111 - An Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge
The WW2 Podcast
Angus Wallace
4.6 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 1 March 2020
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"Richard Sorge was a man with two homelands. Born of a German father and a Russian mother in Baku in 1895, he moved in a world of shifting alliances and infinite possibility. A member of the angry and deluded generation who found new, radical faiths after their experiences on the battlefields of the First World War, Sorge became a fanatical communist - and the Soviet Union's most formidable spy."
Joining me to discuss Sorge is Owen Matthews.
Owen is the former Moscow and Istanbul Bureau Chief for Newsweek Magazine and has just has just released a biography of Richard Sorge, An Impeccable Spy: Richard Sorge, Stalin's Master Agent. It's a cracking read! I thoroughly enjoyed it…
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, or welcome to another episode of the World War II podcast. I'm Angus Wallace. |
| 0:06.0 | We've a great topic for you this episode. I was aware the Russians had a spy operating in Tokyo during the war and that from him the |
| 0:16.8 | Soviets were sent some highly accurate intelligence but that's about all I knew. And that really undersells the story of Richard Saughey. |
| 0:27.6 | His father was German, his mother Russian, working under the guise of a freelance journalist, he managed to infiltrate the highest echelons of German and Japanese society. |
| 0:39.0 | His information proved pivotal in informing the Russians of the Japanese intention not to |
| 0:47.0 | attack Siberia, which would allow the Soviets to transfer vital troops west for the Battle of Moscow. |
| 0:54.4 | Ian Fleming described Zogae as the most formidable spy in history. |
| 1:00.1 | Joining me to discuss Zoggy is Owen Matthews. |
| 1:04.4 | Owen is the former Moscow and Istanbul Bureau Chief for Newsweek magazine and has just released |
| 1:10.0 | a biography of Zorgae, an impeccable spy Richard Zorgae, Stalin's master agent. |
| 1:16.5 | It's a cracking read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. |
| 1:19.2 | But before I start, I'd like to take a moment to thank all those people who have become patrons of the podcast. |
| 1:26.0 | They help me find the time to work on the show. |
| 1:29.0 | I hope you guys find the extras I make exclusively available to patrons interesting. |
| 1:35.0 | If you're not already signed up it's super simple go to patreon.com slash |
| 1:41.1 | W. W.2 podcast by becoming a patron slash W-W-W-2 Podcast. |
| 1:44.0 | By becoming a patron you commit to a dollar or two each month, and in return you can bask in the |
| 1:49.9 | rosy glow of satisfaction from helping me fund the podcast, whilst listening to the extras |
| 1:55.8 | I try to put out that are history related, but perhaps not specific to the current topic. So to find out more go to patreon.com forward slash |
| 2:04.5 | W. W.2 podcasts and you'll find a short video there of me explaining how it all works. |
| 2:11.2 | Oh and thanks for joining me. |
| 2:14.0 | If we're looking at Russia's top spy during the war, let's start at the beginning. |
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