Georges Blun | |
|---|---|
 Georges Blun, in the middle of the back row | |
| Born | 1 June 1893 |
| Died | 1999 (aged 105–106) |
| Citizenship | French |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, Spy |
| Espionage activity | |
| Allegiance |
|
| Service branch | Red Three |
| Codename | Long |
| Operations | Red Orchestra |
Georges Blun (1 June 1893 – 1999)[1] was a French journalist and intelligence agent who was the Berlin correspondent of theJournal de Paris.[2][3]
Georges Blun was born to a French family on 1 June 1893 in the then German-held region ofAlsace-Lorraine. He was married to a fellow journalist. He worked for the BritishMI5, as well as French intelligence duringWorld War I. In 1920 he was expelled fromSwitzerland for conducting "clandestine activities" and communist agitation. By 1925, he had grown close to the leadership of theCommunist Party of the Soviet Union.[4][5][6]
From 1925 to 1930 he worked in theWeimar Republic as acorrespondent for various newspapers, such asJournal des débats.[4]
In 1928, it was reported that following publication of a controversial ('distorted') article on the Silvesternacht (New Year's Eve) in Berlin in a Paris paper, he resigned his chairmanship of the Association of Foreign Press and made an apology visit to the government press department.[citation needed]
He returned to Switzerland in 1939 after having worked as a journalist in Berlin for a considerable amount of time.[6]
DuringWorld War II, he became a resistance fighter against Nazi Germany in the service of theRed Orchestra. Under the pseudonym "Long" he was the head of the eponymous George Blun group in Switzerland. This group formed part of theRed Three, led byAlexander Radó.[7][8]
During the war, he spied primarily and most notably in service of theSoviet Union, but also worked for American,[6] British, French, Swiss and Polish intelligence agencies as well – a fact described by at least one source covering the events as "common" among Switzerland-based spies at the time.[4] His loyalties were described byNigel West as "always prioritizing" theCommunist International and theGRU,[3] while theCIA assesses his group as having an "ambiguous" ideology.[7]
During his clandestine activities, he worked with figures such asHans Bernd Gisevius, members of the20 July plot, as well asJoseph Wirth (who had served asChancellor of Germany).[7][9][4]
Blun's group was viewed by the Soviets as the second most valuable, after the group led byRachel Dübendorfer.[7]
Blun survived the war, following which, along withOtto John and several others, he reportedly became a member of a political group led byJosef Müller. The group advocated for a united andneutralist Germany with a pro-USSR alignment.[7]
He was still working as a journalist on 11 May 1950, when he penned an article in the FrenchLe Monde newspaper regarding the division of Berlin[10] and was cited for his work covering the division of the country.[11]
He died in 1999.[1]
