The politicisation of intelligence: the French surveillance services in the face of Franco's attacks (1936-1937)

Abstract

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) gave way to a quiet international struggle that opposed the agents of both sides. In France, a wave of attacks against the republican interests constitutes one of its most obvious evidences. The inability of the French intelligence to analyse this phenomenon led to the anarchists being falsely attributed these attacks. Supporters of the Francoist bloc were found guilty later on, but they were sheltered from strict measures. This article aims to better understand the politicisation of French intelligence following the steps of Peter Jackson, who has already highlighted such tendency in the Spanish Civil War.