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'''Julius Rosenberg''' was an [[American]] [[Communist]] and [[USSR|Soviet]] espionage agent who was executed in 1953, along with his wife, for giving nuclear secrets to the [[Soviet Union]]. At the time, the trial and sentence were controversial, as some people argue that the Rosenbergs did not get a fair trial. However, since the [[Venona]] disclosures, all pretense of innocence on the part of the Rosenbergs has been dispelled.

'''Julius Rosenberg''' was an [[American]] [[Communist]] and [[USSR|Soviet]] espionage agent who was executed in 1953, along with his wife, for giving nuclear secrets to the [[Soviet Union]]. At the time, the trial and sentence were controversial, as some people argue that the Rosenbergs did not get a fair trial. However, since the [[Venona]] disclosures, all pretense of innocence on the part of the Rosenbergs has been dispelled.

For years the Rosenbergs' defenders demanded that the government reveal its secrets about the case.  When the [[Moynihan Secrecy Commission]] forced the disclosure of documents, the secrets revealed the government's case was even stronger.<ref>Daniel Patrick Moynihan, ''Secrecy: The American Experience'', (New Haven: Yale University Press 1998), pg. 62.</ref> "Over the years," said Ronald Radosh, "the Rosenbergs' defenders have loudly demanded the release of government documents on the case, only to deny the documents' significance once they are made public." <ref>Ronald Radosh and Joyce Milton, ''The Rosenberg File'', 2d ed. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997), pgs. 471-72.</ref>

For years the Rosenbergs' defenders demanded that the government reveal its secrets about the case.  When the [[Moynihan Secrecy Commission]] forced the disclosure of documents, the secrets revealed the government's case was even stronger.<ref>Daniel Patrick Moynihan, ''Secrecy: The American Experience'', (New Haven: Yale University Press 1998), pg. 62.</ref> "Over the years," said [[Ronald Radosh]], "the Rosenbergs' defenders have loudly demanded the release of government documents on the case, only to deny the documents' significance once they are made public." <ref>Ronald Radosh and Joyce Milton, ''The Rosenberg File'', 2d ed. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997), pgs. 471-72.</ref>

On September 7, 1942, NKVD officer Semen Semenov recruited Julius Rosenberg to spy for the Soviet Union at a Labor Day rally in New York City.<ref>Aleksandr Feklisov, and Sergei Kostin, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Dp8gAQAAIAAJ The Man Behind the Rosenbergs]'' (Enigma Books, 2001) ISBN 1-929631-08-1, p. 109</ref> Rosenberg formed his own underground cell, and recruited several people, including his wife Ethel, Joel Barr, Alfred Sarant,<ref>Steven T. Usdin, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=QTdWLFXKw_UC Engineering communism: how two Americans spied for Stalin and founded the Soviet Silicon Valley]'' (Yale University Press, 2005) ISBN 0300108745, p. 66</ref> Russell McNutt,<ref>John Earl Haynes, Harvey Klehr and Alexander Vassiliev, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=qCAVQ_cdomcC Spies: the rise and fall of the KGB in America]'' (Yale University Press, 2009) ISBN 0300123906, p. 36</ref> and his wife Ethel's sister-in-law, Ruth Greenglass.

On September 7, 1942, NKVD officer Semen Semenov recruited Julius Rosenberg to spy for the Soviet Union at a Labor Day rally in New York City.<ref>Aleksandr Feklisov, and Sergei Kostin, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Dp8gAQAAIAAJ The Man Behind the Rosenbergs]'' (Enigma Books, 2001) ISBN 1-929631-08-1, p. 109</ref> Rosenberg formed his own underground cell, and recruited several people, including his wife Ethel, Joel Barr, Alfred Sarant,<ref>Steven T. Usdin, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=QTdWLFXKw_UC Engineering communism: how two Americans spied for Stalin and founded the Soviet Silicon Valley]'' (Yale University Press, 2005) ISBN 0300108745, p. 66</ref> Russell McNutt,<ref>John Earl Haynes, Harvey Klehr and Alexander Vassiliev, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=qCAVQ_cdomcC Spies: the rise and fall of the KGB in America]'' (Yale University Press, 2009) ISBN 0300123906, p. 36</ref> and his wife Ethel's sister-in-law, Ruth Greenglass.

Shortly thereafter, on November 4, 1944, David Greenlass wrote to his wife from Los Alamos, "I most certainly will be glad to be part of the community project that Julius and his friends have in mind."<ref>Richard Rhodes, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=f113iCcn87wC Dark sun: the making of the hydrogen bomb] (Simon and Schuster, 1996) ISBN 0684824140, p. 138</ref>

Shortly thereafter, on November 4, 1944, David Greenlass wrote to his wife from Los Alamos, "I most certainly will be glad to be part of the community project that Julius and his friends have in mind."<ref>Richard Rhodes, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=f113iCcn87wC Dark sun: the making of the hydrogen bomb] (Simon and Schuster, 1996) ISBN 0684824140, p. 138</ref>

On August 17, 1950, the grand jury returned an indictment alleging 11 overt acts. Both Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were indicted, as were David Greenglass and [[Anatoli Yatskov|Anatoli Yakovlev]].<ref>[http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/the-atom-spy-case/the-atom-spy-case The Atom Spy Case], Famous Cases and Criminals (Federal Bureau of Investigation)</ref>

On August 17, 1950, the grand jury returned an indictment alleging 11 overt acts. Both Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were indicted, as were [[David Greenglass]] and [[Anatoli Yatskov|Anatoli Yakovlev]].<ref>[http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/the-atom-spy-case/the-atom-spy-case The Atom Spy Case], Famous Cases and Criminals (Federal Bureau of Investigation)</ref>

Two days after the grand jury testimony was unsealed, the Rosenbergs' co-defendant Morton Sobell—After more than half a century of denial -- “dramatically reversed himself,” admitting “for the first time that he had been a Soviet spy.” He also implicated Rosenberg in a conspiracy to deliver classified  information to the Soviets.<ref>Sam Roberts, "[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/nyregion/12spy.html?pagewanted=all Figure in Rosenberg Case Admits to Soviet Spying]," ''The New York Times'', September 11, 2008</ref> Five days later, even the Rosenbergs' sons “admitted to a painful conclusion: that their father was a spy.”<ref>Sam Roberts, "[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/nyregion/17rosenbergs.html?pagewanted=all Father Was a Spy, Sons Conclude With Regret]," ''The New York Times'', September 16, 2008</ref>

Two days after the grand jury testimony was unsealed, the Rosenbergs' co-defendant Morton Sobell—After more than half a century of denial -- “dramatically reversed himself,” admitting “for the first time that he had been a Soviet spy.” He also implicated Rosenberg in a conspiracy to deliver classified  information to the Soviets.<ref>Sam Roberts, "[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/nyregion/12spy.html?pagewanted=all Figure in Rosenberg Case Admits to Soviet Spying]," ''The New York Times'', September 11, 2008</ref> Five days later, even the Rosenbergs' sons “admitted to a painful conclusion: that their father was a spy.”<ref>Sam Roberts, "[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/nyregion/17rosenbergs.html?pagewanted=all Father Was a Spy, Sons Conclude With Regret]," ''The New York Times'', September 16, 2008</ref>