Dearlove states MI6 was founded in 1909 partly due to scaremongering from fictional spy novels.
“it's because of that scaremongering, if you look at the historical record, that MI6 was started in 1900 It had been a section of specifically naval intelligence before that, and then it was formalized into a separate organization. So its origins are tied up, strangely, with a certain amount of fiction.”
Dearlove says MI6 was formally established in 1909 because of scaremongering from fictional spy thrillers.
“And actually, it's because of that scaremongering, if you look at the historical record, that MI6 was started in 1900 It had been a section of specifically naval intelligence before that, and then it was formalized into a separate organization.”