Female Spies of World War I

The name Mata Hari is probably the most famous in all of espionage. She has been called the worst spy of the century, the most misunderstood and tragic espionage figure in history, and the Spy Who Never Was. Margaretha Geertruida Zelle was a poor Dutch girl who became a European celebrity and brilliantly marketed herself as a Malaysian exotic dancer with the name of Mata Hari. She was eventually accused by the French as a spy for the Germans, an accusation that has been questioned for decades. Ever since she was accused of spying, her real role in French and German espionage has been the source of numerous investigations, biographies, and scholarly studies. She said of herself that she was much better a harlot than a traitor.

As Mata Hari seemingly pretended to be a spy for monetary gain without ever searching for classified information, other women showed extraordinary courage in the war effort and were either actively engaged in real espionage or falsely accused during the war: Sarah Aaronson, Marthe McKenna, Edith Cavell, a mysterious Russian nun, and Marthe Richard.

Sarah Aaronson -