The Rest Is Classified – Episode Summary

Episode: The Rise Of Putin: Spying With The Stasi
Date: November 21, 2025
Host(s): David McCloskey, Gordon Corera
Guest: Mark Galeotti (Historian specializing in Russia and organized crime)

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the dramatic fall of the Soviet Union, focusing on Vladimir Putin's KGB background, his experiences during the collapse of East Germany, and the failed coup of August 1991. Host David McCloskey, co-host Gordon Corera, and special guest historian Mark Galeotti reflect on the chaos of those pivotal years, drawing parallels between Soviet-era intrigue and modern Russian politics. Through vivid anecdotes, the panel explores the inner workings of espionage during a nation’s unraveling—and Putin’s ambiguous role amid tectonic change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Putin’s Return to a Collapsing Soviet Union

• The episode picks up after East Germany's collapse, with Putin returning to a Soviet Union facing its own existential crisis.
• Gordon notes the ominous timing: "He's gone from one collapsing regime to another." (01:49)
• The looming Soviet collapse is highlighted—Putin leaves one fallen state only to witness another on the brink.

2. August 1991 Coup: The Soviet Union’s Last Stand

• The hosts recall how the attempted coup by hardline communists, including KGB figures, shocked even those closest to events.
• Mark Galeotti shares a personal anecdote as a researcher in Moscow at the time:
  • "I had just returned back to the UK literally two days before the coup happened, to my great chagrin." (02:36)
• No one anticipated the coup—not locals, embassies, nor Western intelligence. Hindsight reveals how even seasoned analysts missed the signs.
• Notable parallel with Prigozhin's recent mutiny: many officials simply waited to see who would prevail, leading to widespread inaction.

3. Atmosphere in Moscow: Uncertainty and Caution

• A telling moment from Moscow: "On that first day of the coup, there was a record level of police calling in sick... Let's just call in sick and see how it goes." (Mark Galeotti, 04:45)
• Stories abound of Muscovites now claiming they filled the ranks of Yeltsin’s defenders, humorously critiqued by Galeotti.

4. Western Intelligence: Caught Off Guard

• Gordon recounts speaking with someone from MI6 who realized something was amiss only when usual Russian surveillance disappeared (05:30).
• Mark Galeotti: "It doesn't sound like... anyone really had any intelligence that it was coming." (05:44)
• Improvisation among the coup plotters is blamed—the plan was chaotic, last-minute, and failed spectacularly within three days.

5. Analysis: Parallels to Recent Russian History

• Galeotti connects the 1991 coup’s lack of preparation to Putin's 2022 Ukraine invasion:
  • "There was this assumption that all they needed to do was make an announcement... everyone would just realize that times had changed and they had to obey the new order." (06:37)
• Coup plotters, overconfident from decades of power, failed to anticipate public or elite resistance.

6. What Was Putin Doing During the Coup?

• David poses the key question: "What is Putin doing during all of this? And maybe deeper, what is he thinking about what's unraveling?" (08:02)
• Mark Galeotti offers skepticism about the official line (that Putin was "shocked" and resigned on principle):
  • "There’s no real reason to regard Putin as being some kind of committed democrat and reformer." (08:15)
• The KGB was in disarray—split between pro- and anti-coup factions, leading to a kind of functional paralysis. Putin likely "bided his time" rather than heroically resigning.
• By the end of 1991, Putin is "definitely out of the KGB in terms of full-time employment. Whether it was because of a principled stand, well, that's between him and his confessor." (09:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Russia owes me a coup. Someday I expect to be able to collect on that."
  — Mark Galeotti on missing the historic moment (02:36)

• "For example, on that first day of the coup, there was a record level of police calling in sick... Let's just call in sick and see how it goes."
  — Mark Galeotti (04:45)

• "It doesn’t sound like... anyone really had any intelligence that it was coming."
  — Gordon Corera (05:44)

• "There was this assumption that after decades of party rule, a certain degree of deference... was bred in the bone and all they needed to do was make an announcement..."
  — Mark Galeotti (06:37)

• "Since immediately after, the KGB was illegalized by Yeltsin, in some ways one can ask a question of whether Putin jumped or was pushed."
  — Mark Galeotti (09:32)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:49 – Setting the stage: the dual collapse of East Germany and the Soviet Union
• 01:49 – The August 1991 coup begins
• 02:36 – 05:30 – Mark Galeotti’s firsthand account and atmosphere in Moscow
• 05:30 – 06:27 – Western intelligence caught by surprise; chaos among coup plotters
• 06:27 – 08:02 – Parallels to Putin's future governance style
• 08:02 – 09:58 – Putin’s ambiguous role; KGB disarray and aftermath

Episode Tone and Style

The conversation is insightful yet laced with wry humor, especially from Mark Galeotti's dry anecdotes. The hosts balance rigorous historical analysis with memorable, relatable storytelling, bringing the murky world of espionage—and Putin’s early years—to life.

End of summary