Includes bibliographical references and index.

WORLD HISTORY: SECOND WORLD WAR. Spying for the Fuhrer is the story of German intelligence agencies leading up to and during World War II. From the fledgling beginnings of the Nazi SA, or Stormtroopers, grew an espionage machine to rival any in the world. The words SD, Abwehr and Gestapo are some of the most evocative words associated with the war, and all these were German intelligence units. Tasked with suppressing internal unrest, planting agents abroad to gather intelligence or sabotage, the Third Reich's espionage machinery had a long reach. Spying for the Fuhrer is a detailed examination of all the varied facets of the Nazi intelligence apparatus, ranging from the dreaded Gestapo, the daring Brandenburg battalions through to the SD under the Central Security Service of the Reich. The book examines the history of each unit, its formation, the missions, and its importance in the war as a whole.