The role of secret services in the "popular revolutions" (no conspiracy theories)

[Empecinado]

I have noticed that many people disapprove as conspiracionists everyone who dares to say that these "popular and espontaneus revolutions for freedom" like Arab spring and Maidan are organized by foreign secret services to destabilize the countries. In a very naive way, these "anti-conspirationists" believe these revolts occur spontaneusly organized by the same people who participy in them.

But reality is different, and the secret services organizing such things is far from being a recent thing. I will put as an example the secret services of the Spanish Empire, which acted all over Europe in very different ways. One of their specialties was to create apparently "espontaneous and popular" revolts in their enemy countries, like the Day of the Barricades in Paris, a true 16th century Maidan.


Felipe II opened embassies throughout the whole empire, and even in the capitals of his enemies. These embassies (as still happens today) offered covers for espionage. For comparison, England only had a permanent ambassador: in Paris. Spain had ambassadors all over European capitals: London, Paris, Rome, Lisbon, etc .English espionage spending goes back about 16000 ducats in 6 years. Only the Spanish ambassador in Paris, Bernardino de Mendoza) spent that amount in 6 months.

Because they were "secret", not so many secret agents have passed into history (unfortunately for him). One of the greatest spies of all time was Bernardino de Mendoza. Because they are "secret", not many secret agents have passed into history (unfortunately for him). One of the greatest spies of all time was Bernardino de Mendoza. Besides being a military commander of Tercios, he graduated in arts and philosophy at the University of Alcalá de Henares. He was appointed ambassador to London, where he worked for 6 years financing and supporting the Catholic opposition to Elizabeth II. During this time he also developed the most advanced encryption systems of his time. In addition, he was also behind some riots and some other attempted assassination of Queen Elizabeth II. Eventually he was expelled.

Then he was appointed ambassador to Paris. There he did the same. Organized some revolutions, sabotages and even attempts to kill the king. During this time, he manages to buy over the French ambassador in London and the English ambassador in Paris ... at once. During this time, thanks to the timely information Bernardino, Spanish troops miraculously vanish from battlefields when they do not have interest to have a battle and miraculously appear in the allied besieged cities.

As the English historian JB Black says: "English privateers were successful only against single ships and fishing ships, never against fleets, as the Spaniards always knew where they were going to attack and how to avoid them.". The army, navy and the corridors of the English court were filled with Spanish spies and most of the time they knew firsthand where and how they would be attacked.

[Ars Moriendi]

I think it's a clear sign of people refusing to see the world, outside the prism that has been given to them both through education or through social media.
Double-crossing, spying, set-ups and false messages have been part of European geopolitics since the first centuries of the second millenium, when opportunistic lords realised that whenever their neighbour went to war in the Holy Land (Era of the Crusades) they had a perfect chance to usurp his position and lands.

John Lackland is the textbook example of such kind of weasel, that ended up shattering any hopes of an unified Christendom. Since then, it's been necessary to deal with the ugly fact, that unless a continental empire arises (which was the project of Charles V), intelligence manouvers will always be a key part of foreign policy.
What is dissapointing though, is that in an era where supposedly information is free and everyone can educate himself, so few people actually decide to interpret world events on their own. The basic premise that people prefer to let someone else think for them seems to be truer than ever.


Good references as always Emp Allowing me to learn something new from our common past a little every day.

[Empecinado]

I think it's a clear sign of people refusing to see the world, outside the prism that has been given to them both through education or through social media.
Double-crossing, spying, set-ups and false messages have been part of European geopolitics since the first centuries of the second millenium, when opportunistic lords realised that whenever their neighbour went to war in the Holy Land (Era of the Crusades) they had a perfect chance to usurp his position and lands.

John Lackland is the textbook example of such kind of weasel, that ended up shattering any hopes of an unified Christendom. Since then, it's been necessary to deal with the ugly fact, that unless a continental empire arises (which was the project of Charles V), intelligence manouvers will always be a key part of foreign policy.
What is dissapointing though, is that in an era where supposedly information is free and everyone can educate himself, so few people actually decide to interpret world events on their own. The basic premise that people prefer to let someone else think for them seems to be truer than ever.


Good references as always Emp Allowing me to learn something new from our common past a little every day.

I call it cattle behaviour. Instead searching for information by themselves, they simply eat what other give them like a cow eating industrial fodder:

[TCDA1986]

I don't doubt it at all.

The most obvious example, all of Syria's enemies, from the USA and Israel to Saudia Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Turkey, funded the people now called "ISIS" for years, to have the excuse to what they wanted since before even GW Bush was elected - invade Syria.

After the debacle of Iraq nobody accepted to attack Assad, so instead they had to fund the fanatical Islamists to take over half of Syria, and now, oh no, we must invade or else Islamism will spread.

Watch how some "accidental" bombs will start to hit areas not controlled by ISIS and suddenly Syria find it is divided into mini states and surrounded of US bases...