Written by Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius

Espionage and Covert Operations: A Global History

Taught By Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania,
University of Tennessee


Hidden deep within the daily workings of governments and civilizations is a secret world of mystery, danger, and intrigue. A world where deception is a form of art. Where people are never who they say they are. Where the tiniest observation has the power to save an empire or spark a global war.

Welcome to the world of the spy—a world that most of us associate with popular fiction and film but the true story of which is more fascinating, surprising, and important than you could possibly imagine.

For thousands of years, espionage and covert operations have been powerful but shadowy forces. Much of world history has been shaped by the dramatic exploits of men, women, and organizations devoted to the perilous tasks and undercover missions that are part of a spy's life. Consider that covert operations have played critical roles in

* epic conflicts such as the Trojan War, the Crusades, World War II, and the War on Terror;
* political upheavals such as the American, French, and Russian revolutions; and even
* cultural moments such as the quest to colonize the New World, the 19th-century expansion of empires, and
* race to build the world's first atomic bomb.