Between 1905 and 1908 the dancer professionally known as Mata Hari was one of the best known entertainers in Europe. Her nearly-nude dances were given an air of respectability thanks to her presentation as Javanese temple dancer performing sacred religious rites. But by the outbreak of WWI her star had started to fade. To maintain her lavish lifestyle she began to rely heavily on her wealthy lovers. These lovers were often military men who fought on opposing sides of the war. This made Mata Hari of interest to a number of different intelligence services. Both the Germans and the French may have tried to recruit her as a spy. But did she ever do any real spying? Tune-in and find out how exotic dancer rip-offs, confiscated furs, and grey-area sex work, all play a role in the story.   

Works Cited

Craig, Mary W. A Tangled Web: Mata Hari: Dancer, Courtesan, Spy. The History Press, 2018.

Hanson, Helen, and Catherine O’Rawe, editors. Femme Fatale: Images, Histories, Contexts. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

Keay, Julia. The Spy Who Never Was: The Life and Loves of Mata Hari. Isis Large Print, 1989.

Shipman, Pat. Femme Fatale: Love, Lies, and the Unknown Life of Mata Hari. Phoenix, 2008.

Wheelwright, Julie. Fatal Lover: Mata Hari and the Myth of Women in Espionage. Collins & Brown, 1993.