Spying, as well as other intelligence assessment, has existed since ancient history. In the 1980s scholars characterized foreign intelligence as "the missing dimension" of historical scholarship." Since … See more

Modern tactics of espionage and dedicated government intelligence agencies were developed over the course of the late 19th … See more

• Reign of Elizabeth I of England
• English Commonwealth
• American Revolution
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Many modern espionage methods were established by Francis Walsingham in Elizabethan England. His staff included the cryptographer Thomas Phelippes, who was an expert in … See more

The 18th century saw a dramatic expansion of espionage activities. It was a time of war: in nine years out of 10, two or more major powers were at war. Armies grew much larger, with corresponding budgets. Likewise the foreign ministries all grew in size and … See more

Civil intelligence agencies
In Britain, the Secret Service Bureau was split into a foreign and counter-intelligence domestic service in … See more

Spying has sometimes been considered a gentlemanly pursuit, with recruiting focused on military officers, or at least on persons of the class from whom officers are recruited. … See more