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How vital were Cold War spies?

The world of espionage lies at the heart of the mythology of the Cold War.

But while the tales of adventure, betrayal and mole hunts have proved a source of rich inspiration for thriller writers, did they actually make a difference to the outcome?

It is difficult to know the answer.

One reason it is hard to make a judgement is that much of the intelligence collected was military or tactical in nature, and would only have proven useful if the Cold War had gone hot.

Read entire article at BBC