Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Intelligence

number of myths. For Austrians, he was a Judas whose treason has-

tened the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Former Director of

Central Intelligence Allen Dulles described Redl as “the arch-trai-

tor” in his history of intelligence. John Osborne’s play A Patriot for

Me was based on Redl’s treachery. Istvan Szabo’s celebrated film

Colonel Redl, which was based on Osborne’s play, won the 1984

Oscar for the best foreign film.

REILLY, SIDNEY GEORGE [ROSENBLUM, SHLOMO ABRAM-

OVICH] (1873–1925). One of the most mythical enemies of the

early Bolshevikregime, Reilly was never the “ace of spies” portrayed

in books and films; rather, he was one of the world’s greatest con

artists, an arms dealer, a murderer, and a three-time bigamist. As an

arms dealer, Reilly engineered deals for a variety of German and then

Russian companies. In 1918 he was recruited by the British Secret In-

telligence Service (SIS) to mount a coup against Vladimir Lenin’s

government. The coup, which was amateurishly managed, failed and

helped generate a massive Red Terrorthat claimed thousands of

lives. Following the failure of the plot, Reilly fled Russia and was

awarded the Military Cross by the British government.

Reilly was involved in exileRussian politics in the early 1920s and

became a close friend of exile politician Boris Savinkov. Both Reilly

and Savinkov became pawns in a counterintelligencegame that was

part of the maskirovkatactics used by the Soviets. The OGPUhad

created a fictitious émigréorganization, theTrust, which purport-

edly was ready to launch a counterrevolution inside Russia and top-

ple the communist regime. First Savinkov and then Reilly were lured

back into the Soviet Union to meet representatives of the Trust.

Reilly was captured by the OGPU on entering Russia, interrogated,

and then shot. The Soviet intelligence service did not formally ac-

knowledge Reilly’s capture and executionfor decades, keeping alive

the myth that he had been a Bolshevik agent from the start.

Reilly’s legend as a super spy was kept alive by his former friends

in SIS. Ian Fleming, when he sought a model for James Bond, chose

Reilly. In reality, Reilly was a far better con man than he was a spy.

REVOLUTION OF 1905.Often referred to by historians as the “dress

rehearsal” for the Revolution of November 1917, the 1905 action

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