''Abteilung III b'' was the domestic

counterintelligence Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ...

branch of the Imperial German Army from 1889 until the end of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Initially created as a section in the

Prussian General Staff The German General Staff, originally the Prussian General Staff and officially the Great General Staff (german: Großer Generalstab), was a full-time body at the head of the Prussian Army and later, the German Army, responsible for the continuou ...

in 1889 and named ''Sektion III b'', it was upgraded to a department and renamed ''Abteilung III b'' in June 1915.

History

The initial responsibilities of ''Sektion III b'' consisted solely of

; it had limited foreign

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

capabilities. Its counter-espionage efforts focused on France and on Russia - as the

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Kaise ...

had responsibility for intelligence on the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. During the

of 1914–1918, ''III b'' additionally acquired roles in media censorship and propaganda. In 1917 ''Abteilung III b'' gained authorization for domestic

(german: Inlandsaufklärung). The secret activities of ''III b'' developed under the head of ''Abteilung III b'', Colonel Walter Nicolai (in office: 1913–1918), as war made the need for counter-espionage more pressing. Never before had a German intelligence group held such influence in the German Reich. When the war began, the network of agents in enemy countries quickly evaporated as belligerent nations arrested the agents. The Secret Service could not provide information about enemy intentions and operational-deployment plans. At the General Staff, within the News Department, the 'enemy editor' grew more suspicious of information delivered as facts, as the intelligence service's reports often proved to be false. In the assessment of the enemy situation, there was one mishap after another. The fundamental error lay in the separation of news gathering and analysis. As the war progressed, ''Abteilung III b'' increasingly established itself as a counterintelligence and ultra-nationalist propaganda organization. The Far-Left press often referred to Colonel Nicolai, the head of the Abteilung, as the "father of lies", among many other things. In addition, ''Abteilung III b'' also expanded as the agents of the intelligence arm of the

German Imperial Navy The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Wilhel ...

under diplomatic cover in the

German Foreign Office , logo = DEgov-AA-Logo en.svg , logo_width = 260 px , image = Auswaertiges Amt Berlin Eingang.jpg , picture_width = 300px , image_caption = Entrance to the Foreign Office building , headquarters = Werderscher Mark ...

were exposed in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. At the end of the war, the division was disbanded.

Outline

During the

, the division was significantly upgraded and divided into press, propaganda, intelligence and defense: ; Mobile Division III b (attached to the OHL) : Counterintelligence in operational territory : Counterintelligence in occupied territory : News service / press : Neutral military attaché quarters ; Deputy Division III b (Berlin) : Counterintelligence in Germany : News service / press : Politics ; War press office (Berlin) : Information centre : Censorship office : Foreign office : Domestic office

Bibliography

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References

{{Authority control Disinformation operations German Army (German Empire) Defunct German intelligence agencies Military intelligence agencies