Jakob Rudnik
Encyclopedia
Jakob Rudnik was a Ukrainian
-born agent for the Otdel Mezhdunarodny Sviasy (OMS), the Communist International's clandestine
International Liaison Department. He rose to notoriety in 1931 under the nom de guerre Hilaire Noulens when he was arrested in Shanghai
along with his wife Tatiana Moissenko by the Special Branch of the Shanghai Municipal Police
. For almost 60 years, the identity of Noulens was incorrectly thought to be Paul Ruegg. Thus, in the few works that deal with the arrest of Rudnik and his wife on 15 June 1931, this mistake is common. It was only until an article by Dr. Frederick Litten in the China Quarterly in 1994 that Noulens' real identity was exposed.
As a result of the actions of the propagandist
Willi Münzenberg
an international press furore was generated about the case. Celebrities such as Albert Einstein
, H.G. Wells
, Madame Sun Yat-sen
, and Henri Barbusse
became involved in the International Noulens/Ruegg Defence Committee that was established and the case was discussed in both the British House of Commons and the United States Senate
.
News of the couple's fate, which had previously been the subject of press speculation, was soon overshadowed by events following the Japanese invasion of the Chinese administered areas of the city of Shanghai on 28 January 1932, following the Mukden Incident
.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
-born agent for the Otdel Mezhdunarodny Sviasy (OMS), the Communist International's clandestine
Clandestine operation
A clandestine operation is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed.The United States Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms defines "clandestine operation" as "An operation sponsored or conducted by governmental...
International Liaison Department. He rose to notoriety in 1931 under the nom de guerre Hilaire Noulens when he was arrested in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
along with his wife Tatiana Moissenko by the Special Branch of the Shanghai Municipal Police
Shanghai Municipal Police
The Shanghai Municipal Police was the police force of the Shanghai Municipal Council which governed the Shanghai International Settlement between 1854 and 1943, when the settlement was retroceded to Chinese control....
. For almost 60 years, the identity of Noulens was incorrectly thought to be Paul Ruegg. Thus, in the few works that deal with the arrest of Rudnik and his wife on 15 June 1931, this mistake is common. It was only until an article by Dr. Frederick Litten in the China Quarterly in 1994 that Noulens' real identity was exposed.
As a result of the actions of the propagandist
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
Willi Münzenberg
Willi Münzenberg
Willi Münzenberg was a communist political activist. Münzenberg was the first head of the Young Communist International in 1919-20 and established the famine-relief and propaganda organization Workers International Relief in 1921...
an international press furore was generated about the case. Celebrities such as Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, H.G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
, Madame Sun Yat-sen
Soong Ching-ling
Soong Ching-ling , also known as Madame Sun Yat-sen, was one of the three Soong sisters—who, along with their husbands, were amongst China's most significant political figures of the early 20th century. She was the Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China...
, and Henri Barbusse
Henri Barbusse
Henri Barbusse was a French novelist and a member of the French Communist Party.-Life:...
became involved in the International Noulens/Ruegg Defence Committee that was established and the case was discussed in both the British House of Commons and the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
News of the couple's fate, which had previously been the subject of press speculation, was soon overshadowed by events following the Japanese invasion of the Chinese administered areas of the city of Shanghai on 28 January 1932, following the Mukden Incident
Mukden Incident
The Mukden Incident, also known as the Manchurian Incident, was a staged event that was engineered by Japanese military personnel as a pretext for invading the northern part of China known as Manchuria in 1931....
.