Abteilung III b

The service was created in 1889 as a section in the Prussian General Staff, given the name Sektion IIIb. At the beginning of World War I, the section was upgraded to a department and renamed Abteilung IIIb. Its initial responsibility solely consisted of counterintelligence, and its foreign intelligence capabilities were limited. The focus of the counterintelligence was on France and Russia, the navy being responsible for intelligence on the United Kingdom.[1]

In 1917, an explicit authorization for domestic education was adopted. The secret IIIb was developed under its last head, Walter Nicolai, as war increased the need for a secret police force. Never before had a German intelligence group held such influence in the German Reich. At the end of the war, the division was disbanded.

After the war began, the network of agents in enemy countries was quickly removed as the agents were arrested. The Secret Service could not provide information about enemy intentions and operational deployment plans. At the General Staff, within the News Department, the 'enemy editor' grew more suspicious of what was delivered as facts. The intelligence reports often proved to be wrong. In the assessment of the enemy situation, there was one mishap after another. The fundamental error lay in the separation of news gathering and analysis.

As the war progressed, it increasingly established itself as a secret police and propaganda organisation. The head of the secret police, Nicolai, was often referred to in the left press, among other things, as the "father of lies" and disinformation.

In addition, the A IIIb was in competition with the Naval Intelligence, also called 'News Department', and the intelligence operations of the Foreign Office became exposed.

During the First World War, the division was significantly upgraded and divided into press, propaganda, intelligence and defense:

• Altenhöner, Florian (Winter 2005). "Total War—Total Control? German Military Intelligence on the Home Front, 1914–1918". The Journal of Intelligence History. 5 (2): 55–72. doi:10.1080/16161262.2005.10555117.
• Foley, Robert T. (Winter 2005). "Easy target or Invincible Enemy? German Intelligence Assessments of France Before the Great War". The Journal of Intelligence History. 5 (2): 1–24. doi:10.1080/16161262.2005.10555115.
• Hieber, Hanne (Winter 2005). "'Mademoiselle Docteur': The Life and Service of Imperial Germany's Only Female Intelligence Officer". The Journal of Intelligence History. 5 (2): 91–108. doi:10.1080/16161262.2005.10555119.
• Höhne, Heinz (1976). Canaris Patriot im Zwielicht [Canaris: Patriot in the Twilight] (in German). Munich: Bertelsmann. ISBN 3-570-01608-0. OCLC 230569943.
• Pöhlmann, Markus (Winter 2005). "German Intelligence at War, 1914–1918". The Journal of Intelligence History. 5 (2): 25–54. doi:10.1080/16161262.2005.10555116.
• Schmidt, Jürgen W. (Winter 2005). Translated by Anja Becker. "Against Russia: Department IIIb of the Deputy General Staff, Berlin, and Intelligence, Counterintelligence and Newspaper Research, 1914–1918". The Journal of Intelligence History. 5 (2): 73–89. doi:10.1080/16161262.2005.10555118.
• Schmidt, Jürgen W., ed. (2009). Geheimdienste, Militär und Politik in Deutschland [Intelligence Services, the Military and Politicians in Germany] (in German) (2nd ed.). Ludwigsfelder Verl.-Haus: Ludwigsfelde. ISBN 978-3-933022-55-4. OCLC 494691175.
• Schmidt, Jürgen W. (2009). Gegen Russland und Frankreich : Der deutsche militärische Geheimdienst, 1890–1914 [Against Russia and France: The German Military Intelligence 1890–1914] (3rd ed.). Ludwigsfelder Verl.-Haus: Ludwigsfelde. ISBN 978-3-933022-44-8. OCLC 800412308.