Abstracts & Papers
The Spy Who Couldn't Possibly Be French. Espionage (and) Culture in France
James Bond is the product not only of the early years' Cold War hysteria, he was also shaped by Ian Fleming's 'spy-experiences' during World War II. As such, the author and his creation are but one example for the Anglo-American espionage-enthusiasm: the literary tradition offers an abundance of different types of espionage fiction. Great politicians as well were affected by the 'spy-fever', such as Winston Churchill, author of My Spy Story (early 1930s).
Curiously, a totally different picture emerges in regard to France. In fact, a 'negative-tradition' can be traced: even though the absolute monarchy of the 17th and early 18th century may be considered quite successful in various intelligence activities, great writers of different periods have often portrayed the spy as a villain. Dictionaries and encyclopedias throughout the centuries concluded that espionage was a 'vile profession', and the term itself received a negative connotation in the late 19th century. Espionage in France is best not talked about - when (the innocent) Alfred Dreyfus in 1894 was accused of spying for the Germans, it did not trigger a debate on the place of intelligence in modern society but a heated public discourse that shook the very foundations of the French Republic and involved virulent anti-Semitism (Dreyfus was Jewish). Charles de Gaulle had his mind set on a glorious army rather than on 'shadowy business', and until the early 1990s historians and politicians preferred to remain silent in respect to the secret services in France. Furthermore, in 20th century literature an example for a French spy-superhero can hardly be found. If the subject is taken up at all, there is usually a foreign stigma attached to the protagonist.
Apparently, up to today the French have considered espionage a most un-French activity. One may conclude that the understanding of intelligence is closely intertwined with the 'cultural memory' of a people.
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