The KGB Agent Who Lived Incognito in New York for 10 Years That Was Exchanged at the Bridge of Spies

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 9 March 2023

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Rudolf Ivanovich Abel was one of the most integral agents of the KBG, the Soviet Union’s most renowned spy network during the Cold War of the 1950s. He may have infiltrated Los Alamos labs and fed critical intelligence back to Moscow through the use of cloak-and-dagger techniques like sneaking microfilm in hollowed- out coins and dropping bundles of cash at lamppost hideaways. He kept it up until his cover was blown by an incompetent colleague who wanted to defect to the United States. This lead resulted in a frenzied search by the FBI to discover the identity and whereabouts of the spymaster. The month long stake out of his hotel in Manhattan leading to his eventual arrest and transfer to a Texas deportation facility where he was put under extensive interrogation. His three-month trial and guilty verdict for violating U.S. espionage laws resulted in 30 years in prison rather than the electric chair. The exchange for his freedom several years later involved the American Spy Francis Gary Powers. To discuss this story is today’s guest Cecil Kuhne, a prominent litigator, who has long been interested in the world of Cold War. He is the author of KGB Man: The Cold War’s Most Notorious Soviet Agent and the First to be Exchanged at the Bridge of Spies.

Transcript

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0:00.0	During World War II and the Cold War, the two nations with the most sophisticated system
0:08.9	of spycraft and espionage were by far the United States and the Soviet Union.
0:13.2	One can make a strong argument that the Soviet Union was better.
0:17.0	It stole more critical secrets, namely how to develop atomic weapons, thanks to well-play
0:21.8	spies at the Manhattan Project and Los Alamos, and the Soviet Union had an incredibly sophisticated
0:27.0	recruitment system, getting the best and brightest from its universities and funneling them into
0:31.5	the KGB, with perhaps only its athletic system being as well-willed when it came to recruiting
0:37.3	and training talent.
0:38.3	One of the most renowned spies during the Cold War of the 1950s was Rudolph Abel.
0:42.7	Was in the United States for 10 years and did all sorts of cloak and dagger, cutting messages
0:47.0	into microfilm, hiding it and taking coins, doing money drops and lampposts?
0:51.8	And this continued until his cover was blown by an incompetent colleague who wanted to defect
0:56.0	the United States.
0:57.4	He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, but his sentence was commuted when he was traded
1:01.0	for the American spy Francis Carey Powers at the famous Bridge of Spies, which inspired
1:05.6	the Tom Hanks.
1:06.6	To tell the story is Cecil Kuhn, author of the book KGBB of the Cold War's Most notorious
1:11.2	Soviet agent, and the first speaks change to the Bridge of Spies.
1:14.5	We look at Abel's background, his historic trial, FBI's takeouts, and what makes a great
1:19.4	spy.
1:20.4	And this discussion with Cecil Kuhn, worked again.
1:26.1	And one more thing before we get started with this episode, a quick break for work from
	...

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