S8 Ep1143: Charles Spicer explains that by late 1937, the Fellowship was being monitored by MI5 and penetrated by the NKVD. Soviet spy Kim Philby was even hired to manage the organization's PR, feeding information to Stalin, who feared an Anglo-German alliance again
S8 Ep1143: Charles Spicer explains that by late 1937, the Fellowship was being monitored by MI5 and penetrated by the NKVD. Soviet spy Kim Philby was even hired to manage the organization's PR, feeding information to Stalin, who feared an Anglo-German alliance again  
Podcast: The John Batchelor Show
Published On: Sun Jul 19 2026
Description: Charles Spicer explains that by late 1937, the Fellowship was being monitored by MI5 and penetrated by the NKVD. Soviet spy Kim Philby was even hired to manage the organization's PR, feeding information to Stalin, who feared an Anglo-German alliance against Russia. In November, Lord Halifax visited the Berghof. While he was appalled by Hitler's suggestion to shoot Indian protestors, the dictator successfully fooled Halifax into believing he did not want war. This meeting left the British cabinet with a dangerously false sense of security, as they prioritized Hitler's protestations over the warnings of amateur spies like Christie. (8)1938