History's Most Infamous Double Agent

Kim Philby spent his entire life looking over his shoulder. After the Soviets recruited him as a young man, he managed to work his way up through the ranks to the highest levels of British Intelligence-all while feeding information to his handlers back in Moscow. Secrets, lies, and paranoia followed him everywhere he went, until his double life finally caught up to him. It sounds like a movie, but it was all real.
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[@mrbojangles8133]

MI-6 incompetence continues to astound

[@billpugh58]

The old boy public school system saved him. Cameron and Johnson are proof of the failure of this system today!

[@Johnnycdrums]

I think they knew all along. I'm going with the triple agent theory. London has never shied away from sacrificing their own if it means causing grave damage to the USA.

[@yogi1kenobi]

Hollis was traitor

[@ralphlangstaff727]

Ended up a broken drunk. Was his treachery worth it?

[@polreamonn]

He made it to 75, living in relative comfort in the Soviet Union.

[@patricksullivan4329]

Philby seems to have been the personality model for Grahame Greene's Harry Lyme in 'The Third Man.' Greene had worked with Philby during WWII in MI6. It's hard to believe that such a student of human psychology as Greene wouldn't have suspected Philby to be a spy.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Philby obviously knew people. The British upper class.

[@sarahalbers5555]

Yes. Philby fooled alot of people.

[@billmalone5050]

I always find it ironic that Philby and the Cambridge 5 and other people who became dedicated communists and spied for the Soviet Union came from aristocratic and / or upper class backgrounds in the west.

[@aquilifergroup]

Greene was sympathetic to communism, or was anti American. If he knew about Philbys recruitment he probably cheered him on

[@dickkehoe6136]

@@aquilifergroup Good 'on Him !!!!!!!!!!

[@studebaker4217]

The British Establishment at its finest! Right background? Must be a good chap! Right accent? Must be a good chap! Turns out to be a Spy? Must be a good chap...

[@robertlevy2420]

A story of self deception and wilful blindness. We always see what we know as being worse than what we don't know! Once down a path, no matter how bad, there seems to be no turning back!

[@wendygillard2133]

Karma obviously caught up with Kim Philby!

[@dazaspc]

I would say not so much, he was responsible for a lot of dead agents.

[@jamesmccann355]

His upper class background saved him. Not his so called brilliance....

[@spencada]

You don’t read much, do you ?

[@jamesmccann355]

@@spencada care to elaborate for the viewers....

[@ZATennisFan]

I think it was more a case of class based blindness.. People of that class, from that generation, basically couldn't comprehend that someone of their class betraying their country in the way he did. This led them to dismiss a lot of evidence over the years.

[@Sal-fn1pm]

A broken drunk, but still with vodka at his hands. Worse fates are possible.

[@BeesWaxMinder]

I wonder if people like him, back then, would've done things differently if they could see Russia now?

[@PG-ts9xz]

Or England, now?

[@BeesWaxMinder]

@@PG-ts9xz aye...

[@JamesBond-uz2dm]

He lived to be 76 years old, although he was a world class drunk.

[@sarahalbers5555]

I find these stories fascinating. You did a great job, thank you. My former husband was a career Naval Intelligence officer. If you had any hint of a personal issue of something like financial irresponsibility or alcoholism you would basically torpedo your career and you would lose your valuable clearences. Philiby fooled MI 6 for awhile, and the U.S. Hard to believe as he had a history of instability and chronic alcoholism. Read any of John LeCarre's books. You will great idea of how espionage works.

[@Bobblenob]

In hindsight, what the flipping hell were we doing.

[@donaldlyons537]

A Man Called Intrepid is a great book. Imtrepids Last Case is a great book also, about rounding up Phillby and friends

[@globetrotter8762]

Great video. Thanks for the thorough research. Always learning something new

[@josephinebennington7247]

As clearly and sympathetically corrected in “4 Weddings and a Funeral”, St John is pronounced Sin-jen. Otherwise a very good vid.

[@random_Person347]

Your opening sentence is incorrect. His true identity was never in question.

[@marcvloeberghs8179]

Street/Road cleaners near Buckingham Palace are most of the time vetted more severely , thoroughly and more regularly than members of MI5 and MI6.

[@rkeykrew4069]

I wonder how many spies stories that are intense like this we don't know

[@JJW77]

Good job!

[@elainevankat5353]

Thank you…. Great channel!

[@dianabowman7042]

11:40 That's not Volkov it's Donald Maclean in later life

[@dkirk5814]

I appreciate the diversion from Hollywood elite, although I love those bios too. Good essay, wonderfully narrated, thanks.

[@alpetterson9452]

You mean to say BRUTALITY is something unknown to British intelligence? Well bugger me!

[@MayumiSakamoto-py6em]

superb

[@weareallanimals]

Good channel that provides knowledge usually acquired from reading without being overly biased.

[@dougleclaire9424]

What about his children rigth after his wife died? How old were they? Who took care of them. They are the forgotten ones here.

[@tornagawn]

And the countless who were killed by his duplicity…

[@sarahalbers5555]

@@tornagawn yes, this!!!

[@karenroot450]

You know I truly love this channel. But this time you keep bringing up his wife(ex-wife) at a few different times and it seems to me the narration of thei timeline is a little strange to follow. But I do love your long dives into history and just interesting characters!! Thanks. Oh and The US never suspected? Strange

[@BobJohnson648]

There is a book about his father..."Philby of Arabia." Jack was often at odds with his majesty's government.

[@pmajudge]

🧐UPPER -CLASSES ALWAYS ARE & WERE ABOVE THE LAW !!! 🤣😂💯💯!!!! From, U.K. (2024).

[@elliotlambert3817]

Another Public School boy who knew better what should be done about life our lives.

[@justiceforall6412]

History has shown all of those from the west who for whatever reason chose to live in the USSR ended up regretting their choice.

[@chrissheppard5068]

How bone not to arrest him immediately.

[@peterpluim7912]

Like many others’ I’m convinced the British intelligence services planned this on purpose. The CIA was understandably livid about Philby and the last thing MI6 needed was Philby being interrogated by the CIA further damaging an already strained relationship. I never understood why they let Philby live but him disappearing behind the Iron Curtain was the next best thing for the British. It’s pure speculation of course.

[@Aubury]

The great game. A cynical business, who ever you bat for..

[@ektor5609]

Do the Right Thing.

[@williamh24076]

His first wife set him up. Once he fell under Otto's control, she moved on.

[@SimonWallwork]

Good video. It's always the same story from Communists. 'If only communism was done properly, it would be great'. Trouble is, it never is.

[@teniente_snafu]

Same goes for capitalists, doesn't it?

[@oldernu1250]

No it doesn't. Capital is self correcting. Socialism is communist lite, and they know what's good for you, of course.

[@bunnystrasse]

@@teniente_snafuoh no, you got it wrong. The difference is, everyone wants to leave a communist society for a capitalist one…..even for a semi capitalist one. Tell you a lot about communism no?

[@phillipsugwas]

Good Grief. His father's name is pronounced , "SINJIN" !!!

[@40beretta1]

I always thought the targeted Phiby early

[@davidpollard1139]

Why have British people started saying math, instead of maths ?

[@virgilkane7369]

Kim Philby had several nervous breakdowns related to alcohol abuse and his own cowardly treachery once he ended up in Russia . I have no sympathy for such a low cowardly betrayer . What Kim Philby did is unforgivable .

[@thomassaehler9038]

He was a Red

[@PhilippaBeale]

He was an anti imperialist like many of his generation raised in *India during the Raj because 😂they were shocked by the way the Bits treated the Indians.

[@georgesdelatour]

@@PhilippaBeale He was born in India, but not raised there. He was sent to school in England. Preparatory school in Surrey, then Westminster School, then Trinity College, Cambridge. If anything, Philby’s Stalinist sympathies would have prevented him helping the Indian nationalist movement the way that, say, Roger Casement helped the Irish nationalists during WWI. Subhas Chandra Bose sided with Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany during WWII. Practically, Philby couldn’t have helped Bose without harming the USSR. Philly seems to have been entirely comfortable with Soviet imperialism, with Stalin's annexation of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, eastern Poland and Karelia in 1939, and the Soviet domination of Eastern Europe after 1945.

[@SharonSalazar-kj2yi]

What happened to his relationship with his 5 children?

[@djquinn11]

This traitor is on the wrong side of history.

[@timrutkevich3222]

Why?

[@MrAlois294]

Напротив.Он был на стороне Толстого и Достоевского.А его враги в Англии-все поддерживали германский нацизм.Это факт.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

​ it's true, but he's still a traitor.

[@MrGranfield]

In the thirties the Soviet Union was an ally of Britain against fascism.

[@johntomlinson6849]

We should have kept firmly out of any fight between two lunatic ideologies and stayed centerist.

[@polreamonn]

@@johntomlinson6849 And done nothing to stop the Holocaust?

[@revolutionhamburger]

"Smart" people often embrace stupid politics.

[@itsjohndell]

Well produced and written video and you have gained a new sub. But I question why you ignored the homosexuality angle of the Five? It's hardly a secret.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Yes, but is it a symptom or cause. Surely it's people who have no idea what's best. Just a symptom.

[@curtisthomas2670]

Nobody did long game recruitment better than the Soviets/Russians

[@peterteagleteagle9958]

At the end of the day,he was just a piss head ,

[@RobR4455]

Thanks!

[@carfonju1018]

the great question, Why Burgess run away with Donald?? A video exactly like wikipedia, nothing new or problematic for the british goverment or the russian

[@dianabowman7042]

I think burgess was absolutely convinced he was going to be able to go back to England after he helped Maclean defect. I think it was only when he was either in France or Switzerland that he made up his mind. He always longed to return which was almost possible as he didn't have enough credible evidence on him at the time. He proceded to smoke and drink himself to death in 1963

[@romanclay1913]

MY SILENT WAR by Kim Philby--"During my youth in the 1930s two paths were presented to me---the rank appeasement of nazis by PMs Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain or the opposition of USSR. But for the power of the USSR and the Communist idea, the whole world would now be ruled by hitler and hirohito. It is a matter of great pride to me that I was invited at so early an age, to play my infinitesimal part in building up that power. How, where and when I became a member of the Soviet intelligence service is a matter to myself and my comrades. I will only say that when the proposition was made to me, I did not hesitate. One does not look twice at an offer of enrollment in an elite force."

[@user-iz5ue7xd4o]

A guy named kim?

[@dianabowman7042]

Named after a character by Rudyard Kipling

[@user-iz5ue7xd4o]

@@dianabowman7042 rippling was a werido too

[@doreekaplan2589]

Kim Austin was a boy at school in the 1950s

[@skanderbeg1751]

Phiby father also was a traitor

[@Suuusan28]

It´s difficult not to admire Kim Philby. He was absolutely extraordinary. This video barely scratched the surface of his personality and life.

[@birdofevil7970]

KIM PHILBY NOTIFIED THE COMMUNIST ALBANIAN REGIME THAT AGENTS WOULD BE DROPPED IN ALBANIA TO FIGHT ITS TYRANNY. THE ALBANIANS ARRESTED THE AGENTS AS THEY WERE PARACHUTED IN AND THEY WERE EXECUTED. YOU ARE A LIBERAL SO YOU SUPPORT COMMUNIST TYRANNY.

[@CintiFEE]

Really? You admire traitors?

[@RichardLucas]

He was woke.

[@ericwilliams626]

For starters, this guy looks weak, I know its monday morning quarterbacking but he does. He drinks, no wife, perfect target. Nobody questioned who is future wife was or her motives. Highly suspicious. They used him like the useful idiot he was. He lacked courage and strength.

[@pmajudge]

HMMM!! World Class - DRUNK ! One can Imagine Medical point of View -- His Liver would have been BLACK as His HEART !!! FROM, U.K. (2024).

[@kenclayton5088]

Traitor.......alchaholic.....but very good at his stuff

[@thereisnonebesideshim]

The conceited and condescending, entitled näiveté of so many of the British upper- and middle class, never ceases to take one's breath away - old boy 😉 Fantastic channel! Proper top drawer documentary 👌👍

[@craigmignone2863]

Nationalist not fascist ......

[@MrAvant123]

It has always astonished me how someone like him with such a privileged and un-deprived background could not have the commonsense to see how stupid communism was under the soviet system....

[@Vmac1394]

"One has to belong to the intelligentsia to believe things like that: no ordinary man could be such a fool." -George Orwell

[@keneaton2855]

THIS IS WHAT TRUMP IS NOW BUT HE IS OPEN ABOUT IT SO ITS ACCEPTABLE 1😊

[@billyshane3804]

Phim Kilby was the MAN

[@uuuuuuuuuuuuuugdsvjjgffty1037]

Brutal?! What a joke channel

[@WILLIAM1690WALES]

Even today, our English establishment system is corrupt however it is still the best system. I do not know anywhere better in the world, but the British people must always be wary of establishment figures. They care more about themselves than they do about our great country, Great Britain.🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧

[@seescafedeu]

Do u work to mi6 or did it pay u to do such video? Next time use less adjectives 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@helencheung2537]

Fewer

[@user-wu6yi1xk8f]

'...adjectives more sparingly.' ?

[@kubhlaikhan2015]

A patriotic British hero who refused to support the treacherous and murderous policies of the post war British establishment. That is the truth.

[@birdofevil7970]

Kim Philby, Alger Hiss, and Benedict Arnold would have been perfectly at home in today's Democratic Party.

[@lorrainestevens5509]

You’ve got it backwards. It’s the repugs that are selling us to Russia

[@stillme9171]

Benedict Arnold cozied up to Russia?!?

[@lorrainestevens5509]

You’ve got it backwards

[@huwgrossmith9555]

More like the crumbling GOP

[@birdofevil7970]

When have todays conservatives ever supported communism? When have today's liberals ever opposed communism?