HIST1390 (History of Espionage 2: Cold War Spies) course reviews and ratings at Northeastern (NEU). Average rating 3.8/5. Compare professors with RateMyProfessor reviews.
Explores the history of espionage during the Cold War era (1943–1991) through a series of case studies. Draws from a wide variety of published and unpublished primary and secondary sources, supplemented by modern theoretical and social science perspectives, literature, and films. Students work individually and in teams to explore the history of covert operations, including the following subthemes: the origins of the Cold War in World War II, the postwar battle for German scientists, containment and rollback, Venona and code breaking, nuclear spies, defectors, proxy wars, insurgencies and counterinsurgencies, terrorism, and technology.
Data updated October 2026.