The psychology of a spy: Cicero (Elyesa Bazna, 1904-1970)

Cicero was one of the most important spies of World War II. As valet to the British Ambassador to neutral Turkey, he was able to photograph many Top Secret documents, including detailed plans for the Allied D Day Landing in France, and sell them to the Germans. Using his autobiography and the published account of his handler, it is possible to note that Cicero did not display symptoms of psychiatric disorder, but his personality and character were complicated and in conformity with a model of the psychology of the spy that has been proposed. In over all assessment, Cicero’s spying activities brought little benefit to the Germans as they did not accept as genuine what was being presented to them, and no benefit to Cicero himself as he was mainly paid in counterfeit bank notes.