From dancer to alleged spy: who was Mata Hari?
Her shocking story has inspired books, films, and music
© Getty Images
She refused a blindfold and by some accounts even smiled at her executioners. Now synonymous with the femme fatale, Mata Hari was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany in France during World War I. However, the nature and extent of her espionage activities remain uncertain, and her guilt is widely contested. The idea of a beautiful dancer using her powers of seduction as a spy has fascinated people for decades, but who was Mata Hari, really?
Click on to learn more about the mysterious Mata Hari.
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