Who Was Mata Hari?

Mata Hari's real name was Margetha Zelle, an abused wife, her son was murdered by poisoning, she developed a taste for affairs with military officers. Since his husband was such a brute, she filed for divorce and won custody of her daughter, which was unheard of in those days. In the end, she had to give up her daughter as he husband refused to pay support money and began a campaign of hate against her.

She moved to Paris and became an exotic dancer. In 1914, she performed in Germany and fell for a German soldier. Apparently he recruited her into the spy game and she became a spy. She returned to Paris where she was immediately placed under surveillance. She was turned by French intelligence, but her botched attempt at spying ended up with her being arrested and executed on the strength of precious little evidence. She remains a famous figure of the siren spy in cultural memory.

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