How Much Do You Know About France's Most Seductive Spy?

Mata Hari, who became an exotic dancer to escape poverty after separating from her monstrous husband, led a life of mystery. To this day it's debated whether she was a seductive spy fit for a James Bond movie, or simply stuck in an unfortunate situation and used as a scapegoat by the French. She embodied everything "immoral" and became villainized for using her beauty and sexuality to her advantage. Whether it's because she was seen as a threat or simply a convenient target, Mata Hari's extraordinary life ended in tragedy, but she'll forever be remembered as the archetypical femme fatal. Here are 20 facts you may not have known about Mata Hari.

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1. Her Real Name Was Margaretha Geertruida Zelle

Despite her exotic look and mysterious background that added to her allure in Paris, Mata Hari was born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. Her name at birth was Margaretha Geertruida Zelle. 

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2. She Found Her Husband In A Newspaper Ad

Her husband, the Dutch Colonial Army Captain Rudolf MacLeod, placed an ad in the newspaper looking for a wife. Mata Hari answered it and the couple was married when she was just 18 and he was 38. 

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3. She Lived In Indonesia

Mata Hari lived in Java, Indonesia with her husband because he was stationed there. This is where she learned about Malay culture and dance which she would later incorporate into her stage persona. 

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4. She Became A Dancer After Her Marriage Ended

Given the limited career choices for women of the time, Mata Hari turned to dancing to save herself from poverty after her marriage ended. She created an exotic alter ego and entertained in gentleman's clubs around Paris. 

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5. She Became Famous For Her Dancing

Mata Hari was a resounding success in Paris. She created a backstory for herself, claiming she was a Hindu princess, and appropriated some of the traditional dance moves she witnessed in Indonesia into her act. Helped along by her playful and seductive stage persona, she became an overnight sensation.

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6. She Became A Double Agent

Around the time when she stopped being able to make a living off of her dancing because she was getting older, she was approached by France's intelligence agency and asked to spy for them, using her seductive qualities to get intel from the enemy. For unknown reasons, she offered to spy for Germany as well shortly after, becoming a double agent.

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7. She Was Executed By The French

Once the French found out that she was also working for Germany, she was arrested, tried, and executed for treason. The French accused her of providing information to Germany that led to the deaths of 50,000 soldiers, but historians believe she was used as a scapegoat.

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8. Her Body Was Unclaimed

After her death by firing squad, no one came to claim her body. It ended up being given for medical research and her head was embalmed and preserved at the Paris Museum of Anatomy. 

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9. Her Embalmed Head Went Missing

Bizarrely, her embalmed head went missing from the Paris Museum of Anatomy. Archivists only discovered that the head was gone in 2000, but it had likely disappeared as early as 1954. The story behind her missing head continues to be a mystery.

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10. She Is Remembered As A Femme Fatale

Mata Hari's reputation as a seductress, her liaisons with prominent political figures, and her background as an exotic dancer made her an archetype of the femme fatale. A prominent movie trope, femme fatales use their femininity as power, bringing men to their ruin. 

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11. She Was A Scapegoat

Historians believe Mata Hari was most likely a low-level informant if anything rather than a dangerous double agent. There was no definitive evidence that she was actually a double agent and that her espionage led to the deaths of 50,000 soldiers, but she was a convenient target when France needed someone to blame. 

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12. She Had Numerous Influential Lovers

After Mata Hari found success as a dancer, she rode off of her reputation as a seductress to become a high society courtesan. She dated everyone from Herr Kepert, a rich German businessman, to Émile Étienne Guimet, an even richer French Industrialist. 

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13. She Had A Tumultuous Childhood

Mata Hari was the daughter of a successful hat shop owner who became very wealthy after investing in oil. However, after her father's investments plunged practically overnight, her family became very poor. What's more, her mother tragically passed away when Mata Hari was just 15. 

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14. She Initially Worked As A Kindergarten Teacher

Mata Hari started her professional life far away from anything to do with exotic dancing. She attended a teachers' college and taught kindergarten until she married her husband. 

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15. Her Marriage Was A Disaster

Mata Hari's marriage was an unhappy affair. Her husband turned out to be a violent alcoholic who cheated on her regularly and beat her. 

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16. She Lost Her Children

Mata Hari had two children with her husband, one of whom died at a young age likely from complications of syphilis which was passed down from the father. After their separation, Mata Hari fought tirelessly for custody of her other child who tragically died at 21 also from complications of syphilis. 

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17. She Was In The Circus

Before becoming an exotic dancer, Mata Hari was part of a circus troupe. She rode horses under the name "Lady MacLeod". This was her introduction into show business.

Henri Gabriel Ibels / André Édouard Marty on Wikimedia

18. "Mata Hari" Means "Eye Of The Sun" In Malay

Mata Hari's stage persona was heavily influenced by her time in Indonesia. She landed on the name which means "eye of the sun" in Malay, the language spoken in Indonesia, because it sounded exotic and intriguing. 

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19. She Fell In Love With A Young Captain

After years of shying away from true love and intimacy since the trauma she experienced with her husband, Mata Hari finally fell in love with a young Russian officer named Vadim de Masloff. It's even said that the reason she got involved in espionage was to be able to support their life together. 

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20. Some Scholars Believe She Was Framed As A Traitor

Some historians believe Mata Hari wasn't a traitor at all and actually offered her services as a spy to the Germans because she was ordered to do so by the French. This was because French intelligence agents thought it would be a surefire way to get close to their source. 

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