The Spy and the Devil

by Tim Willasey-Wilsey

This is the forgotten tale of MI6's top spy in Nazi Germany and his bid to stop the Second World War. In the world of espionage, where the accounts of renowned spies often dominate the narrative, this is a rare gem - an untold story of a completely unknown spy. Baron William de Ropp, a Baltic German aristocrat, wasn't just any ordinary spy; he was MI6's top-secret agent in Nazi Germany from 1931 to 1939, managing to escape Berlin just before war broke out. This unsung hero had direct access to Adolf Hitler and an inside track on the Nazi regime. His reports, shrouded in secrecy, had the power to shape British policy toward Germany in a pivotal period of history.
The Spy and the Devil is a riveting tale of espionage, intrigue, and the untold impact of one man's secret mission on the course of history. A journey into the shadows of Nazi Germany, where a forgotten British spy worked tirelessly to avert catastrophe, and discover the secrets that history almost left behind.
Although aspects of de Ropp's activities appear in other books, notably the authorised history of MI6, his story has never been published in full before, adding an extra dimension to what is, by any standard, the account of a very remarkable man. Drawing on his years of service in the Foreign Office, Tim Willasey-Wilsey offers an insider's view of this enigmatic British spy.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published May 8, 2025

Reviews

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blimey, that was a dry read.

It’s incredibly well researched, of that there is no doubt, although I found the author too keen to remind the reader of his thoroughness by seemingly mentioning the name of every single individual who had ever been within a 15 yard radius of de Ropp. You would routinely find yourself going down a rabbit hole along the lines of… “X would later go on to form the Y club, which would employ the services of Z, who would of course go on to marry A, whose uncle was head of B”.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced account of espionage and intrigue, then skip this one.

[John Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his book The Spy and the Devil Tim Willasey-Wilsey sheds light not only on a previously little-known British agent with access to the highest levels in pre-war Germany but on a fascinating period of history, which witnessed the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party and the politics and events leading up to war. The book is meticulously researched.

The central figure is Baron Wilhelm Sylvester von der Ropp, a Baltic German who became a British subject and as Bill de Ropp fought bravely for the British on the Western Front. He subsequently moved to Germany in 1926 and thereafter struck up a friendship with Alfred Rosenberg, a fellow Baltic German and the Nazi’s chief theorist. Although in the power struggles of the Nazi elite Rosenberg would eventually lose out and was marginalised, during the 1930s he provided de Ropp with access to Hitler and high-level policy thinking. While that was a singular achievement, due to the immaturity of the Special Intelligence Service de Ropp received little or no strategic direction for furthering his penetration of the Nazi hierarchy and he operated in something of a vacuum, with the result that his full potential was never realised.

In following de Ropp’s career the book provides new thinking on an array of topics in which he was directly or indirectly involved including the Zinoviev Letter, the development of MI6 as a strategic rather than tactical level national asset, the dilemma in the 1930s as to whether the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany was Britain’s principal threat, the development of Blitzkrieg doctrine and German aircraft production. I was particularly intrigued by two aspects. First the British Air Ministry’s tendency to be an appeasing organisation, and the Germans use of it as a conduit to influence British politics, and secondly, de Ropp’s wife ‘Jimmy’, who was not only an adept agent in her own right but also had the reputation of being ‘good between the sheets’ and as a result able to extract information from foreign diplomats. In later life she would announce that she had slept with Goebbels and Göring, presumably on separate occasions. She was a great support to Bill and had she written about her life I suspect it would have been quite a read.

Despite the paucity of his intelligence reports due to over-enthusiastic weeding of the MI6 archive in the 1960s the author makes a cogent case for de Ropp’s role as a high-level spy. The quality of his reports were highly regarded within Whitehall and undoubtedly contributed to Chamberlain’s government approach to appeasement and its limits and Britain’s rearmament. However, that notwithstanding, the shortage of available documentary evidence results in de Ropp appearing as an enigmatic figure who comes in and out of focus as the story unfolds and I did wonder whether he was a double agent, particularly as he gave little or no warning of such significant events as the occupation of the Rhineland, the invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Set against those potentially suspect intelligence shortfalls he was accurate in his warning about the scope and horror of Nazi aims in the East and in his final chapter the author comprehensively and convincingly dismantles the case for de Ropp being a double agent.

This is not a light read, particularly in its earlier chapters, but the author is commended for his clear style and excellent insights into the era of appeasement. I unreservedly recommend the book to anyone interested in the early development of MI6, the machinations of personalities – friends and foes alike, and the tightrope that has to be walked by agents.

[Ash Alexander-Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly researched book by an expert