How does one of Europe’s most renowned performers become one of World War I’s most infamous spies? Or rather, if she was indeed caught in the act, it’s hard to believe she was such a skillful spy after all. This week in history, Mata Hari, a performer of Asian-inspired dance in the early 20th century, was executed Oct. 15, 1917, after being accused of espionage by the French government.
Born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle in Leeuwarden, Holland, Zelle came from a well-off family, and her father ran a thriving hat shop. However, at the age of 12, the family’s luck turned, and her father had to declare bankruptcy and moved in with his brother in The Hague, while the rest of the family remained in Leeuwarden in a small, cramped apartment. This physical separation would eventually lead to the legal separation her parents obtained.
Despite this, Zelle remained confident and outgoing but struggled to follow the rules in certain aspects of school, facing suspensions and expulsions for her behavior. Ultimately, she chose one of the most common career paths for women during that time — being a wife.
According to an article from the Fries Museum, Zelle met her husband at 18 after responding to a contact ad from an officer in the Dutch East Indies who was on leave and seeking a bride. Rudolph MacLeod, also known as John, was a fierce 39-year-old soldier, and they became engaged six days after meeting. Zelle then moved to Malaysia with MacLeod, where she drew inspiration for the Mata Hari character. During this time, she had two children, one of whom passed away at the age of 2.5 years old. Meanwhile, her marriage was already strained, with her husband abusing her and being unfaithful. In fact, it is likely that her son passed away due to the syphilis MacLeod transmitted to Zelle, which in turn was passed on to her children during pregnancy.
At the time, the treatment for syphilis involved using toxic mercury, which is likely what led to the passing of their son. After the loss, the family traveled back to the Netherlands, where Zelle would seek a divorce from her husband due to the abuse she sustained over the years. She would retain custody of her daughter, but her ex-husband refused to pay alimony, leaving her penniless without a way to provide for her and her daughter. As a result, she had to give up her daughter to MacLeod and would never regain custody.
After losing her daughter, Zelle moved to Paris, where she hoped to earn a living honorably by giving piano lessons and working as a companion. Unable to sustain this, she returned to the Netherlands and resorted to prostitution before leaving for Paris again in 1904 for good.
This is when Mata Hari is born; her name in Malay meaning “eye of the day,” and she tells the story of her birth in an Indian temple and of the priestess who taught her these dances. The Parisian audience is captivated, and she becomes an overnight hit.
Finally, Zelle is able to do more than provide for herself and makes large profits from her concert sales and gifts from her various lovers. She lives extravagantly, blowing most of the funds she makes, and continues to wow her audiences.
At the core of her performance, however, is a caricature of the cultures she had experienced during her time in Asia. It is clear she didn’t take the time to become truly knowledgeable about the dances she chose for her act and fed on the era’s orientalism.
Unfortunately for Zelle, WWI began in 1914, and she can no longer perform. Her beauty causes her to attract unwanted attention from the Germans who seek to hire her as a spy. At the same time, as she returns to Paris, the French government grows suspicious of Zelle’s actions, and to prove her loyalty, she decides to work as a double agent for the French.
At this point, things truly become a mess, and it becomes clear that Zelle is not a very good spy, as the French discover her work with Germany and later arrest her in February 1917.
In reality, the idea that Mata Hari was “the greatest woman spy of the century” was an even bigger myth than the character itself. Despite this, her story has lived on in various movies and books. The tale of the femme fatale lives on, even though the reality of it was much less glamorous than Hollywood makes it out to be.