GRU (Main Intelligence Agency), Russia
France’s convoluted intelligence history is fairly impressive, but nobody wove a complicated web of overlapping intelligence agencies like Russia/Soviet Union. The following is almost certainly an incomplete list.
1802: Ministry of Internal Affairs founded; acquires numerous powers over the next century, including various intelligence functions.
1810: The Expedition for Secret Affairs (military intelligence) established.
1812: Expedition for Secret Affairs renamed the Special Bureau.
1815: Special Bureau renamed First Department, headed by General Chief of Staff.
1836: Military intelligence transferred to Second Department (renamed and transferred repeatedly over the next seventy years).
1906: Imperial Military Intelligence controlled by Fifth Department.
October 1918: Registration Agency (RU) established.
November 1918: Imperial military intelligence and the RU replaced by Main Intelligence Directorate of the Soviet Union (GRU).
1917: Ministry of Internal Affairs renamed People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD); controls police, secret police, and performs counter-intelligence.
1920: Special Section of the Cheka established, includes an internal Foreign Department (FD) responsible for foreign intelligence.
1922: State Political Directorate (GPU) established, merges FD with NKVD; responsible for foreign intelligence, and the liquidation of assorted ‘enemies of the people’.
1923: Foreign Department renamed Foreign Department of Joint State Political Administration (OGPU). 1934: OGPU reincorporated into NKVD, renamed Main Directorate for State Security (GUGB).
February 3, 1941 to July 20, 1941: NKGB established and disbanded; responsible for military counter-intelligence, controlled Soviet secret police, intelligence and counter-intelligence.
February 3, 1941: Special Sections of NKVD assigned to military counterintelligence (CI). GUGB separated from NKVD and folded into NKGB.
July 20, 1941: NKVD and NKGB reunited.
1942: CI sections returned to NKVD.
1943: CI sections transferred to the People’s Commissariats of Defense and the Navy, becoming SMERSH (“Death to Spies”). NKVD separated from the NKGB.
1943 to 1946: NKGB re-established and disbanded.
1946: NKVD renamed Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD). NKGB renamed as the Ministry of State Security (MGB).
1953: MGB folded into MVD.
1954: Police and Security divided. USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) controls criminal militia and correctional facilities. USSR Committee for State Security (KGB), controls the political police, intelligence, counter-intelligence, leadership security, and secret communications.
1991: KGB divided into Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) and Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (SVR RF)
1992: GRU folded into Russian Ministry of Defense.
2010: GRU renamed Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.