Chrezvychaynaya Kommisiya
In spite of the period of Cheka (1917-22) this was included due to historical value and for better understanding of the Russian (Soviet) intelligence structures.Cheka was founded by V.I.Lenin on 20.12.1917 and F.E.Dzerzhinskiy became the chief. It was mainly aimed on eliminating contra revolutionaries - over 40 million people. They also helped to build up the legend of "the empire of fear" .Like its successors it had executive power and it made full use of it. It attacked everything and everyone. Cheka-men managed to lower the state of the czarist army from 22,000 to 40-50. The rest became the target of the Osobiy Otdel (Special Branch) - Cheka department inside the army. The Kaplan attempt to kill Lenin in 1918 started a new wave of terror. First targets were the educated and the Whigs, later the bourgeoisie followed. Their methods easily topped the Gestapo or SS.
The Border CHEKA (later the Frontier Army of the KGB) and Rail Defence were founded in the 20s. Their main purpose was to stop people from leaving the country. To enforce this the KRO (kontrarozvedniy otdel - counterintelligence) was founded.
The INO (Inostrannyi otdel) managed the spies by the model of the Western services. The spies were usually the first or second secretaries of the ambassador.
The Cheka was reorganized in 1922 and renamed GPU.
