Abstract
This chapter examines how Kim Philby became synonymous with treachery and deceit as ‘a spy who betrayed a generation’ and even ‘the greatest unhanged scoundrel in modern British history’. It considers how and why Philby, despite being admitted into the most secret departments of the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), chose the secret service of the Soviet Union. The chapter also analyses how he got away with spying for the Soviet Union and at the same time managed to develop an apparently successful career inside British intelligence. It argues that Philby's dedication to and zeal for communism made him an ideological spy. Furthermore, the chapter describes two Soviet espionage organisations tasked with collecting secret intelligence abroad: the GUGB (Soviet Security and Intelligence Service), part of the NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs); and the GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate) of the Ministry of Defence. Finally, it assesses the significance of Philby's appointment in 1944 as head of the SIS's anti-communist section.
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