Reinhard Gehlen

German general

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July 23, 2026

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Reinhard Gehlen was a German general who headed the Foreign Armies East section of the Abwehr, the intelligence service of the German general staff, during World War II. After the war, he created a covert intelligence force that cooperated with U.S. intelligence agencies. This organization, known as the "Gehlen Organization," was absorbed into the BND (Federal Intelligence Service) of West Germany in April 1956. Gehlen directed the BND until 1968. The BND was responsible for foreign intelligence and reported to the West German chancellor.1

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BND
…was created by Major General Reinhard Gehlen after World War II and which cooperated with U.S. intelligence agencies. Gehlen had headed the Foreign Armies East section of the Abwehr, the intelligence service of the German general staff. He directed the BND until 1968, when he was succeeded by General Gerhard…
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…was created by Major General Reinhard Gehlen after World War II and which cooperated with U.S. intelligence agencies. Gehlen had headed the Foreign Armies East section of the Abwehr, the intelligence service of the German general staff. He directed the BND until 1968, when he was succeeded by General Gerhard…
Read More