Alfred Redl

Alfred Redl (14 March 1864 – 25 May 1913) was an Austro-Hungarian military officer who rose to head the Evidenzbureau, the counterintelligence wing of the General Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Army. He was one of the leading figures of pre-World War I espionage; his term in office was marked by radical innovations and the use of advanced technology to ensnare foreign spies. Due to the innovations he introduced, Redl's successor, Major Maximilian Ronge, ultimately learned in 1913 that Redl himself was also a highly paid spy, working for the intelligence service of the Imperial Russian Army. Upon being exposed as a Russian spy, Redl committed suicide. Redl's homosexuality was publicized during the investigation, and it has been debated whether his sexuality or the money he received was related to his decision to spy. He may have been enticed by the material benefits. Redl's revelations did not have a significant effect on the course of the war, although the changes by Field Marshal Franz Conrad to the attack in August 1914 from eastern to western Galicia did have serious consequences, according to Prit Buttar and Hannes Leidinger.