Executed by a French firing squad at Vincennes outside of Paris for espionage, Mata Hari represents the archetype of the seductive female spy.
She arrived in Paris in 1905, quickly gaining fame as a performer of exotic dances inspired by Asia. Traveling extensively across Europe, she captivated audiences with tales of her origins as being born in a sacred Indian temple, instructed in ancient dances by a priestess who bestowed upon her the name Mata Hari, translating to “eye of the day” in Malay. However, the truth reveals that Mata Hari was born in a quaint town in northern Holland in 1876, and her actual name was Margaretha Geertruida Zelle. Her superficial understanding of Indian and Javanese dances developed during her years living in Malaysia with her former husband, a Scot serving in the Dutch colonial army. Regardless of the authenticity of her claims, she filled dance halls and opera houses from Russia to France, primarily because her performances featured a slow striptease.
As a renowned courtesan, the onset of World War I saw her list of lovers expand to include high-ranking military officials from various nations. In February 1917, French authorities apprehended her on charges of espionage, leading to her imprisonment at St. Lazare Prison in Paris. She faced a military trial in July, during which she was accused of disclosing details about the Allies’ new weapon, the tank, resulting in the deaths of thousands of soldiers. Convicted and sentenced to death, she opted not to wear a blindfold and was executed by a firing squad on October 15 at Vincennes.
In a black vehicle with its window blinds drawn, Margaretha Zelle, condemned for espionage, was swiftly transported through the quiet streets of a city she adored, despite her Dutch nationality.
The twelve soldiers clad in khaki uniforms and red fezzes raised their rifles in readiness. She waved goodbye to the two grieving nuns who had offered her solace during her imprisonment and final journey. A kiss was blown to the priest and another to her lawyer, who was also an ex-lover.
As the sun began to rise, the shots rang out. Zelle collapsed to the ground. The commanding officer stepped forward and delivered a single bullet to her brain, the coup de grâce.
Evidence suggests that Mata Hari served as a German spy at times and alternatively as a double agent for the French; however, the Germans dismissed her as an ineffective agent whose pillow talk yielded little valuable intelligence. Her military trial was characterized by bias and circumstantial evidence, and it is likely that French authorities labeled her “the greatest woman spy of the century” as a form of distraction from the significant losses suffered by the French army on the western front. Her tangible crimes may have merely included an elaborate theatrical charade and a penchant for men in uniform.
