In a society where female accomplishments have often been overshadowed by their male counterparts, some notable women have managed to make their mark in history for the exceptional feats that they have achieved. When it comes to women who have made a lasting impact on the world, there are sure to be a few that made their mark without the world even knowing. Women have often been left out of the narrative but many have been found to have served in some capacity as secret spies throughout history.
This article dives deep into some of the most famous women who were secretly spies and reveals their full stories and sensational missions.
Definition of Spy
Before diving into the list of spies, it is important to understand the definition of a spy. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a spy as “a person hired by a government to obtain secret information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors.” A spy can also be defined as someone who “engages in espionage,” which is the “practice of spying or of using spies, typically by governments to obtain political and military information.”
Mata Hari
The most infamous female spy of World War I is arguably Mata Hari. Born in the Netherlands as Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, Mata Hari was an exotic dancer known for her sexualized stage performance. She gained the attention of many powerful figures in Germany, France and Russia and quickly established herself as a top notch spy for all 3 countries. Her duties as a spy included seducing, blackmailing and deceiving her enemies.
Mata Hari was eventually arrested in 1917 by the French government and convicted of treason. Despite her claims of innocence, as well as little evidence to support the accusations, she was found guilty and was executed by firing squad in October 1917.
Mildred Fish Harnack
Examples of female spies who were prominent in WWII include Mildred Fish Harnack, who worked as a double agent for the Nazis in Germany. Born in the United States, Harnack was a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison when the war broke out and she was determined to make a difference. She moved to Germany to pursue her studies, where she was discovered by the Nazis and recruited as an informant.
Harnack worked as part of a group known as the Red Orchestra, an undercover organization that went on to oppose the Nazi party in Germany. She worked as a spy for the Allied forces by sending messages about secret political information to the British and Americans. She was eventually arrested in 1942 and executed by the Nazis for her involvement in espionage.
Virginia Hall
Another famous female spy from WWII was Virginia Hall. Born in the United States, Hall was a former diplomat who joined a resistance movement in France during WWII. She became a major target of the French and German intelligence forces and was once described by the Gestapo as “the most dangerous of all Allied spies” because of her ability to coordinate resistance activities from within.
Hall operated a network of spies throughout France and was able to gather crucial information about the activities of the Nazis. She was eventually awarded the Iron Cross and the Distinguished Service Cross by the United States government for her heroic actions.
Noor Inayat Khan
Noor Inayat Khan was a British agent who worked as a spy during WWII. Initially hesitant to join the British intelligence services, she eventually agreed to join as a wireless operator in France and was assigned to work undercover as an agent, secretly sending messages back to headquarters. Khan’s role in the resistance movement was significant and she was able to send important messages that likely saved thousands of lives.
She was eventually captured by the Nazis who held her in captivity from 1943 to 1944. She was tortured for information and eventually executed when she refused to give away any information.
Violette Szabo
Violette Szabo was a French actress who joined the British Special Operations Executive in 1941. She was deployed to countless secret missions in occupied France, and conducted reconnaissance and sabotage missions deep into enemy territory. She was captured twice and tortured each time, but she managed to escape both times.
She was eventually awarded the George Cross, Britain’s highest civilian honor, for her valiant efforts. Sadly she was killed in action in 1945 and her actions in WWII were not widely known until much later.
Juliette Pochier
Another famous female spy from WWII was Juliette Pochier, a French woman who worked for the British intelligence services. She posed as a middle-aged woman to spy in France and Germany for the British and Allied forces. She provided crucial intelligence about the German forces throughout the war, and was later credited with helping to prepare for the D-Day invasion.
Pochier was eventually captured and tortured by the Nazis, but she managed to escape and eventually returned to England after the war. Her bravery and courage were recognized by the British government and she was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in 2003.
The stories of these amazing women demonstrate the impressive abilities and bravery that women have exhibited throughout history. These covert agents all represent a unique period in history and will undoubtedly go down in history as some of the most famed female spies of all time. They demonstrate that women’s contributions to the war effort should never be discounted or ignored.