Why did European governments create more intelligence bureaus in the early 20th century?

At the turn of the 20th century, European governments significantly expanded their intelligence bureaus to meet the demands of an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. The primary drivers for this proliferation included:

• Power Politics: Nations required greater amounts of strategic intelligence to compete effectively in the era's intense power politics.1
• Imperial Interests: Governments needed robust intelligence capabilities to support and protect their expansive foreign empires.1
• Technological Advancement: Rapid developments in military technology and communications necessitated more sophisticated collection and analysis methods to keep pace with potential adversaries.1

This expansion of intelligence-gathering organizations also triggered a corresponding growth in counterintelligence efforts across the continent. Despite these developments, many services remained inadequate or hampered by internal intrigue and scandal when World War I began in 1914, highlighting the persistent challenges of intelligence forecasting in the modern era.1