Fake News and Forgeries: How MI6 Manipulated Americans

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Conspiracy Theories

Episode Title: Fake News and Forgeries: How MI6 Manipulated Americans
Host: Carter Roy, Spotify Studios
Release Date: October 1, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the controversial MI6 campaign to manipulate the United States into joining World War II. From forged documents and fake news to orchestrated protests and political intrigue, the show explores how British intelligence waged clandestine influence operations on American soil, raising questions about state-sponsored propaganda, manipulation of public opinion, and the ethics of foreign interference.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Pre-WWII US-British Relations (03:57–05:48)

• American reluctance: In 1940, only 7% of Americans supported entering the war, largely due to isolationist sentiment and suspicions from past British manipulations like the Zimmerman Telegram.
• British desperation: With Europe falling to Nazi forces, PM Winston Churchill prioritizes securing US military aid as survival becomes increasingly dire.
• Quote:
  "He promised the British people that they would never surrender, and he had no plans to." — Narrator (06:20)

2. Bill Stevenson: The Spy at Rockefeller Center (06:32–14:45)

• Recruitment of Bill Stephenson: A Canadian war hero and successful businessman with his own "British Industrial Secret Service" recruited by MI6 to set up American operations.
• Operation “British Passport Control Office”: Stephenson’s official cover at Rockefeller Center (09:17)—it became MI6 US HQ.
• Intelligence networking: Stevenson ingeniously bypasses FBI restrictions by leveraging social connections (e.g., boxer Gene Tunney) to get J. Edgar Hoover’s ear and President Roosevelt’s attention.
• Quote:
  “I am so impressed by this guy. ... Other avenues? I don’t think I’d be like, 'Oh, I think I'll just go talk to the President.'” — Carter Roy (11:19)

3. Influencing Power Brokers & American Intelligence (14:00–14:45)

• Shaping the new US intelligence apparatus: Stephenson suggests Bill Donovan for FDR's brand-new Coordinator of Information (COI), the precursor to the CIA, thereby embedding British influence at the top U.S. intelligence levels.
• Quote:
  “He couldn’t have asked for his plan to unfold any better… That night I took five instead of the usual four hours sleep.” — Stepping as quoted by Carter Roy (14:28)

4. Manipulating Public Opinion: Orchestrated Protests and Activism (16:10–20:23)

• Anti Nazi League infiltration: British agents, notably Josef Hirshberg, infiltrate and fund pro-intervention activist groups, orchestrating confrontations at America First rallies to manipulate media narratives.
• Quote:
  “They’re not exactly paid crisis actors… but they're not far off either. MI6 effectively bought the ANL. Then they mobilized it, sending protesters into the America First rally...” — Narrator (19:54)
• Outcome: Media coverage paints isolationists as violent, swaying opinion toward intervention.

5. Fake News Operations (20:54–23:07)

• Scale of the operation: MI6 creates a news machine with up to 1,000 employees generating over 20 falsified stories daily, feeding them to major US outlets like the NYT and Baltimore Sun.
• Quote:
  “No news is safe.” — Carter Roy (21:59)
• Tactics: Fake stories about German defeats, falsified public opinion polls, and wild rumors spread from press to dockworkers.

6. The Forgeries: Pushing America over the Edge (23:13–29:37)

• Bolivian coup letter (23:33–28:08): MI6 fabricates evidence of a Nazi-backed coup in Bolivia, feeding fears of German expansion into the Americas.
• “Redrawn” South America map (28:14–29:37): Expert forgeries—including a map showing a German plan for a vast colony stretching across south and Central America—make their way to FDR’s desk.
• Quote:
  “MI6's best forgery yet by far.” — Narrator (28:55)
• Roosevelt’s response: FDR goes public, using the forged map as ‘clear evidence’ of Nazi intentions.

7. The Gray Area: Was Roosevelt Complicit? (29:37–35:41)

• Debating FDR’s knowledge: Did he know forgeries were being used? The show leaves it ambiguous but notes that Roosevelt’s administration had previously received other fakes from MI6.
• Quote:
  “Okay, now does Roosevelt really believe that? That is the real question.” — Carter Roy (31:09)
• Evidence suggests some US officials may have knowingly played along or at least looked the other way.

8. Tipping Point—Pearl Harbor & War (36:07–37:30)

• Despite all efforts, it takes Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor to truly unify US public support for war. Nonetheless, MI6’s groundwork ensures Americans rally behind intervention once war comes.
• Aftermath:
  “MI6’s mission is accomplished.” — Carter Roy (37:02)

9. Legacy, Modern Parallels, and Ongoing Mysteries (37:30–41:43)

• Stevenson’s postwar fate: Decorated by the US; becomes inspiration for James Bond.
• Lingering questions: Did British ops go even further? Did FDR's administration deliberately provoke Japan?
• Modern echoes: Modern-day interference by Russia and China—history repeats using similar techniques.
• Quote:
  “It's happened before; it could happen again.... Take everything you read or hear with a grain of salt.” — Narrator (41:30, 41:38)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On propaganda’s effect:
  “The story ran everywhere. By mid-1941, Stevenson is running what historians consider to be the largest undercover foreign intelligence station ever established in the US.” — Narrator (20:23–20:31)

• On Roosevelt’s knowledge:
  “There is no way of knowing for sure, but there is the fact that this isn’t exactly an isolated incident.” — Narrator (34:31)

• On the fragility of truth:
  “Thank you for listening to Conspiracy Theories. … Until next time, remember, the truth isn’t always the best story. And the official story isn’t always the truth.” — Carter Roy (42:10)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• 03:57–06:32 – America’s pre-war sentiment, British desperation, Churchill’s lobbying
• 06:32–14:45 – Bill Stephenson’s recruitment, MI6 US HQ, networking with US leadership
• 16:10–20:23 – Orchestrated protest violence, media manipulation
• 20:54–23:07 – MI6 fake news operation, media infiltration
• 23:13–29:37 – Forged Bolivian letter & fake South American map
• 29:37–35:41 – FDR’s complicity, evaluating the US government’s awareness
• 36:07–37:30 – Pearl Harbor attack and its impact
• 37:30–41:43 – Aftermath, legacy of propaganda, modern-day analogues

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Summary Flow & Tone

The episode masterfully blends narrative storytelling with historical analysis, often using a conversational tone:

• Host Carter Roy interjects wry observations and questions, making complex espionage history accessible.
• The tone fluctuates between intrigue, skepticism, and dark humor (“No news is safe”).
• Major ethical and historical questions are left deliberately open to encourage critical thinking.

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Takeaway Message

MI6’s campaign during WWII wasn’t just about spies and gadgets—it was about manipulating the very beliefs of a nation. This episode argues convincingly that foreign influence operations are not only part of history but an ongoing risk, urging listeners to remain vigilant and skeptical in the information age.

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Recommended resource from the episode:
Agents of Influence by Henry Heming

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Transcript

[Narrator]

Washington, D.C. march 1941. On the U.S. senate floor, legislators vote.

[Carter Roy]

On a controversial bill, the Lend Lease Act. It would provide American weapons to British soldiers fighting the Germans.

[Narrator]

The US has yet to join World.

[Carter Roy]

War II, and the bill's a hard sell.

[Narrator]

Senator Arthur Vandenberg stands up.

[Carter Roy]

Everyone holds their breath.

[Narrator]

He's one of the bill's most vocal opponents, known for preaching isolationism. But Vandenberg speaks in favor of the bill, completely reversing his stance.

[Carter Roy]

The bill passes. No one can explain the shocking about.

[Narrator]

Face, but it might have something to do with a pretty young journalist named Cynthia.

[Carter Roy]

Vanderburg's having an affair with her. What he doesn't know is that her name isn't Cynthia.

[Narrator]

It's Betty Thorpe.

[Carter Roy]

And she isn't a journalist. She's an MI6 agent.

[Narrator]

Her mission?

[Carter Roy]

Get this bill passed.

[Narrator]

But Betty's just one part of a confirmed conspiracy, a secret campaign to make the US enter World War II. It involves forgery, fake news, and, according to some theories, secret help from the.

[Carter Roy]

President of the United States. Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast. I'm Carter Roy.

[Narrator]

New episodes come out every Wednesday. Check out our episodes and more on our YouTube channel, Conspiracy Theories podcast and.

[Carter Roy]

On Instagram he conspiracypod.

[Narrator]

And we would love to hear from you.

[Carter Roy]

So if you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts. This episode contains discussions of violence. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen. Stay with us.

[Narrator]

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[Carter Roy]

Today. Americans are absolutely obsessed with British culture.

[Narrator]

All the way back to the Beatles, Harry Potter, Adele, David Beckham, James Bond.

[Carter Roy]

But that hasn't always been the case. International relations used to be much colder.

[Narrator]

And today's ties might be due in.

[Carter Roy]

Part to an Mi6 Psyop. Let's go back in time to 1939.

[Narrator]

It's been nearly 200 years since the US detached from Britain as a colonial.

[Carter Roy]

Empire, but their relationship still shows it. They're economic rivals. They're barely allies.

[Narrator]

So when Great Britain declares war on.

[Carter Roy]

Germany, the US Stays out of it. Many Americans believe that During World War.

[Narrator]

I, the Brits conspired to trick the.

[Carter Roy]

US into entering the war, possibly because the British intercepted and published the Zimmerman Telegram, a German communication that caused national.

[Narrator]

Outrage, forcing the US to join the war.

[Carter Roy]

Americans aren't going to let that happen again.

[Narrator]

In May 1940, a poll finds that only 7% of Americans believe the US.

[Carter Roy]

Should declare war on Germany.

[Narrator]

But for the British, the war's growing.

[Winston Churchill]

Existential the fall of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium. France had given him more than 100 million slaves to work for him or starve. The preliminaries were over. It was time for the main event, the Battle of Britain.

[Carter Roy]

In May 1940, the new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, makes American aid a top priority. If the British want to keep their country, they need reinforcements. Now. Churchill anxiously lobbies the US for military support.

[Narrator]

President Franklin Roosevelt says he personally supports.

[Carter Roy]

The cause, but his hands are bound. If the country and lawmakers do not, the US Won't be sending any men. So Churchill takes matters into his own hands. He promised the British people that they would never surrender, and he has no plans to. Okay, so how does a Brit change American minds?

[Narrator]

He starts with a Canadian, Bill Stevenson.

[Carter Roy]

Bill Stevenson is a former Canadian fighter pilot and war hero. After World War I, he moved to London to become a business investor. But he didn't give up his wartime mindset.

[Narrator]

To protect his business interests, Stevenson set up his own private spy network across Europe. He dubbed it the British Industrial Secret Service.

[Carter Roy]

Some people say he wanted MI6 to.

[Narrator]

Recruit him and they did. In the summer of 1939, MI6 offered to fund and assist Stevenson in return.

[Carter Roy]

For his organization's intel.

[Narrator]

This isn't a typical arrangement for the British government, but by the start of.

[Carter Roy]

World War II, the Brits needed information.

[Narrator]

On Nazi Germany and Stevenson's network was already in Place.

[Carter Roy]

By June 1940, Stephenson has secured his reputation as a loyal spy. So, under Churchill's direction, MI6 comes to.

[Narrator]

Him with a proposal. They want Stevenson to sail to the United States and get a meeting with the head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover.

[Carter Roy]

Now, obviously, most people can't just call up the FBI and get a meeting with its Director. Not even MI6. After pushing for America to join the.

[Narrator]

War, their senior US officer was banned.

[Carter Roy]

From communicating with most US agencies. The metaphorical telephone line to American politics had been cut, hence calling in Stevenson, who opens up his Rolodex.

[Narrator]

Now, back in his 20s, Stephenson was an amateur boxing world champion and he's.

[Carter Roy]

Kept friends from that chapter of his.

[Narrator]

Life, including former world boxing champion Gene Tunney. Tunney happens to be close friends with Hoover and personally sets up an intro. In April 1940, Stevenson arrives at Hoover's office in Washington D.C. the two men talk for hours. That evening, Stephenson sends a telegram to MI6 saying Hoover gave assurances of goodwill. Shortly after, Hoover asks for Stevenson to be the personal liaison between the US and England.

[Carter Roy]

Stevenson accepts and moves to New York City.

[Narrator]

The same week he officially moves, Paris.

[Carter Roy]

Falls to the Nazis. Everyone fears London will be next, so.

[Narrator]

Wasting no time, Stevenson goes to work on the 35th floor of New York's Rockefeller Center. The office sign reads British Passport Control Office. Stevenson's official new title is British Passport.

[Carter Roy]

Control Officer, but it's actually secretly the local MI6 headquarters and Stevenson's their new head of operations in the us. He has big plans.

[Narrator]

Within a year, he recruits a team of nearly a hundred agents, journalists, secretaries, researchers, document forgers and media experts. They all have the same covertly manipulate the US into joining World War II.

[Carter Roy]

Obviously, it won't be easy. The higher ups in London warn Stevenson that with the US election just a few months away, the political climate has become increasingly suspicious and sensitive to propaganda. On top of that, FBI Director J.

[Narrator]

Edgar Hoover doesn't want the American public.

[Carter Roy]

To know MI6 is back in town.

[Narrator]

So even though MI6 fulfills their side of the arrangement and provides the FBI with intel, the work the two organizations can do together is Limited.

[Carter Roy]

But Stephenson finds a loophole. At the time, the US doesn't have an official centralized spy agency. The Army, Navy and FBI all engage in espionage independently.

[Narrator]

Since they don't communicate, Stephenson realizes he can work other avenues besides the FBI. So Stephenson goes straight to the top. The President of the United States.

[Carter Roy]

I am so impressed by this guy. I mean, if I thought, oh, other avenues, I don't think I'd be like.

[Narrator]

Oh, I think he'll just go talk to the President. And it's not entirely clear exactly how he secures the meeting. But given President Roosevelt's pro war stance.

[Carter Roy]

It likely didn't take much convincing. From there, Stevenson keeps his hands in the U.S. government.

[Narrator]

He hears a top U.S. military commander, Bill Donovan, has an upcoming trip to London. So MI6 rolls out the red carpet.

[Carter Roy]

They essentially stage direct Donovan's entire trip. Donovan's put up in a fancy five star hotel, given personal tours of military bases, and has an entire team dedicated.

[Narrator]

To making him feel valued.

[Carter Roy]

In London, he gets an audience with every major British political figure, including King.

[Narrator]

George VI and the Queen, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and and the Director of Naval Intelligence.

[Carter Roy]

Sounds like my kind of vacation. Now, just days after Donovan returns to dc, Stevenson ensures they cross paths.

[Narrator]

The two bills become fast friends, eventually growing so close that people call them Big Bill and Little Bill.

[Carter Roy]

It's better than Stevenson could have hoped.

[Narrator]

And they have a lot in common.

[Carter Roy]

Both grew up with immigrant parents in.

[Narrator]

Poverty on the U.S. canadian border. Both eagerly volunteered for the First World War, and both became self made millionaires.

[Carter Roy]

So they really do have a lot to connect over personally. Most importantly, however, they're two non Brits who sympathize with the British cause. It's where Stevenson made his fortune and.

[Narrator]

It'S where Donovan was recently treated with such kindness and generosity. In fact, Donovan confesses that prior to his trip he'd been warned that the.

[Carter Roy]

British can be difficult, secretive and patronizing toward Americans.

[Narrator]

But from his experience, they were exactly the opposite. He's emotionally convinced that the British could win the war and that the US should throw all their support behind them.

[Carter Roy]

Confident in Donovan's loyalty, Stevenson moves on to the next phase of his operation.

[Narrator]

Around this time, President Roosevelt is creating.

[Carter Roy]

A brand new intelligence organization called the.

[Narrator]

Office of the Coordinator of Information, or coi.

[Carter Roy]

It's the forerunner of the CIA.

[Narrator]

At his meetings with the President, Stephenson starts talking up his good pal Bill Donovan. Before long, Donovan is head of the coi. Oh, I didn't see that that worked out. He'll build the organization from scratch and be responsible for coordinating and launching all American intelligence efforts.

[Carter Roy]

I mean, I can't believe how well this is going for Stephenson.

[Narrator]

He couldn't have asked for his plan to unfold any better. He even writes, that night I took.

[Carter Roy]

Five instead of the usual four hours sleep. I mean, I'd do 10 if I was celebrating. And deservedly so for him. By the summer of 1941, Bill Stevenson.

[Narrator]

Has the sympathetic ear of the director of the FBI, the President of the United States, and the head of the forerunner of the CIA. As MI6 begins manipulating the American public, the question becomes how much did the US Government know?

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[Narrator]

It'S a muggy.

[Carter Roy]

Spring evening in 1941. The air is thick, like it might rain at any moment.

[Narrator]

A woman makes her way through a crowd of 15,000 demonstrators, mostly men, protesting on 8th Avenue in New York City. She carries a picket sign urging the United States to join in the war. Thousands of protesters with similar banners and signs trail behind her.

[Carter Roy]

They're part of the Anti Nazi League, or the anl. As the woman weaves through the crowd.

[Narrator]

People boo and yell at her group. They've marched right into the thick of an America first protest, where thousands of isolationists gather.

[Carter Roy]

They're waiting to hear Charles Lindbergh, a famous pilot and pro isolationist, speak. Someone shouts at the woman, get out.

[Narrator]

Of here or we'll kill you.

[Carter Roy]

But she refuses to turn back.

[Narrator]

One of the America first protesters breaks away from the crowd and charges the woman. He punches her in the face, knocking her to the ground.

[Carter Roy]

Mayhem breaks loose. Both sides tear into one another.

[Narrator]

Amid the screams and shouts, Lindbergh's voice plays over the loudspeaker.

[Winston Churchill]

France has now been defeated, and despite the propaganda and confusion of recent months. It is now obvious that England is losing war. I believe, and I have been forced to the conclusion that we cannot win this war for England, regardless of how much assistance we send. That is why the America First Committee has been formed.

[Narrator]

In short, he says Americans have to look out for Americans.

[Carter Roy]

But in America it's a full on.

[Narrator]

Riot and photographers and journalists are there.

[Carter Roy]

To capture it all.

[Narrator]

The next morning, papers everywhere report the.

[Carter Roy]

Violence at the America first rally. Interviews with ANL members describe the brutal.

[Narrator]

Attacks they experienced at the hands of.

[Carter Roy]

The isolationist and right wing demonstrators.

[Narrator]

Interestingly, the ANL members all have very similar talking points, as though they'd been coached, because they were. This entire violent clash was orchestrated by British intelligence.

[Carter Roy]

Once MI6 had their tenterhooks in the.

[Narrator]

Federal government, they targeted activist groups.

[Carter Roy]

These groups, like the Anti Nazi League.

[Narrator]

Were already operating independently trying to get.

[Carter Roy]

The US to enter the war.

[Narrator]

But as we mentioned earlier, that wasn't a popular stance.

[Carter Roy]

These groups weren't making inroads until MI6.

[Narrator]

Sent in Josef Hirschberg.

[Carter Roy]

Hirshberg was a war refugee himself an orthodox Jew. He fled Antwerp just before the Germans invaded and quickly volunteered with British Special Operations.

[Narrator]

Thanks to his ultra religious appearance, it was easy for Hirshberg to become a trusted member of the anl. Still, members must have been surprised when Hirshberg proposed that the group's budget include $118,000 in funding from other sources believed to be MI6.

[Carter Roy]

Now they're not exactly paid crisis actors.

[Narrator]

Since these are all people who willingly.

[Carter Roy]

Demonstrated for the cause.

[Narrator]

But they're not far off either. MI6 effectively bought the ANL. Then they mobilized it, sending ANL protesters into the America first rally with signs and talking points. This was a high profile opportunity to co opt the media coverage and portray.

[Carter Roy]

The isolationists as a dangerous and volatile group. And it worked. The story ran everywhere.

[Narrator]

By mid-1941, Stevenson is running what historians consider to be the largest undercover foreign intelligence station ever established in the us. He's only been in the country for a year.

[Carter Roy]

I'd say he's doing pretty well.

[Narrator]

The propaganda team is so large they have to open their own office cover.

[Carter Roy]

British and overseas features. Not to the State Department. It's a harmless news agency, but in.

[Narrator]

Reality it's a fake news agency. With nearly 1,000 employees, the team distributes 20 plus falsified stories a day in newspapers, magazines and on the radio. All in the name of manipulating the American people.

[Carter Roy]

And the media are in on the conspiracy. Major publications including the New York Times.

[Narrator]

And The Baltimore sun knowingly run fake stories.

[Carter Roy]

Some want America to go to war.

[Narrator]

Others are on MI6's payroll, receiving a monthly stipend to publish stories.

[Carter Roy]

And news outlets that don't actively collaborate.

[Narrator]

Are fed fake tips by politicians, academics and the official British press service.

[Carter Roy]

And stories that don't make it into.

[Narrator]

The media become rumors. MI6 agents share gossip in nightclubs, airports, hostels and amongst dock workers.

[Carter Roy]

No news is safe.

[Narrator]

One day it's the New York Post claiming typhoid epidemic reported raging behind Nazi lines.

[Carter Roy]

Then the Newark Ledger assures readers wounded Germans on the Russian front are being left to die. Many commit suicide and others are killed by their comrades to spare them from slow death. And the New York Herald boasted that.

[Narrator]

A delegate poll says 60% favor help for allies, showing a poll of answers.

[Carter Roy]

Invented by MI6 agents.

[Narrator]

Other Stories report the Germans are running out of men. That Nazi generals are spying on behalf of the Soviets and planning to assassinate Hitler.

[Carter Roy]

That the Sicilian Mafia is taking on the fascists.

[Narrator]

That British soldiers parachuted into Nazi occupied France and took 40 prisoners of war without losing a single soldier. None of these reports are true. But after a year, it's clear fake news stories won't draw the US into war.

[Carter Roy]

They need something bigger.

[Narrator]

Something like the Zimmerman telegram.

[Carter Roy]

We mentioned it earlier.

[Narrator]

It's the uncovered German message that pushed America over the edge into joining World War I.

[Carter Roy]

To get the US to join this war, MI6 needs a new Zimmerman telegram. So they set out to fly. Find it or create it.

[Narrator]

Sometime in 1941, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover approaches Stevenson for help.

[Carter Roy]

The White House has heard whispers that the Nazis might be planning to invade Bolivia. But Latin America is beyond the FBI's jurisdiction, so Hoover asks Stevenson to look into it. Stevenson sends one of his best and.

[Narrator]

Brightest young spies, 33 year old Montgomery.

[Carter Roy]

Hyde, to the Bolivian capital of La Paz. He's got the perfect name for his spy. Despite thorough digging, Hyde doesn't find any evidence of any planned Nazi invasions. But being an ambitious and quick thinking.

[Narrator]

Agent, he asks one of his Bolivian contacts what a German coup would theoretically look like.

[Carter Roy]

The contact suggests it would start with.

[Narrator]

A senior Bolivian diplomat in Germany, like Major Elias Belmonte Paban, who's notoriously pro Nazi.

[Carter Roy]

Well, what would he do?

[Narrator]

He'd likely send plans for the coup to co conspirators in La Paz. Amassing it in an official sealed diplomatic bag.

[Carter Roy]

That's all Hyde needs to hear. He flies back to New York and pitches Stevenson his idea. What if we fabricate a letter from Belmonte plotting to facilitate a Nazi coup and make sure it's discovered by the right people. Now, this is beyond risky, but by.

[Narrator]

Mid-1941, German tanks are rolling into the.

[Carter Roy]

Soviet Union, London is scarred by nine.

[Narrator]

Months of bombs and evacuated children are.

[Carter Roy]

Still separated from their families.

[Narrator]

This forgery could change the course of.

[Carter Roy]

The war in the nick of time.

[Narrator]

Then they consider public opinion. A poll at that time asks Americans if a European invasion of Latin America would justify a U.S. declaration of war.

[Carter Roy]

81% of Americans say yes. They'd go to war over Latin America. In the end, Stephenson agrees with Hyde. They set the plan in motion. First, Stephenson and Hyde acquire real letters.

[Narrator]

Sent by Belmonte so they can replicate his writing style and signature.

[Carter Roy]

With the help of expert forgers on.

[Narrator]

Their team, they're able to decipher the make and model of typewriter Belmonte uses.

[Carter Roy]

From there, the biggest obstacle is matching his signature. Oh, hey.

[Narrator]

Luckily, Hyde's wife, Dorothy also works on Stevenson's staff and runs the Top Secret Room 99, the Department for forgeries and counterfeits. She helps mimic the Major's signature.

[Carter Roy]

And there they have it. The finished forgery. Then, late one evening in July, two.

[Narrator]

Of Stevenson's men walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and hurl the typewriter into the east river, discarding the evidence. Soon after, Stevenson tells J. Edgar Hoover that he did the digging Hoover requested.

[Carter Roy]

And he has major news about Bolivia.

[Narrator]

A German courier named Fritz will be traveling through Brazil into Bolivia carrying documents related to a rumored Nazi coup. Stevenson says one of his agents will intercept the courier and retrieve the documents. Days later, the forged letter is in.

[Carter Roy]

J. Edgar Hoover's possession and he believes in its authenticity wholeheartedly.

[Narrator]

Within hours, it's on President Roosevelt's desk. From there, hundreds of American newspapers report on the letter.

[Carter Roy]

Just when Stevenson thinks they've done it.

[Narrator]

President Roosevelt announces that he has no plans to make any executive orders following the discovery of the letter.

[Carter Roy]

It's a huge shock to both MI6.

[Narrator]

And the American people. They thought it would work and it didn't.

[Carter Roy]

But MI6 has another forgery in mind.

[Narrator]

It's an extensive map of south and Central America, with each country's borders totally redrawn. Uruguay has been removed altogether. It outlines one massive German colony with four vassal states.

[Carter Roy]

I mean, look at this. The map is convincing, too.

[Narrator]

It's made using the same ink that a Nazi official would have used. There are handwritten notations in the margins that could have been written by a German bureaucrat. It is even slightly crumpled and stained, as though it had traveled far and wide.

[Carter Roy]

MI6 best forgery yet by far.

[Narrator]

Stevenson passes the map off to his friend Bill Donovan, the head of COI. And on October 21, 1941, Donovan delivers the forgery to Roosevelt.

[Carter Roy]

The idea behind it is to make it seem like this map was swiped.

[Narrator]

Right off of Hitler's desk. It suggests the German's plan isn't just.

[Carter Roy]

To take over Bolivia, but all of south and Central America, which would of course put Germany at the doorstep of America. Now, just a week after receiving the map, President Franklin Roosevelt gives perhaps his.

[Narrator]

Most provocative speech since the start of World War II. Hundreds of diplomats, politicians and journalists gather to hear him speak at a podium at the Mayflower hotel in Washington D.C. he starts by saying the shooting has started and history has recorded who fired the first shot. In the long run, however, all that will matter is who fired the last shot.

[Carter Roy]

It's a public about face.

[Narrator]

On the campaign trail, Roosevelt proclaimed he'd only ever engage in war if it was self defense. Though he supported joining the war, privately, he hadn't made his true feelings public until now. Then he reveals the existence of the map, which he says is clear cut evidence that Hitler has plans to reconstruct Latin America and the US will not stand for it. To the world, recovering this map appears to be a major intelligence coup.

[Carter Roy]

And that's the official line. When a journalist asks the President if.

[Narrator]

It'S possible the map could be a fake, Roosevelt claims it's impossible. He says it comes from a source which is undoubtedly reliable. There is no question about that.

[Carter Roy]

Okay, now does Roosevelt really believe that? That is the real question.

[Narrator]

Does Roosevelt call his source reliable because he truly believes that? Or because he's complicit in lying to the American people? And if he's willing to lie about.

[Carter Roy]

The map.

[Narrator]

Would he also lie about Pearl Harbor?

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[Narrator]

In October 1941, President Roosevelt's speech.

[Carter Roy]

About the recovered German map REVs up the US public.

[Narrator]

It's evidence the Nazis are leaving Europe.

[Carter Roy]

And plotting to invade South America, its potential grounds for war.

[Narrator]

But as far as the Nazis know.

[Carter Roy]

They aren't planning to invade South America. Even the higher ups are confused.

[Narrator]

So Nazi officials launch an internal investigation.

[Carter Roy]

To determine if the map did come from their camp. They can't find any definitive answers, but they have their suspicions, namely, MI6.

[Narrator]

Before long, the German Foreign Ministry responds directly to President Roosevelt's speech. They claim the map does not belong to the Third Reich and it is.

[Carter Roy]

Almost certainly a forgery. It is Bill Stevenson's worst nightmare, being called out publicly for the hoax. It won't take long for accusations of forgery to trickle back to him and.

[Narrator]

His MI6 team at Rockefeller Center. Except they don't.

[Carter Roy]

Wait. What? I'm sorry, how? Well, President Roosevelt calls the German accusation.

[Narrator]

Of forgery a scream. He says the Germans are lying to cover their backs.

[Carter Roy]

He doesn't take the accusation seriously. And to be fair, it would be another in a long list of German lies. Or at least that's what he says on the record.

[Narrator]

Like we mentioned earlier, it's possible the President was in on the hoax. He personally thought the US should enter the war. He'd taken Stevenson's advice before, and his.

[Carter Roy]

Administration allowed Stevenson to carry out MI6.

[Narrator]

Operations in America, unfettered for over a year.

[Carter Roy]

Now, of course, there's no way of.

[Narrator]

Knowing for sure, but there is the.

[Carter Roy]

Fact that this isn't exactly an isolated incident.

[Narrator]

In the previous month alone, the President has been alerted to at least three.

[Carter Roy]

Forgeries distributed by British Intelligence with the.

[Narrator]

Intention of making the Americans think the.

[Carter Roy]

Nazis were looking for a stronghold in Latin America.

[Narrator]

Then suddenly, a damning document arrives from.

[Carter Roy]

Stevenson, a known MI6 conduit.

[Narrator]

And through Bill Donovan, Stevenson's close friend.

[Carter Roy]

It'S clear President Roosevelt knows MI6's game. So why believe this one?

[Narrator]

It's a little hard to parse out.

[Carter Roy]

I think, exactly how much FDR would have known or not known. And I think that's part of what.

[Narrator]

Goes on when you're President.

[Carter Roy]

If you have this policy you want to enact. Well, sometimes maybe you have to live in the gray area a little bit. Now, Donovan also may have known the.

[Narrator]

Map was fake when he handed it over. And maybe J. Edgar Hoover expected this when he asked Stevenson to investigate South.

[Carter Roy]

America A little something like, hey, go check it out down there, See what you find. Regardless of what Roosevelt, Donovan and Hoover knew and when, MI6's work has pushed the US right to the brink of war with Germany.

[Narrator]

In just 18 months, MI6 successfully spread fake news, infiltrated pressure groups and won.

[Carter Roy]

Over the American people. And they did so relatively undetected. Bill Stevenson is so close to the finish line, waiting on Congress to act. And then on December 7, 1941, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor. In a span of two hours, more than 2,400Americans die, mostly Navy personnel. The next day, the US declares war on Japan. Within days, Japan's allies, Italy and Germany declare war on the U.S. america and Germany are at war. But by now, the American people are on the President's side. A poll finds that 2/3 of Americans are willing to enter the war and fight the Nazis. MI6's mission is accomplished.

[Narrator]

After the war, Stevenson becomes the first foreigner to receive the US Medal of Merit.

[Carter Roy]

Donovan pins it on him himself. If you're watching the video, the image on screen is from that ceremony.

[Narrator]

Stevenson also becomes one of Ian Fleming's.

[Carter Roy]

Inspirations for James Bond, so his legacy continues to influence Americans today.

[Narrator]

But did the campaign really stop at a forged map, or did they go.

[Carter Roy]

A step further a long time? Listeners may recall that the Pearl harbor attack spawned its own set of conspiracy theories. A major theory is that the US Provoked Japan into attacking so they'd have an excuse to enter World War II. Is it possible that was partially due to Stevenson and MI6?

[Narrator]

Well, throughout 1940 and 1941, the US.

[Carter Roy]

And Japan were negotiating a trade deal. Normally, this is a sign of peaceful.

[Narrator]

International relations, but there's evidence the negotiations.

[Carter Roy]

Were were not in good faith.

[Narrator]

In mid December 1941, the American ambassador to Japan wrote to the President.

[Carter Roy]

He said the Japanese would notice if the US Wasn't being genuine in trade negotiations.

[Narrator]

The President wrote back noting that his.

[Carter Roy]

Main goal in Southeast Asia wasn't a trade deal. It was to help Great Britain win the war. Then there's his War Secretary's diary. In one entry, Cabinet member Henry Stimson.

[Narrator]

Wrote that the President openly speculated about an incoming Japanese attack. Stimson wrote, quote, the question was how we should maneuver them into the position of firing the first shot without allowing too much danger to ourselves.

[Carter Roy]

Now, when those pages became public during the Joint Committee on the Investigation of.

[Narrator]

The Pearl harbor attack in 1946, multiple people then and since questioned Stimson's use of maneuver.

[Carter Roy]

They accused the President of provoking an attack, perhaps as part of a joint operation with MI6 to sway the American.

[Narrator]

People into support, even if there was no provocation. There are also claims that U.S. navy.

[Carter Roy]

Intelligence officers found evidence of a planned Japanese attack, but when they reported it, nothing was done and that offices records were destroyed.

[Narrator]

If that intelligence existed, it's not impossible.

[Carter Roy]

That MI6 uncovered it too and also did nothing. Because after the US enters the war, Stevenson remains at Rockefeller center, managing what dwindles to a skeleton crew. They organize the office records and turn.

[Narrator]

Them into a single volume history book of the work they did, excluding many.

[Carter Roy]

Of the more scandalous parts. Stevenson has 20 copies of the book produced. Then he has all the paperwork. Now, those books are how we know a little about what we do know. Like Betty Thorpe, the honeypot spy we talked about earlier in the episode who helped change Vandenberg's vote.

[Narrator]

But all the paperwork that's destroyed, well.

[Carter Roy]

That has things we don't know. Clearly Stevenson had something he didn't want us to see. So though we don't know the extent.

[Narrator]

Fully of the secret campaign, it is a confirmed conspiracy.

[Carter Roy]

And these kinds of conspiracies are still being run today on you. You might have heard the accusations that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election.

[Narrator]

Since then, the Russian government has been found responsible for interfering. They spread misinformation, manipulated the news media, paid influencers and hacked sensitive correspondence which.

[Carter Roy]

They used to their advantage. It's said that the Chinese are trying.

[Narrator]

To do the same thing right now in 2025.

[Carter Roy]

Just like the British in 1941.

[Narrator]

They're trying to manipulate the American people.

[Carter Roy]

It's happened before, it could happen again.

[Narrator]

So take everything you read or hear with a grain of salt, or you.

[Carter Roy]

Might suddenly find that your opinions are not your own. Thank you for listening to conspiracy theories. We're here with a new episode every Wednesday. Be sure to check us out on Instagram heconspiracypod. If you're watching on Spotify, swipe up and give us your thoughts.

[Narrator]

For more information on Britain's secret campaign.

[Carter Roy]

In the us Amongst the many sources we used, we found Agents of Influence by Henry Heming. Extremely helpful to our research. Until next time, remember, the truth isn't always the best story. And the official story isn't always the truth. This episode was written and researched by Sarah Tart Cardiff edited by Maggie Admire.

[Narrator]

Fact checked by Sophie Kemp engineered by.

[Carter Roy]

Alex Button and video edited and sound designed by Ryan Contra. I'm your host, Carter Roy.