VIEW
THIS PAPER in its published format
- 146 KB, pdf format
Ragusa
Intelligence & Security (RIS)
- A Model for the 21st Century!?
Stevan
Dedijer
Dubrovnik,
Croatia
ABSTRACT
Ragusa (Dubrovnik),
a city-state on the eastern Adriatic coast has organized
one of the first intelligence organizations in history.
Having no army Ragusa's indipendence depended heavily
on accurate and timely intelligence gathered by its merchant,
diplomats and scientists. Througout its history as a indipendent
city-state (from 14th to 19th century) Ragusa maintained
its neutral position and ballanced between Austria, Venice,
Otoman Empire and other European powers having good diplomatic
and trade relations with all of them. The author's own
research of the Dubrovnik's archive show that good intelligence
was critical for such a policy enabling Ragusa's diplomats
quick adapting to the new situations and helping them
"guessing right", and that is exactly what intelligence
is.
A
Surprising Discovery
In
l972, while questioning why Communist politicians - Tito
in particular - failed to develop their countries to full
potential, I concluded that they failed because they suffered
an "information deficiency." Governments need
information to survive; that is, the gathering, classification,
and analysis of data. Governments now operate in the tenth
Intelligence Revolution, one induced by the democratic
capitalist system. Former CIA director, William Colby,
set out the revolution's components:
-
National and International (i.e. NATO) Intelligence
and Security (I&S) communities.
-
Oversight and control bodies.
-
Science-based technologies.
-
Privatization of Intelligence; that is, corporations
base their RISS according to IBM
-
Future I&S function: population self-management
- To
which can be added:
-
Individualization: mass education, electronic media
stimulating inquisitiveness and creativity of individuals
and social systems.
-
Emergence of the "bridge-building" methods
of science.
I&S
has a past, but little written history. Unaware of emerging
global trends, historians generally ignored the I&S
past. One, however, knew better. T. Browald of Sweden's
Handelsbank, wrote in The Way Ahead (l975) that "Three
institutions in history had the best intelligence: the British
Empire, the Swiss banks, and the Catholic Church".
However, one can add to these the tiny republic of Ragusa,
which, amid great powers often in conflict, lived free for
five centuries using a well-organized I&S system.
Ragusa
was the name used for the Republic of Dubrovnik up to 1806.
The Croat name Dubrovnik appeared first in a 12th
century document, but it was not generally used in European
languages.
Ragusa
in its world
Similar
to Amalfi, Genoa, Pisa, Florence, and Venice, Ragusa was
a commercial city-state living by "intellegentia
pecuniae querendo."1
In the 7th century, when the Avars and Slavs destroyed
the Greek-Roman city of Epidaurus, some refugees settled
on a nearby rock ("laus" in Greek) which became
over time Raus, Rausia, and finally Ragusa. E. Carter,
in his monumental Dubrovnik (Ragusa): A Classic City-State
(l975) shows that Ragusa from its inception survived on
shipbuilding and trade, exporting wax, wool, and skins
from the Balkans, and textiles, wheat, and luxury items
from the Mediterranean.
By
l400, 8,000 inhabitants lived within its walls, today
the same 400 meters in diameter. Ragusans, now rich by
trade, purchased from the ruling princes an 80 kilometer
strip of land along the coast, having about 40,000 inhabitants.
Until l190, Ragusa had a Byzantine governor, and then
a Venetian. From l358 to l806, Ragusa (managed by I&S)
showed "Libertas" on its flag, the only Dalmatian
town free of Venice.
Ragusa's
government system was so similar to Venice's that it was
called "scimia di Venezia"(a monkey irritating
Venice).2
Venice's protector was San Marco, and Ragusa's Saint Blaise.
Its architecture and art were Italian, its official languages
Latin, then Italian. Like Venice, Ragusa was governed
by a prince, with a Great Council, Senate, and a Minor
(Executive) Council, all chosen from aristocratic families,
limited in number in 1297 in Venice, and in Ragusa in
l332. In 1359, Ragusa decentralized its government; a
rector limited in power was elected for a month; to keep
them apolitical, its bishop and Council secretary were
imported. All government officials were elected by the
Grand Council, numbering l30 nobles in l358, twenty in
1806.
The
Ragusan Archives document , "Speculum Maioris Consilii
Rectores", showed 4397 rectors elected between September
1440 to June l806; 2764, (63 %) were from eleven "old
patrician" families: Gozze, Bona, Caboga, Cerva,
Ghetaldi, Giorgi, Gradi, Pozza, Saraca, Sorgo, and Zamanya.
An 1802 list of Ragusa's governing bodies showed3
that 6 of the 8 Minor Council, and 15 of 20 Grand Council
members were from the same 11 families.
Paradoxically,
the armed powers at the time - Serbia, Croatia, Austro-Hungary,
Venice, Spain, the Vatican, and, from l400 on, Turkey,
France, England, and Russia, were often in conflict or
at war with one another, but they comprised unarmed Ragusa's
world trading partners.
Its
Governing Doctrine
"'For
example' is no proof"
Talmud
Ragusa
prospered free in that world because its ruling families'
governing doctrines were based on its unique culture.
Nikola Vito Gozze, who served seven times as the rector
of Ragusa, in his Dello Stato delle Republiche,
Venice , l591, lists 222 governing rules; the following
are typical:
- It
is better that a republic be governed by laws than by
men
- A
prince by election is better than one by succession
- Citizens
of moderate means better love their Princes and country
than the rich, who refuse to have anyone above them.
- To
govern a republic, it is best to imitate the great god
of nature, who does everything little by little, almost
unobserved
Above
the door of the Senate chamber in the Prince's palace
stands engraved "Obliti privatorum publica curate"(Forget
private interests (as you) manage public ones").
So until 1806, the republic had only three monuments to
Ragusans. A stone tablet on the Municipal building honors
Nikola Bono, Ragusa's ambassador to Istanbul, who in l678
died in prison for "our country's freedom" rather
than to surrender to a Sultan's demands. In the Prince's
palace, there is the l638 statue of Miho Pracat, a merchant
and generous benefactor of Ragusa. The third individual
rewarded with a monument is Rudjer Boskovic. With "the
consent of the Senate", a large marble table was
placed in the cathedral a few months after his death in
1787, praising his scientific achievements and "his
help to the Republic"; he left at age 15, 'promoting
its interests', including in intelligence."
Talleyrand,
France's foreign minister, defined Ragusa's govrning policy
(1806) as "Too weak to defend itself, Ragusa always
looked for foreign protectors. Its system consisted of
bending to the will of the strong and passing through
political events without participating in them."
In I servizi Segreti di Venezia (1994) P. Preto
describes Ragusa as "Door to the Orient for Christians,
to the West for the Turks; faithful daughter of the Roman
church, and friend of Catholic Spain; vassal of the Sultan,
impartial distributor of news to friends and enemies,
and "doublespy" of the Turks and Christians."
Ragusa's policy was "to have no friends or enemies,
only its own interests." (Lord Palmerston,19th century.)
Thus, P. Ricault, in his History of the Ottoman Empire
(l670) described Ragusa as "a follower of seven
flags ." The alleged saying "non siamo Christiani
non siamo Giudei, ma poveri Ragusei" is probably
a Venetian invention.
In
the wars and conflicts among its neighboring powers, Ragusa
remained totally neutral; in the l570 Lepanto battle,
Ragusa boats served on both sides. History records that
"Ragusa defended itself by diplomacy." But Ragusa's
diplomacy took unusual forms; consider these written instructions
by the Ragusa government (1568) to its ambassadors heading
to Istanbul: "When the pasha tells you that the Sultan
wants to increase our tribute, fall on your knees, pour
tears, and with most humble words beg him to desist, for
we have always been his good servant." But the Ambassadors
were also instructed to give the pasha a bribe of 5000
ducats to support their tearful pleas."4
Historians
have constantly underestimated the I&S role in Ragusa's
history. To survive in a hostile world, Ragusa, small
and unarmed, developed an unparalleled I&S system
. This paper is a long footnote updating the excellent
Ragusa (i.e., Dubrovnik) histories of L. Vojnovic, I.
Foretic, I. Mitic, Novak, Beretic, Sundrica and others.
I hope to illustrate (if not prove) the hypothesis that
few states in history had more effective intelligence
and security system than the Ragusa republic; the proof
is its ability to remain free by skillfully adapting and
by "guessing right"; i.e., what intelligence
is.
Ragusa
Intelligence & Security System (RISS)
"Every
statement I make must be understood as a question"
Niels Bohr
The
document, "Reformationes" (Ragusa/Dubrovnik
Archives) records in Latin the birth of the first Intelligence
and Security service in Europe.5
On August 12, l301, the Senate decided to choose
able men to be responsible for the fortification and
security of the city of Ragusa as they see fit and appropriate.
The Senate also decided to choose in the same way good
and competent men to explore where they consider best,
both inside and outside Ragusa's republic, all information
and to inform his lordship the prince as necessary for
the good and prosperity of the state.
The
men responsible for these tasks were named and so survive
in Ragusa's history.
Fortification and security:
Nikola Kresich
Medo Crijevich
Marin Lukarevich
For armaments
Miho Selavi
Junius Skocibuha
Lovro Bodacha
For gathering news and information
Miho Procula
Pero Prodanelli
Marin Drzich
I&S
Organization and Process
How
was the Ragusa Intelligence function organized, its personnel
selected; how and from what sources was information gathered
and analysed; how were the results used by its government
and diplomats, and at what cost; was it kept secret from
the Venice governor until l358; what techniques were used?
On Feb 12, l348, the Senate ordered the Minor Council
to assign five "sapientes ad inquerandum et inestandum
de novis" (five knowledgable men for inquiry and
confirmation of news) to gather intelligence from Southern
Italy and Sclavonia (Serbia). On Sepember 20, l348, the
Senate elected 5 "pasatores" 6,
one outside and four inside the city. In l737, a battle
was fought between the Austro-Hungarians and Turks at
the town of Banja Luka in Bosnia. The action precipitated
the following letter:
The Prince and the Counsellors of the Republic
To the magnificent don Vicko Mrshe
our always beloved
in Chepikuche
Dubrovniik, 22 August, l737
Our public service requires to have exact and detailed
information on all questions in the appended letter.
In order to have them exact and without a doubt, it
is necessary that you personally go to Ravno and record
them there with prince Ivich who, we are informed,
was in the battle near Banja Luka and has now returned
home. You should confidentially question him on all
the listed queries and on everything else he knows.
You must strive to learn every detail you consider
important for us. If somebody else has returned from
the army that you know, also gather information from
him in order to increase your knowledge with the exactness
you always use. Everything you come to know will be
received with special satisfaction. We recommend you
act quickly so that we can get the information on
all the listed questions in our letter. Nothing of
this would be useful without the caution you always
show with your own special style. Nothing more, but
our greetings.
The
list consisted of about l20 questions: for example, "How
many soldiers were there on the Bosnian side? How many
Turks, and how many Raya( non-Turks)? How many from Bosnia;
How many from Hercegovina? Who commanded the one and the
other? Who was the supreme commander? When did they come?
Where were the Austrians (Germans in the text)? If the
Germans were at Banja Luka, in how many camps? Were both
on one side of the river or on both?"
The
Archives contain many such questionnaires that Ragusa
sent to its "beloved" informers such as don
Mrshe.
Security
From
its earliest days up to l806, the Ragusa government, always
vigilant, was particularly attentive to its security and
intelligence. Its first walls enabled it to resist a siege
by Arab pirates in 880. After l359, it began building
its present walls, described by I. Beretic: "During
the eleven centuries of its existence, the small Ragusa
(Dubrovnik) republic paid special attention to the fortification
of its towns and territories. Its fortifications were
built not only for the protection of towns from enemy
sieges, but for the defense of its peasants from robbery
by the neighboring feudal lords and pirates." Beretic
describes in detail who was responsible, how the labor
force was recruited, and where materials were obtained.
Ragusans, aware of the invention of artillery, built the
magnificent Mincheta and Lovrenac towers and mounted several
hundred cannons on the walls..
The
foundation of Ragusa's security was eternal vigilance
and close analysis of every situation. The method is described
by Senator Junius Resti in his Chronica Ragusina: Ab
Origine Urbis usque ad Annum 1451:7
"In the political government of states and especially
of republics governed by old families, the basic principle
has always been not to ignore anything suspect and with
caution to proceed to the bottom of every case, in order
to find the appropriate remedies and arrive at one's real
interests securely and with good results." Such vigilance
resulted in counterintelligence operations; Resti again:
"In l529, Francesco Silvana of Macerate, for many
years secretary of the Republic of Ragusa , was tried
for treason in an important case and garrotted in prison."
Ragusa also used other means. On April l3, l665(?), the
Senate of the Republic, by a 35-0 vote, approved the use
of poisons obtained from Florence. Soon after, the Ragusa
Italian bishop suddenly died, and was mourned by the Senate..
Ragusa's
"Eyes and Ears"
Such
analysis as described by Resti was certainly based on
information from all parts of Ragusa's world, using its
human and technical "eyes and ears"8.
My summary exploration of the Archives showed that Ragusa
used the following "eyes and ears":
Consuls
As
described by I.Mitich, Ragusa had its first consul in
Brskovo, Italy in l250; by l589 it had 44: 40 in Italy,
3 in Spain, and 1 in France. The Archives contain literally
thousands of communications between the government of
Dubrovnik and its consuls; for example, on September 9,
l698, the Senate thanks L. Barca, the consul in Istanbul,
for news on peace negotiations, and asks for additional
information. On May11, l700, the Senate asks its consul
in Durazzo, Albania, why Turkish troops are being assembled
and where they will be sent. Zivojinovich writes ( see
bibliography) that in l780 "Dubrovnik diplomats and
consuls had well informed, and had sent to the Senate
detailed reports related to the war between Britain and
its American colonies."
One
of the most interesting consular reports to the Senate
was from "F. Favi, Agente", sent in Paris (July
23, l783). It writes: "The predictions of the best
informed politicians are beginning to be fulfilled; that
once free, America would absorb Europe. For there is considerable
emigration in that direction. Already it is estimated
that ten thousand Germans have left from Hamburg, Holland,
and Ostend to settle there. An English and Hamburg merchant
company has sent three boats to America, full of German
emigrants." Favi gives statistics on the kinds of
individuals who are emigrating to America and why. They
are skilled in a variety of professions and dissatisfied
with European political and economic conditions. His report
is an example of the best kind of intelligence, defined
by Aristotle in his Nichomachian Ethics 330 BC., as "the
capability to perceive meaning in detailed information".
From
documents in the Archives, I. Mitich concludes that "The
Dubrovnik consuls sent up to date, precise, and relevant
information about political, military, and commerial situations.
On the basis of such reports, the government of Dubrovnik
(Ragusa) could make the required decisions and take positions
in specific conflicts to maintain its neutrality and thus
advance its commercial interests".
Trade
Colonies
Ragusa
had trade colonies in many towns in nearby Bosnia, Istanbul,
and Sofia. Among the most important was that in Belgrade.
The merchants there were the "eyes and ears"
of the Ragusa government. Thus, on October 28, l558, the
Ragusa government informed the king of Spain that "Our
agents in Belgrade write that his Highness, the Grand
Turk, is preparing for war in Hungary to start next Spring.
Thus we learn that all local governors have been ordered
to prepare food and other materials and assemble them
in Belgrade." The merchants from the affected colonies
informed Ragusa that the Belgrade Ragusa merchants (in
a letter of November 15, 1681) agreed to buy skins jointly
at the same price, because of a shortage (see Figure 1).
Village
captains
Nobles
of l8 years of age and older were elected as village chiefs.
Dozens of messages were exchanged between the captains
from Trstenica and the Ragusa Senate between l577 and
l665 (Doc. and Acts XVI, no 450 of the Archives):
…Captain
B.Martinovich writes from Trstenica that on October 23,
l570, a Venetian galley arrived on the island of Korchula
with news of the battle of Lepanto on October 7 between
the Turkish and Christian fleets.
…Captain
Tomo Basiljevich writes from Trstenica that he received
copies of the "pursuit" letter of March l2,
l612, (one by sea and one by land) for himself, and for
the captain on the island of Lastovo.He warned the local
inhabitants to inform him about the fugitives.
…An
October l6, l665 secret decision by the Senate orders
the Trstenica captain V.Skopich to learn from D. Andjelkovich,
the chaplain on Korchula, who from Dubrovnik is sending
reports to the Venetian naval Commanders in Korchula.
Ambassadors
Ambassadors
were sent every two years to Istanbul with a tribute of
l2,000 ducats. Their detailed orders, given orally and
in writing, instruct them as follows: "In your travels
or at the Court (in Istanbul), if something happens that
you consider important, we order you to inform us, and
not to spare horse couriers, for we shall pay them. Be
cautious in sending them."
Ambassadors
were to find and use "our" people; that is,
court officials native to Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia
who spoke "our" language. One friendly to Ragusa
was the grand vizier in the Sultan's court, Mehmed pasha
Sokolovich.
In
its instructions to ambassadors, the Senate lists the
officials at the Istanbul court who must be given presents.
In one, however, the Senate singles out one to whom nothing
should be given, for he has reneged on his promise to
help. Ragusa's Ambassadors, consuls, and government officials
often used bribes. An old Ragusa dictum was, "Against
those who threaten us with iron bullets, we use gold bullets
". Another was "Polite with everyone, sincere
with no one".
Ragusans
Abroad
I.
Mitic (page l28 of his book): "In addition to her
consuls and various special envoys, the Dubrovnik Republic
used prominent natives to perform important services in
the capitals in Europe. They informed systematically the
Dubrovnik Senate about military, political, and other
events and trends." Among the natives of Dubrovnik
occupying important positions abroad was R. Boshkovich,
who left Dubrovnik at age l5 to become a Jesuit in Rome
and came back to Dubrovnik for only one short visit. The
Senate began asking his help in l755, while he was still
in Rome, and continued asking until his death.."
Boshkovich became the de facto Dubrovnik ambassador in
Paris, informing on events in France, including an assessment
of the personality of the new king, Louis XVI. In his
letter to the Senate (l781), Boshkovich includes an article
from the "Gazette de Leyde" interesting
to Dubrovnik businesses in Morocco. He regularly sent
the "Courier de l'Europe". In the same
letter, he speaks of the mismanagement of Dubrovnik businesses
in Marseille, citing the incompetence of its consul there.
In l781, Boshkovich wrote that he could no longer send
letters to Dubrovnik, for he had been appointed chief
of optics in the navy of France and was required to take
French citizenship. In reply, the Senate of Dubrovnik
sent Boskovich a special code to use in the future.
Journals
In
the late 1500s, newspapers appeared first in Venice, then
in other countries. The Ragusa government perceived their
importance to intelligence and security. In the l8th century,
the Senate received the following newspapers: "Gazetta
di Toscan" from Livorno; "Notizie del
Mondo" from Venice; and the "Gazette
de Leyde" from Holland. And the Livorno Consul
sent "Gazetta di Notizie" and the "Gazzeta
delle Correnti Notizie."9
Uses
of RISS
Ragusa
used the information to solve specific political problems
and to obtain the good will of the surrounding powers.
The Archives also contain evidence of Ragusa's technological
intelligence effort; for example, the appearance of artillery,
shipbuilding, and information.about economic changes in
the Mediterranean after the discovery of America.
The
l602-5 Lastovo island rebellion and occupation by Venice
illuminates the Ragusa Republic's use of diplomacy based
on first-class intelligence. The inhabitants of Lastovo
rebelled in l602 to defend their traditional rights; Venice
then occupied the island..Well-informed of the attitude
of the dominant Mediterranean powers concerning the Venetian
occupation, Ragusa, applying diplomatic pressure, asked
Venice to withdraw from Lastovo. As reported, the Sultan
told the Venetian ambassador to Istanbul "If you
don't ask Venice to retreat from Ragusa's territory, I'll
have your head cut off" Venice left Lastovo in l605.10
To
gain their protection, Ragusa routinely fed intelligence
to all the surrounding powers, even in times of conflict
and war. Evidence of this is the only study of Ragusan
intelligence written in Croatian during the Communist
regime. The Trstenica captains' messages were from Archive
documents found by the Tito police. Historian V. Chaldarevich,
who was close to the Communist Party of Bosnia, published
in "Narodna Milicija" No 7-8, l958, a
survey of Ragusa I&S, under the title: "Dubrovnik:
the Center of Europe's Intelligence Service." The
paper concentrated on Ragusa's use of intelligence to
obtain the goodwill of its potential protectors .11
In
order to have the exclusive use of intelligence, the Senate
(an ordinance of Dec. 28, l526) forbade the sending of
information about the Turks abroad; "Those found
guilty, whether noble, plebeian, or priest, will be fined
l00 gold ducats or sentenced to six months in prison."
In addition to Chaldarevich's paper, researchers in the
Archives of the Vatican, Istanbul, Madrid, and Vienna
found evidence of Ragusa' s providing intelligence to
the powers, as shown in the following table. (Two historians
from Dubrovnik perceive the current importance of intelligence:
Sundrica in l999, and Bilich in 2000. Other history students
in Croatian universities, once aware of the current I&S
revolution, will certainly study the rich Ragusa I&S
tradition).
Ragusa
Supplying Intelligence to its Protectors at War with each
other Austria, Turkey, Spain, Vatican
To
Louis, the King of Austria, l6 May 1373
The
Senate of Ragusa: "We the sworn servants of your
majesty are bound by duty to inform you of everything
we learn that the Venetians are doing against your lands".
To
the Sultans of Turkey Bayazit II, 7 April 1495
Thanks
Ragusa Senate for the information that his brother Dzem
has died in Rome and requests further information.
Suleiman
I, 31 December l530
"I
have ordered that henceforth you shall not interrupt the
flow of your information nor cease to find out from the
troops of the dust like infidels from them what their
absurd thoughts and guesses are."
To
the Sultan, 11 November l570
"Twelve
galleys of the Pope have united with 49 of the King of
Spain and have passed Corfu to unite with the Venetian
fleet at Candia, altogether l85 large galleys forming
a league".
To
Carl V of Spain12
From
the Senate through A. Djurasevich, the Ambassador in Madrid,
January 13, l545:
"We
received a letter from our agents in Istanbul requesting
our regular tribute, since the Sultan and his army are
going to Persia. Tell the Emperor, 'We inform Your Majesty
of this so that you know that we are always devoted to
you'."
To
the Vatican: l606-l660
Source:
I. Duichev, "Avvisi di Ragusa", l935
12,
January, l607: In Istanbul, the great Vizier Dervish-pasha
has been killed and replaced by Nurach-pasha
23,
May, l646: The Senate is informed of the sudden departure
from Istanbul of 20 war ships and arrival of gunpowder
and guns from Belgrade.
26,
August, l648: The Sultan has lost the throne and his
life; the new Sultan is Muhamed, son of the late Ibrahim.
RISS:
Model for the 21st Century
"Do
not laugh: it is I who anticipate the future and know
its thought"
D. Diderot
Our
insights about the future can help us discover the past.
I found a number of predictions by farsighted thinkers
regarding our intelligence revolution. For example, in
the l920s, Walter Lipmann, observing the proliferation
of knowledge, foresaw the emergence of organized intelligence.
J. Dewey offerred social intelligence as the alternative
to laissez faire capitalism and totalitarianism. Theillard
de Chardin also intuited the emergence of our intelligence
era: observe, the ABB corporation advertising its "Brainpower";
the Warburg Bank its "Global Intelligence";
Microsoft its "Intelligent Information"; IBM
its "Intelligence Program"; Stockholm city its
"Municipal Intelligence Department", consultant
Anderbjörk his "Community Intelligence Services";
Robert Steele his "Open Sources Public Intelligence".
Is
Ragusa's I&S relevant in today's intelligence environment?
More than six billion individuals who occupy as many social
systems, towns, corporations, and organizations are following
the Ragusa model; that is, adapting creatively to a fluid
environment.
Our
world will be based on an enlightened "New Deal"
capitalist system. In l930s, when the U.S. suffered a
depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the "New
Deal" to improve the welfare of broad sections of
the population, and to create the production for their
needs. Today, the "new deal" will again emerge
as a result of mass-production capitalism. Henry Ford
introduced mass production capitalism in 1916, when he
realized that his workers could not afford his automobiles.
Mass production in former Communist and undeveloped countries
will bring about a better life, one based on employment,
good working conditions, education, health, and freedom.
Ragusa's
use of I&S to remain free is a paradigm for social
systems in our world beset by complex global problems.
I hope that professional historians will inform the public
of the unparalleled I&S experience of Ragusa/Dubrovnik.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NOTES
REFERENCES
|
|
 |