Fugitives

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From Spain to Syria, this thrilling account uncovers the untold history of Nazi fugitives who became postwar agents for various powers, including America, the Soviets, and nationalist movements. After World War II, the Allies pledged to pursue Nazi war criminals relentlessly. However, many escaped or were protected by Western nations in exchange for their support against Communism. Reinhard Gehlen, the founder of West German foreign intelligence, naively integrated SS operatives, misjudging their abilities, which nearly jeopardized his agency as the KGB easily turned or exposed them. This was not an isolated case; American, Soviet, French, and Israeli intelligence services similarly employed former Nazis during the early Cold War. These fugitives evolved into arms traffickers, spies, and assassins, significantly impacting the covert rivalry between superpowers. Operating from upscale German restaurants to smuggler-laden Yugoslav ports and safehouses in Damascus, they established a vast network of influence and information. Historian Danny Orbach draws on newly declassified documents from Mossad and other archives to reveal this hidden chapter of the Cold War, featuring a diverse cast of characters whose extraordinary stories have remained largely untold until now.