The start of international police cooperation stemmed largely from efforts by European governments to counter widespread anarchist subversive activities that threatened political and socioeconomic stability. The first known police cooperative initiative occurred in 1848 with the creation of the Police Union of German States. It united Austria and the German states of Prussia, Sachsen, Hanover, Baden, Wurttemberg, and Bavaria in a system that promoted the sharing of information on wanted suspects. Intelligence gathering focused on political enemies of the state linked to political movements and dissidents. Such police collaboration virtually stopped during the two world wars; however, the second half of the 20th century was marked by a rapid expansion of mechanisms for international cooperation in policing, as most countries recognized the importance of multilateral action against transnational crime that included drug, human, and arms trafficking. Such cooperation was aided by a consensus among nations about laws against such trafficking. International policing currently involves sophisticated, wide-ranging channels of information exchange and joint policing strategies and operations. Police international cooperation has gone in cycles, depending on the severity and prevalence of transnational crimes. Under the current threat of violent transnational terrorist groups, the cooperation of law enforcement agencies across the world has intensified. 85 notes