What happens when a loose collective of states and political entities see a revolution in France and then invasion by Napoleon? Hint: it probably has to do with secret police.

Following the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, the Confederation of German State banned together by common language. The experience of being occupied by a foreign enemy and seeing their neighbors bleed from revolution inspired the German States' first collective police network.

Along with the police network also came the development of an extensive international spy ring. They aimed to protect Germany's many sovereigns and prevent petty and political crimes. 

Socials:

IG: @secretpolicepodcast

X: hush_popo

Gmail: [email protected]

Special Thanks to:

Jan Bögel as Paul Hilken

Sources:

Police and State in Prussia 1815-1850 by Alf Lüdtke

The Gestapo: A History of Horror by Jacquese Delarue 

The Gestapo: The Myth and Reality of Hitler’s Secret Police

International Policing in Nineteenth-Century Europe: The Police Union of German States, 1851-1866. (2025). Blogspot.com. https://deflem.blogspot.com/1996/09/international-policing-in-19th-century.html

Facts About Germany. Geography & Climate. https://www.tatsachen-ueber-deutschland.de/en/germany-glance/geography-climate 

Ten Facts About Agriculture. https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/environment/agriculture-in-germany-ten-facts#:~:text=Grain%20is%20grown%20on%20about,followed%20by%20barley%20and%20rye. 

Global Beer Consumption by Country in 2023. Kirin Holdings. https://www.kirinholdings.com/en/newsroom/release/2024/1219_01.html#:~:text=The%20Czech%20Republic%20consumed%20152.1,31st%20consecutive%20year%20since%201993. 

Sullivan, R. E. (1999, July 26). Charlemagne | Biography, Accomplishments, Children, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlemagne 

Wagner, G. A., Krbetschek, M., Degering, D., Bahain, J.-J., Shao, Q., Falguères, C., Voinchet, P., Dolo, J.-M., Garcia, T., & Rightmire, G. P. (2010). Radiometric dating of the type-site forHomo heidelbergensisat Mauer, Germany. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(46), 19726–19730. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1012722107

The. (1998, July 20). Saint Leo III | Pope, Charlemagne Coronation. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Leo-III

Why Did Russia & Prussia Have Such Similar Names? Name Explain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdqE-u0JJz0&ab_channel=NameExplain 

‌Smith and Locke on Property | Adam Smith Works. (2019). Adamsmithworks.org. https://www.adamsmithworks.org/documents/smith-and-locke-on-property 

Carl Schurz. (2025). American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/carl-schurz

1923 – how our history started. (2023). Interpol.int. https://www.interpol.int/Who-we-are/Our-history/How-our-history-started

‌Barkin, K. (1998, July 20). Otto von Bismarck | Biography, Significance, Accomplishments, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Otto-von-Bismarck/Prime-minister

Proclamation of the German Empire, 1871. (2018, August 23). Palace of Versailles; Versailles. https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/key-dates/proclamation-german-empire-1871#:~:text=On%2016%20December%201870%20a,in%20the%20Hall%20of%20Mirrors.

The Siege of Paris. (2022, November 15). Warfare History Network. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-siege-of-paris/

Swift, J. (2024, February 20). Siege of Paris (1870−71) | Summary. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Siege-of-Paris-1870-1871

Barkin, K. (1998, July 20). Otto von Bismarck | Biography, Significance, Accomplishments, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Otto-von-Bismarck/Prime-minister

Bauer, D. S. (2025). Georges Boulanger: The Third Republic’s Spy Master? Proceedings of the Western Society for French History, 39. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.0642292.0039.018

History. (2022, April 12). Bayer.com. https://www.bayer.com/en/history/1881-1914

History of Deutsche Bank. (2020). Db.com. https://www.db.com/who-we-are/history/history-of-deutsche-bank?language_id=1

Bauer, D. S. (2025). Georges Boulanger: The Third Republic’s Spy Master? Proceedings of the Western Society for French History, 39. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.0642292.0039.018

‌The. (1998, July 20). Frederick III | Hohenzollern Dynasty, Prussian Reforms, German Unification. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-III-king-of-Prussia-and-emperor-of-Germany

Kaiser Wilhelm’s Left Arm and the Fate of the World. (2025). Blogspot.com. https://roadstothegreatwar-ww1.blogspot.com/2025/01/kaiser-wilhelms-left-arm-and-fate-of.html

Why did Wilhelm II get rid of Bismarck? (Short Animated Documentary). History Matters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX0Q8ZCz6GY&ab_channel=HistoryMatters 

Balfour, M. G. (1998, July 20). William II | German Emperor & Prussian King. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-II-emperor-of-Germany

Barkin, K., & Strauss, G. (2023, September 21). History of Germany | Flag, Maps, Facts, Unification, & Pictures. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Germany/Germany-from-1871-to-1918

The. (1998, July 20). Alfred von Schlieffen | Biography & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-von-Schlieffen 

‌Limbach, R. (2009, March 24). Schlieffen Plan | German WWI Strategy & Impact. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Schlieffen-Plan‌ 

The Schlieffen Plan - And Why It Failed I THE GREAT WAR Special feat. AlternateHistoryHub. The Great War. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHeMPV5VDR4&ab_channel=TheGreatWar 

Showalter, D. E., & Royde-Smith, J. G. (2000, January 12). World War I | Causes, Years, Combatants, Casualties, Maps, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I/Forces-and-resources-of-the-combatant-nations-in-1914

Domestic Sabotage: The Explosion at Black Tom Island (U.S. National Park Service). (2017). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/articles/black-tom-wwi.htm

(2025). Warhistoryonline.com. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/plot-destroy-black-tom-island-wwi-visit-u-boat-deutschland.html

Reading the Enemy’s Mind: Espionage in World War I | Historical Documentary | Lucasfilm. Lucasfilm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWKP1vPSGbU&t=7s&ab_channel=Lucasfilm 

Music:

Scorching Action by Jonathan Margrove

Blood Kiss by Hainbach - Topics

Cinematic Ambient Orchestral Drama Trailer by Media Music Group

Dramatic Investigation by Jon Presstone

Bones - Quirky and mysterious plucked strings. Murder mystery and gothic mood by Gerardo 

Final Speech by Humans Win

On the Edge of War Jon Presstone

Gnossienne No. 3 by Erik Satie

Sound FX:

Storyblocks