The Rest Is Classified

Episode 121: Kim Philby: Stalin’s Mole Inside MI6 (Ep 1)

Release Date: January 26, 2026
Hosts: David McCloskey & Gordon Corera

Main Theme

This episode embarks on a four-part deep dive into the life and motivations of Kim Philby—arguably the most consequential double agent in 20th-century espionage. Against the backdrop of betrayal and duplicity at the highest levels of British intelligence, hosts David McCloskey (former CIA analyst and novelist) and Gordon Corera (security correspondent) explore Philby’s early influences, formative years, and the psychological contours that led him to become Stalin’s most effective mole within MI6. The narrative is equal parts history, psychology, and the anatomy of betrayal.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Enigma of Kim Philby

• Philby is introduced as one of espionage history’s most remarkable and controversial figures, nicknamed “the greatest traitor of the 20th century.”
• Hosts promise a psychological character study across four episodes, emphasizing Philby’s impact not just on intelligence agencies but also on British society and spy literature.
  • “He spends years in British intelligence, in MI6, heading towards the top, while all the time working for Moscow.” — Gordon Corera [04:46]
  • Reference to the trauma Philby caused within MI6, the CIA, and the genre of spy fiction (e.g., inspiration for John le Carré’s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”).

2. Sympathy & Class: ‘The Classiest Traitor’

• The hosts playfully debate whether Philby was “classier” than other notable traitors in espionage, referencing Aldrich Ames and Edward Lee Howard.
• Corera explores the persistent, almost “masochistic” British fascination with Philby’s betrayal and the role of class and establishment privilege.

3. The Philby Family Background: Roots of Treason?

• Much time is spent outlining the influence of Philby’s father, Harold “St. John” (Sinjin) Philby—a brilliant but rebellious British colonial officer with a deep attachment to the Middle East.
• Philby's upbringing was marked by:
  • Early years in India (first language: Hindi).
  • Relocation to England, enduring emotional distance from his parents.
  • A sense of being an outsider—“in it, but not of it”—regarding British society.
  • Development of a stammer and signs of non-conformism.
• Father's complex legacy: explorer, Arab advocate, celebrity, and eventual convert to Islam for both spiritual and business reasons.

4. Education and Early Traits

• Philby’s education at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge:
  • Attended Westminster, not the poshest or sportiest but cultivated individuality (Tim Milne, Philby’s friend, offers valuable insight).
  • Known as a bookish, aloof, yet quietly self-reliant loner.
    • “Kim himself was highly untypical even of Westminster. Barriers up, something untouchable about him, also a kind of inner strength.” — Gordon Corera [24:05]
  • Early cricket and football anecdotes, including banter over cricket positions and Arsenal allegiance.
• At Cambridge, Philby’s outsider status persists despite elite surroundings—his sympathies skew toward the underdog.

5. Europe in Crisis & Philby’s Political Radicalization

• Philby enters Cambridge just as Europe faces deepening political and economic turmoil:
  • Wall Street crash, Depression, rise of fascism, and failure of left-leaning governments.
• 1930-33: Philby travels through Europe with friends witnessing the rise of Nazism first-hand.
  • Attends Hitler’s rallies, is “horrified” by Nazi ascendancy and the uncritical fervor of crowds.
    • “We felt we’d seen into the future.” — Tim Milne on witnessing Nazi rallies [33:26]
• Increasingly drawn to communism as a bulwark against fascism, influenced by Cambridge lecturers—especially economics professor Maurice Dobb, a key recruiter and mentor.

6. Vienna & Love: The Passion and Political Awakening

• After graduating in 1933, Philby travels to Vienna, the nexus of pre-war ideological battle.
• Quickly becomes involved in the city’s leftist underground and falls in love with Litzy Friedman—older, divorced, “full-on communist,” and active in Soviet intelligence’s periphery.
  • “Within ten days, they’re having an affair…this is Kim Philby’s first sexual experience.” — Gordon Corera [43:04]
  • The hosts emphasize the importance and rarity of this emotional connection for Philby.
• Philby aids leftist activists during the brief but brutal government crackdown in February 1934. Marries Litzy, partly to help her escape persecution but also, the hosts suggest, out of genuine affection.

7. Recruitment by Soviet Intelligence

• On returning to England, Philby is aimless but still connected to communist circles through Litzy.
• He attracts the attention of Edith Tudor Hart—a Soviet “talent spotter”—who introduces him (via a meticulously executed surveillance-avoidance route) to Arnold Deutsch, a brilliant Austrian communist operating as a Soviet recruiter.
  • “You are a bourgeois by education, appearance, and origin. You could have a bourgeois career…We need people who can penetrate into the bourgeois institutions…” — Arnold Deutsch to Philby [56:07]
• The pitch: Use Philby’s elite background as cover for deep penetration into the British establishment, not just as a spy but as a long-term “illegal” planted agent.
• The hosts explain how this seeding strategy distinguished Soviet recruitment from more opportunistic Western approaches.

8. The Motives and Psychological Appeal

• Philby’s motivations are dissected: a mix of ideology, attraction to thrill and secrecy, rebellion against family and establishment, and the psychological allure of belonging to a secret “inner ring.”
  • “To have one up on everyone else, even inside that [elite], by being a secret communist within the elite.” — Gordon Corera [60:19]
• Hosts debate the point at which Philby's actions cross into outright betrayal—at this point, he remains only a “fellow traveler” with no access to secrets, but the path is set.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 04:46 | Gordon Corera | “He spends years in British intelligence, in MI6, heading towards the top, while all the time working for Moscow.” | | 07:44 | David McCloskey | “We should just say up front, this is. He’s a bad guy.” | | 24:05 | Gordon Corera | “Kim himself was highly untypical even of Westminster. Barriers up, something untouchable about him, also a kind of inner strength.” | | 33:26 | Tim Milne (read by hosts) | “We felt we’d seen into the future.” | | 43:04 | Gordon Corera | “Within ten days, they’re having an affair…this is Kim Philby’s first sexual experience.” | | 56:07 | Arnold Deutsch (paraphrased) | “You are a bourgeois by education, appearance, and origin... We need people who could penetrate into the bourgeois institutions, penetrate them for us.” | | 60:19 | Gordon Corera | “To have one up on everyone else, even inside that [elite], by being a secret communist within the elite.” |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:18] – Tim Milne’s reflections on Philby’s lack of patriotism and outsider status
• [04:23–11:13] – The Philby family dynamic; father’s legacy and its impact on Kim
• [13:27–20:10] – St. John Philby’s adventures, influence in the Middle East, and family estrangement
• [23:01] – Westminster School: Philby’s formative years and elusive personality
• [30:21] – Cambridge: Social circles, political context, and early radicalization
• [33:26–35:17] – Philby’s first-hand encounters with fascism in Europe
• [37:12–38:24] – Influence of Cambridge professors and early recruitment atmosphere
• [40:10–44:29] – Vienna: Philby’s immersion in revolutionary politics, meeting Litzy, and revolutionary action
• [48:02–50:04] – Approach by Soviet intelligence: Edith Tudor Hart & recruitment via Arnold Deutsch
• [54:28–57:43] – The recruitment pitch; Soviet strategy for infiltration
• [58:38–60:19] – Hosts analyze Philby’s psychological and ideological motives
• [62:44–63:41] – The moment of no return; young Philby’s fateful commitment

Tone & Style

• Conversational, witty, and reflective; hosts inject humor and historical banter while maintaining analytical depth.
• Quotes are delivered with a blend of irony and seriousness, especially regarding class and British cultural quirks.
• McCloskey, the American ex-CIA host, often teases Corera’s British sensibilities and fixation on class, while Corera offers historical context with a sardonic edge.

Conclusion & Next Episode Tease

The episode closes with Philby about to embark on his long, duplicitous journey as a Soviet penetration agent. The hosts preview the next episode, which will cover Philby’s wartime adventures, involvement in the Spanish Civil War, and his steady ascent into the heart of British intelligence—setting the stage for deeper betrayals to come.

For those interested in detailed psychological portraits, historical context, and the emotional complexity behind one of the 20th century’s greatest betrayals, this episode offers both depth and narrative drive—without requiring prior knowledge of the subject or the spy genre.