Her application was successful and she married Rudolf, who was 20 years her senior, in 1895. A courtesan, I admit it, she said. "A courtesan, I admit it. "Biography of Mata Hari, Infamous World War I Spy." As war swept the continent, she had some freedom of movement as a citizen of neutral Holland and took full advantage of it, country-hopping with trunks of clothing in tow. France thought her courtesan contacts would be of use to its intelligence operation. Rosenberg, Jennifer. It was an almost fittingly horrific ending to a tale punctuated by nightmarish violence. The Norwegian Claimant to the English Throne in 1066. They threw her in a rat-infested cell at the Prison Saint-Lazare, where she was allowed to see only her elderly lawyer who happened to be a former lover. He was a loving husband, devoted father, and caring son and brother. Whatever the case, the 39-year-old was assigned a German codename: H 21., Over the next several months, Mata Hari continued traveling through Europe and carrying out flings with military officers and politicians. When faced with her acquaintances with officers of all ranks and all nations, she replied that she loved all officers, and would rather have as her lover a poor officer than a rich banker, the MI5 files note. Synopsis: Born on August 7, 1876, in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, Mata Hari was. In any case, the French authorities arrested Mata Hari for espionage in Paris on February 13, 1917. Zelle decided to go to Paris for a new start. Following an abortive attempt to travel to Belgium in November 1916, Mata Hari ended up in neutral Spain, where she bedded a German major named Arnold Kalle. . Mata Haris espionage trial commenced on July 24, 1917. Arresting a double agent painted the French war effort suddenly in a much better light. Real or imagined spies were convenient scapegoats for explaining military losses, and Mata Hari's arrest was one of many. Noticing the effect her exotic appearance seemed to have on men, when she was 19 years old she responded to a newspaper personals ad placed by a Dutch colonial officer, Rudolf MacLeod, serving in the Dutch East Indies (today Indonesia), seeking a wife. Hari was tasked with seducing the Crown Prince of Germany, who had recently been placed in command of an army. However, things became dangerously disordered for the Dragon when he and his sons, Vlad and Radu, attended a diplomatic meeting with Ottoman Sultan Murad II. The French claimed not to know of Mata Hari when she was arrested and interviewed by British authorities in November 1916, having come to their attention because of the freedom of movement afforded to her by her neutral Dutch nationality. Now nearing 40, plumpish and with her dancing days clearly behind her, Mata Hari fell in love with a 21-year-old Russian captain, Vladimir de Masloff, in 1916. Accounts of her execution say she waved off the offer of a blindfold or the last sacrament. expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/mata-hari-1779223. Vlad's land maintained limited sovereignty in return for taxes, troops, and fealty. According to a British magazine's report of that appearance, she did indeed dance in front of a statue of Shiva, with "authentic Eastern head-dress [and] breast plate of similar workmanship", twirling multicoloured veils. There, she became the mistress of a French diplomat who helped her hatch the idea of supporting herself as a dancer. Round The 'Ole Pot-Bellied Stove. In March 1895, while still staying with her uncle, 18-year-old Zelle became engaged to Rudolph "John" MacLeod after answering a personal ad in the newspaper. Just what transpired between the two is the subject of much debate. Determined to earn money to support him, Mata Hari accepted a lucrative assignment to spy for France from Georges Ladoux, an army captain who assumed her courtesan contacts would be of use to French intelligence. Theodor "fedja" Masloff, Berta Justiina Masloff (o.s. Her dancing was more of a striptease but she was all the rage in a Europe then in thrall to all things exotic. But Maslov, obviously, knew exactly what his lover to be able to provide. She was invited to large parties and traveled extensively. Rosanoff is taken by imperial Russian general Serge Shubin (Lionel Barrymore) to see the celebrated Mata Hari dance. It partly started before Vlad was born. The Truth About How Vlad The Impaler Died. Wheelwright said she became an exotic dancer after fleeing an abusive marriage. When Should You Get an Attorney for a Car Accident? She claimed to have dumped the invisible ink given to her, never considering actually spying. While flying combat missions for France, he was shot down over the Western Front and severely wounded. Ladoux was well aware of Britains suspicions that she was a German agent, but he seems to have considered the recruitment a means of either entrapping her or turning her to his side. So when Mata Hari admitted that a German officer paid her for sexual favors, prosecutors depicted it as espionage money. When the ship put in at Cornwall, however, British agents arrested her on suspicion of being a spy and took her back to London. Despite a 21-year age difference, they wed on July 11, 1895, when Mata Hari was just shy of 19. Biography of Mata Hari, Infamous World War I Spy. Here she told interrogators that she was indeed a spy but one working for French counterintelligence. By then, Mata Hari had begun a passionate romance with Vladimir de Masloff, a 21-year-old Russian army captain. This must be very early in 1917: Russia was in turmoil that year, with a revolution in February and the tsar's abdication in March. She was executed by firing squad on October 15, 1917, after French authorities learned of her alleged double agency. The famous courtesan and exotic entertainer Margaretha Zelle (Mata Hari) reaches her middle years disillusioned with life until she meets and falls in love with the dashing Russian soldier Captain Vladimir de Masloff. He lists them: "God. Mata Hari's lover was a Russian aviator named Alexis Rosanoff. To order HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The Germans were aware that the Allies had cracked this particular cipher, and were using it with the knowledge any messages they sent would be decoded, all in an attempt to sow confusion and hopefully trick the French into revealing some of their intelligence assets. The amateur spy failed to deduce that Kalle had realized exactly what she was up to, and was feeding her out-of-date and made-up information, deceiving her just as she believed she was deceiving him. Rosenberg, Jennifer. During lengthy interrogations by Captain Pierre Bouchardon, a military prosecutor, Mata Hari who had long lived a fabricated life, embellishing both rearing and resume bungled and facts about her whereabouts and activities. She billed herself as a Hindu artist, draped in veilswhich she artfully dropped from her body. Its leader was future Holy Roman Emperor King Sigismund of Hungary, who inducted Vlad's father, Vlad the Dragon, into the order, per Live Science. Completing her dramatic transformation from military wife to siren of the East, she coined her stage name, "Mata Hari," which means "eye of the day" in Indonesian dialect. He condemned dozens of Saxon merchants to the same torturous demise in 1459 to suppress dissent. At a time when espionage was not professionalised, however, any training was rudimentary. It's fair to say 2016 will go down in the history books as a year that rocked celebrity culture. It seems that when the Germans learned nothing useful from her and knowing she was now in the employment of French intelligence, they turned her in. Zelle was no longer a sleek dancer when in 1916 she started to spy for France during World War I. Rosenberg, Jennifer. Instead, she got named as a German spy in communiqus he sent to Berlin which were promptly intercepted by the French. Once Europes most prominent striptease performer, Dutch dancer Mata Hari was executed by a French firing squad after she was found guilty of spying for the Germans during World War I. All things "oriental" were in fashion in Paris, and Zelle's exotic looks added to her mystique. Who were the Maslov According to published reports, the Russian state military-historical archive, Vadim Maslov, a career officer, he is from a family of soldiers, the First world war he served in the Russian expeditionary corps in France. Kalles messages may have been a calculated ploy to expose herhe allegedly sent the telegrams in an old code that the Germans knew the Allies had crackedbut they were all the evidence Ladoux needed. Despite the growing tension in Europe in the years leading up to World War I, Mata Hari foolishly knew no borders with her lovers, who included German officers. Caught in the middle of this war of deceit was Mata Hari, a cheerful opportunist who now found herself far out of her depth. All Rights Reserved. The Home Front: When asked by a military representative, "Would you care to tell us what you would do if you saw a German soldier raping your sister?" Historians tell of two letters spy, the last documentary evidence of passion, in which she refers to their attitude to Vadim Maslov the first addressed to the French intelligence agent; it Mata Hari says that will never betray her beloved man. There she met and fell in love with a much younger Russian officer, the 21-year-old Vladimir de Masloff, who seemed to be equally infatuated with the aging dancer. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. This piece of extracurricular espionage proved her undoing. In the MI5 files, an intelligence officer sounds impressed with her attitude during her final days. The story about this fact of the biography of Mata Hari and Vadim Maslov fiction: persuasive evidence of exactly this (and any other) behavior of a Russian officer in relation to his beloved by anyone of the historians is not given. She was paid 20,000 (francs) in advance and her number was H.21.. After Masloff was wounded, she accepted Ladoux's offer. "It's impossible, it's impossible," Mata Hari exclaimed, upon hearing the decision. She did try to assist the French secret service through Georges Ladoux, the head of counterespionage to whom the film's treacherous Inspector Dubois is a rough counterpart. After her death, her stage name "Mata Hari" became synonymous with spying and espionage. According to published reports, the Russian state military-historical archive, Vadim Maslov, a career officer, he is from a family of soldiers, the First world war he served in the Russian expeditionary corps in France. says one woman cheerfully to her husband. On February 13, 1917, Mata Hari was arrested, charged with espionage and confined to Paris infamous Saint-Lazare prison. She sat as an artists model, all the while making theatrical contacts who she would use to get roles in plays, and then to begin her career as an exotic dancer in 1905. Famous designers would offer her outfits for the stage, and postcards showing Mata Hari wearing her breast plate in poses from her routines were circulated. It was in the City of Lights that Margaretha Zelle reinvented herself as an artist. In 1902, the couple moved back to The Netherlands and soon separated. The chief French counterintelligence officer, George Ladoux, believed (with no evidence beyond her amorous encounter with the German police officer) that she had accepted an offer from German intelligence to become a paid operative, using her liaisons with powerful men to gain access to key secrets, which she would pass back via unidentified handlers. After separating from her husband, Margaretha searched for work in Paris. But even with these caveats, he likely slaughtered his enemies in exceedingly gory ways. At 18 she answered a lonely hearts ad in a newspaper and shortly after married Rudolph John MacLeod, an officer in the East Indies Army, 21 years older than herself. Her life has spawned numerous biographies and cinematic portrayals, including, most famously, the 1931 film Mata Hari, starring Greta Garbo as the courtesan-dancer and Ramon Novarro as Lieutenant Alexis Rosanoff. The evil that this woman has done is unbelievable, prosecutor Andre Mornet concluded in his final statement. Whilst the efficiency of her spying is questioned some say she was ineffectual whilst others attribute up to 50,000 deaths to her work Mata Hari admitted under questioning to receiving 20,000 franks from her handler, Captain Hoffman. For military merit was awarded 4 orders (St. Vladimir, St. Stanislaus, Anna) as well as the French war cross with a palm branch. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. All Rights Reserved. And it might surprise you to know that, as Live Science points out, accounts of his literal bloodthirst may have originated with a mistranslation of the claim that he washed his hands in blood, which itself sounds like a metaphor blood on your hands. She was arrested in Paris in February 1917. 3. In the mid-1890s, Margaretha recklessly responded to a lonely-hearts ad seeking a bride for Rudolf MacLeod, a much older military captain based in the Dutch East Indies. See the previous installment or all entries. to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about The court also prevented her defense lawyers from calling the baron or Mata Haris maid in the Netherlands to testify to clear up this apparently incriminating detail. At an early age, Mata Hari decided that sexuality was her ticket in life. As loved theatrical divas are documents testifying to the great love of the famous spy Mata Hari (Margareta geertruida Zelle this is her real name) to Vadim Maslov. Mata Hari wanted to marry him but needed to make enough money to support him. Anxious to make money to start a new life with him, she accepted Ladoux's deal and announced her intentions to seduce military secrets out of high-ranking Germans. Historian Stephen Bourne, author of 'Fighting Proud', discusses the role of gay servicemen in the world wars and the challenges of publishing gay history. She then turned to face the firing squad, waved away her blindfold and blew the soldiers a kiss. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Michael Nicholson/Corbis via Getty Images, https://www.history.com/news/the-exotic-dancer-who-became-wwis-most-notorious-spy, The Dancer Who Became WWIs Most Notorious Spy. After respectable routes as a ladies companion, piano tutor and German tutor proved fruitless, she returned to exploiting the aspect of herself which she had used to get a husband. "I have always lived for love and pleasure.". The officers noted that on Aug. 4, 1916, she wrote to a Don Diego de Leon and then met a Capt. She was accused of espionage and was executed by firing squad in October 1917. Then the court heard of the ill-fated trip to Spain, the arrest by British intelligence in Cornwall, and the intercepted radio messages in a cracked cipher, which nobody knew had been sent on purpose to seal her doom. Not well? When he was blinded and injured at the front and sent to recover in France, Zelle desperate to see him, asked French army Captain Georges Ladoux permission to see him. Historians are unanimous only in date and place of death of Vadim Maslov he lived to be 43 years and died in exile. Via Live Science, Vlad allegedly nailed turbans to the skulls of Ottoman envoys to display his disdain toward their Muslim faith. In the book Karineh Foliant behind the scenes of the passion. Whether guilty or innocent, at dawn on October 15, 1917, Mata Hari was driven to a field on the outskirts of Paris. When he was blinded and injured at the front and sent to recover in France, Zelle desperate to see him, asked French army Captain Georges Ladoux permission to see him. In 1462, Sultan Mehmet II made a call of his own, dispatching envoys to make sure Vlad stayed a vassal. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! A spy, never! But, as mentioned, she admitted to taking payment under questioning and was sentenced to death by firing squad. With a record of Vadim Maslov says that he was a brave officer, your earned awards, including and for participation in the offensive battles, for showing in the attacks, bravery and ingenuity. Sources suggest the children might have been suffering the effects from over-treatment for syphilis. Vladimir de Masloff, of the Russian army, stationed in France. Both children became quite ill in June 1899. In reality, however, she was born Margaretha Zelle on August 7, 1876, and grew up the daughter of a haberdasher in the Dutch town of Leeuwarden. Although, according to the writer, sharing a photo spy with Maslov with a passionate inscription on the back made in one of the French cities (counterintelligence watched Mata Hari), was one of the proofs of exposure of a double agent. Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. For him, the high-stakes nature of the power struggle took on a literal dimension in 1456, when he closed his iron fist around the reins of power and exacted vengeance. Mata Hari personifies all the poetry of India, one reviewer wrote, its mysticism, its voluptuousness, its languor, its hypnotizing charm. Declared a Star of Dance in 1908, the olive-skinned beauty spent the next several years traveling Europe and performing before sold out crowds. Son of Theodor Leontjevitj Masloff and Bertta Justina Justina Masloff But Vlad dispatched them with impalement. Large, bearded, and beetle-browed, he was often cast as villains in both film and television. In fact as early as 1930 the German government exculpated Zelle. MacLeod drank heavily and detested his pretty young wife, writing to a friend during an epidemic of disease in Indonesia that he wished it would "free me from this creature" ie, kill her. The journey to go green is always a bit COPYRIGHT - ILAWJOURNALS.COM - LAW & CRIME NEWS, Vadim Maslov: as a Russian officer became the lover of Mata Hari, Russian anti-Mordovians: how they fought with each other, Russian Alcatraz: who put on the Solovki, 5 Legal Tips For Passengers Involved In Uber Or Lyft Accidents, Ultimate Guide to Investor Visas: What You Need to Know, Understanding When Its Time To File For Bankruptcy, Property Prices Continue to Rise in Arizona during the Coronavirus Pandemic, El Pas (Spain): Germany and the Netherlands oppose European economic recovery plan. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Sigismund focused on beating back the Ottomans, and Vlad the Dragon aided in that effort. "A courtesan, I admit it. The government did present evidence of her numerous encounters with French officers and officials suggesting (but hardly proving) that she had extracted secrets from them; unsurprisingly, virtually none of her old lovers came forward to testify on her behalf, as this would have tarnished their reputation as well. Historian Julie Wheelwright also attributes this quasi-respectability to Haris emergence from private salons rather than music halls. The famous courtesan and exotic entertainer Margaretha Zelle (Mata Hari) reaches her middle years disillusioned with life until she meets. Unfortunately for her, this misstep would come to light when Frances fortunes were at a particularly low ebb. Mata Hari (1931)Director: George FitzmauriceEntertainment grade: B+History grade: B+. Amid growing social unrest at home and mutinous rumblings at the front, the logical scapegoat was internal betrayal by people of dubious background, reviving the xenophobic and anti-Semitic themes of the Dreyfus Affair from 1894-1906. The story carries . As younger dancers took the stage, her bookings became sporadic. Her marriage broke up after she returned to her native Netherlands in 1902. "What sacred things?" Answer (1 of 2): Mata Hari Biography Dancer, Spy (1876-1917) Mata Hari was a professional dancer and mistress who became a spy for France during World War I. After Maslov went to the front, they are no longer met. Mata Hari maintained that the young Captain Vladimir de Masloff was the only man she had really ever loved. Its the Miss Crustacean Hermit Crab Beauty Pageant. READ MORE:10 Spies Who Aren't Household Names. Vlad the Impaler would answer the call. The real Margaretha Zelle went to Indonesia as a 20-year-old with her much older husband. Lindholm), Theodor Leontjevitj Masloff (Rtli),
