Lecture format: on site
Room: 2R-EG-07 (lecture hall of the Institute for Eastern European History).
Street address: Spitalgasse 2, Campus of the University of Vienna, Hof 3.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Prague had become a favorite destination for the world's most prominent terrorists and revolutionaries. They arrived here to seek refuge, enjoy recreation, or hold secret meetings aimed at securing training, arms, and other forms of support. While some were welcome with open arms, others were closely watched and gradually ousted. Watching the Jackals (2025, Georgetown University Press) is the untold history of Czechoslovakia's complex relations with Middle Eastern terrorists and revolutionaries during the closing decades of the Cold War. Based on recently declassified intelligence files, Richterova unveils the story of Prague's engagement with various factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization as well as some of the era's most infamous terrorists including Carlos the Jackal, Munich Olympics massacre commander Abu Daoud, and the Abu Nidal Organisation. In this gripping account, Richterova explains why 'Cold War Jackals' gravitated towards Prague, how the country's leaders reacted to their visits, and uncovers the role Czechoslovakia's security and intelligence apparatus – the StB (Státní bezpečnost) played in these, at times, dangerous liaisons.
Drawing on interviews and remarkably detailed records from the former Czechoslovakia, Richterova offers readers interested in the intelligence world a fascinating account of how states use their spies to pursue covert policies with violent non-state actors. The book also introduces new evidence and nuance into old debates about whether or not the Soviet Bloc supported terrorism.
Dr Daniela Richterova is Associate Professor in Intelligence Studies at the Department of War Studies, King's College London. A leading expert among a new generation of intelligence and security scholars, she specialises in the history of Cold War espionage, covert operations, and state relations with terrorists and revolutionaries. She regularly publishes in prestigious academic and media outlets, including International Affairs and Foreign Policy. She is Director of the MA in Intelligence and International Security at King's College London, Deputy Director of the King's Centre for the Study of Intelligence, and Co-convenor of the Cambridge Intelligence Seminar.
Episode 67 of our Transformative Podcast featured Daniela Richterova in conversation with Rosamund Johnston on "Transformations of Terrorism". Listen to our podcast through our website or wherever you get your pods.
The event will be recorded and uploaded to RECET's YouTube channel.
