebold 1899-1970 Though likely far less famous than other spies on the list, William Sebold is one of the more successful. The FBI tells how a lone German-American refused to give in to Nazi aggression and hatred. Sebold, a New Yorker, was able to send fake messages to the Germans, who were convinced he was their spy, and receive information from them.

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