Redl, Alfred

(1864–1913)

   Redl, a colonel on the general staff of the Austro-Hungarian imperial army, was recruited to spy for Russia by a Russian military intelligence officer. He was run by the Russian military attaché in Vienna. Redl was in charge of Austrian intelligence operations inside Russia; needless to say, his agents did not do well. He also had access to Austrian war and mobilization plans. The Redl case was a major victory for Russian intelligence in the run-up to World War I. It allowed the Russian authorities to detain more than 100 Austrian agents operating inside Russia, and it provided the Russian general staff with detailed information about Vienna’s war plans.

   Redl’s motivation in serving Moscow was complex: he reportedly was compromised as a homosexual while serving in an exchange program in Russia, but he was also paid for information. He also spied for Italy, providing intelligence information under the cryptonym “K.K.” According to recent literature about his case, he became increasingly dependant on Russian and Italian money for his lifestyle. Redl, when confronted with proof of his treachery on 25 May 1913, was allowed to commit suicide by his colleagues in the general staff. The story of Colonel Alfred Redl has spawned a number of myths. For Austrians, he was a Judas whose treason hastened the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Former Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles described Redl as “the arch-traitor” 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.