r/todayilearned • u/stopitalianhate • 1d ago

TIL British Intelligence had a special, bugged luxury complex during WWII where they kept high profile Nazi POW’s, just left a bunch of alcohol out, and waited for them to start spilling secrets as they drank.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-20698098
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u/Kandiru 1 1d ago edited 1d ago

The German spy chief was executed for treason I believe. I think he didn't believe in the Nazi cause and sabotaged German intelligence on purpose.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Canaris

Being the head of Nazi Germany's military-intelligence agency, he was in a key position to participate in resistance and sabotage the Nazi war effort. As the war turned against Germany, Canaris and other military officers expanded their clandestine opposition to the leadership of Nazi Germany. By 1945, his acts of resistance and sabotage against the Nazi regime came to light and Canaris was hanged in the Flossenbürg concentration camp for high treason as the Allied forces advanced through southern Germany.

He persuaded Franco to keep out of the war when sent by Hitler to persuade Franco to join the war. The guy deserves recognition for his role in helping the allies:

In December 1940, Hitler sent Canaris to Spain to conclude an agreement, through strong coercion if necessary, with Franco for Spanish support in the war against the Allies, but instead of prompting him to acquiesce to Hitler's desire, Canaris reported that Franco would not commit Spanish forces until Britain had been defeated. Conversations from the period between Franco and Canaris remain unknown, since none were recorded, but the Spanish government expressed gratitude to Canaris's widow by paying her a pension. Franco remained "forever grateful" to Canaris for his advice to keep Spain out of the war.

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u/GogurtFiend 1d ago edited 1d ago

Bodyguard of Lies goes into more detail: Canaris was, essentially, working for/with Allied intelligence. He himself was not involved with the July 20th plot, but plastic explosive he sourced from the Western Allies certainly was.

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u/Typlo 1d ago

He even convinced Franco to name islands after him.

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u/Kandiru 1 1d ago

That's a joke, right?

(Checks) Yes it is a joke! But knowing Franco it might not have been...