Cold War Conversations

Latest Episodes:

The Last British Commandant in Cold War West Berlin Part 2 (137) Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

This is the 2nd part of our conversation with Major General Sir Robert Corbett, KCVO, CB who was the last Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin.

We join as I ask what were the British Army’s plans in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion of West Berlin.

We also talk about the momentous night of 9th November 1989 and a fascinating tale of a situation, which if handled differently could have sent the history of that night in a very different direction...

Sir Robert also recollects his experiences at the Checkpoint Charlie closure ceremony and at the Tag der Deutschen Einheit when on 3 October 1990 the two Germanies were officially reunified.

If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners.

If you can spare it I’m asking listeners to contribute at least $3 USD per month to help keep us on the air (larger amounts are welcome too) plus you can get a sought after CWC coaster as a monthly financial supporter of the podcast and you bask in the warm glow of knowing you helping preserve Cold War history.

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

I am delighted to welcome back Major General Sir Robert Corbett to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode137/

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook.

Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

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0:00 Introduction and Major General Sir Robert Corbett's experience in West Berlin

7:17 British army's plans and readiness for a potential Warsaw packed invasion

13:15 Major General Sir Robert Corbett's visits and experiences in East Germany

23:01 Recollection of the moment the Berlin Wall opened and the ensuing chaos

28:34 Interactions with Soviet soldiers and the changing relationship with East German border guards

36:37 Soviet reaction to the unfolding events and the bond between enemy soldiers

41:18 Major General Sir Robert Corbett's ongoing connection with Russia and Berlin

44:03 The departure of British troops from Berlin and the change in their status

47:05 The close-call confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie in 1961 and stories about German reunification

51:36 Reflections on the peaceful resolution of the Cold War and the importance of recording Cold War history

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The Last British Commandant in Cold War West Berlin Part 1 (136) Aug 21, 2020

Show notes

Major General Sir Robert Corbett, KCVO, CB was the last Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin.

We start his story with the description of his first experience of Berlin as a young Army officer commanding a military train across East Germany into West Berlin just weeks after the Berlin Wall had been built.

We also talk about his subsequent Army career including his interview with British Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe and his early days as the Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin.

If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners.

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

I am delighted to welcome Major General Sir Robert Corbett to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode136/

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook.

Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye.

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/

Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations

0:00 Introduction to Cold War Conversations and guest Major General Sir Robert Corbett

2:38 Corbett's firsthand account of the fall of the Berlin Wall and early experiences in Berlin

9:56 Confrontation with East German railway police and Ian Sanders' reflections

16:38 Observations on West Berlin's atmosphere, reconstruction, and damage from World War 2

22:03 Corbett's decision to join the army, career progression, and appointment in Berlin

30:24 Trust and collaboration among commanders during the Cold War and interview with British Foreign Minister Jeffrey Howe

33:43 Interaction with local government and freedom to change things under occupation in West Berlin

39:43 Purpose and importance of the Cold War Conversations podcast

42:06 Demolition of Spandau Prison and construction of British forces supermarket

44:03 Closing remarks and acknowledgments

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Eva - A Cold War Czechoslovak Childhood (135) Aug 14, 2020

Show notes

Born in Communist Czechoslovakia, Eva Caletkova has written an honest and unflinching account of her childhood in Bratislava.

Eva’s parents were Catholics, and the communist regime began to persecute the Catholic Church right from the start in 1948. They had to hide their faith from anyone outside of their home.

Eva provides us with an insightful and emotional conversation that captures her experiences of life in Communist Czechoslovakia and the resulting trauma.

Do check out her book “Forgiveness & Violets” available on this link. https://amzn.to/2CwB0NX

If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners.

If you can spare it I’m asking listeners to contribute at least $3, £3, €3.50 per month to help keep us on the air (larger amounts are welcome too) plus you can get a sought after CWC coaster as a monthly financial supporter of the podcast and you bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping preserve Cold War history.

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

If you are affected by mental health issues we describe in this episode and want assistance you can visit The Samaritans in the UK https://www.samaritans.org/ or Befrienders Worldwide https://www.befrienders.org/ websites.

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode135/

You can also visit Eva's web site here https://evacaletkova.com/

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just use the link below.

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

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My father was Cold War Stasi spy Werner Stiller (134) Aug 07, 2020

Show notes

Werner Stiller’s spectacular defection to the West in 1979 inflicted one of the Cold War’s most serious blows to the Stasi.

At the time he was working as a case officer for the Main Directorate for Reconnaissance, the Stasi’s foreign intelligence division, where he was in charge of scientific espionage in the West.

We speak with Stiller’s son Andy, who although he was 11 months old at the time of his father’s defection met his father in later life.

Also included is Scott Calonico, who is producing a documentary film with Andy, covering his father’s abandonment of his family and his country, as well as the story of a young man and his journey to discover the man who was his father, the spy…

If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners.

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

We welcome filmmaker Scott Calonico and Andy to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode134/

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook.

Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye.

Radio GDR

If you are interested in East Germany we can highly recommend our friends over at Radio GDR.

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

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Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations

0:00 Introduction and backstory of Scott and Andy

0:54 The story of Werner Stiller, Andy's father, and his defection

2:24 Request for listener donations

4:41 Werner's role in East German intelligence services and his motivations

10:35 Examination of Werner's personal life and its impact on his career

14:28 Werner's contact with the BND and his attempts to escape

30:10 Werner's final escape to West Berlin and its aftermath

34:11 Revealing of Marcus Wolf's identity and the aftermath of Werner's defection

41:13 Andy's discovery of his father's past and their relationship post-defection

54:57 Discoveries from the Stasi archives and plans for Scott's documentary

1:00:16 Closing remarks and promotion of Cold War conversations on Facebook

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Retracing the Iron Curtain: A 3,000-Mile Journey Through the End and Afterlife of the Cold War (133) Jul 31, 2020

Show notes

Tim Phillips travelled the route of the former Iron Curtain from deep inside the arctic circle to the meeting point in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. On his journey, he explored both the surviving traces of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall.

The people he meets bear vivid witness to a time of change. There are some who now look on the Cold War with nostalgia and affection, but many more who still despise it unable to forgive the hard and sometimes lost decades that their families, friends, and nations had to endure.

Strikingly a large and increasing proportion of these populations no longer has any personal recollection of this defining 20th Century conflict. They were still too young or not even born when the curtain and the wall came down.

Buy Tim's book here and support CWC https://amzn.to/3Ud9Mir

If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners.

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Back to today’s episode, we welcome Tim to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode133/

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook.

Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye.

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/

Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations

0:00 Introduction and anecdotes from Tim Phillips

2:06 Call for listener support and introduction to Tim Phillips' story

4:45 Discussion on NATO countries bordering the Soviet Union

17:24 The concept of Finlandisation and Finnish neutrality during the Cold War

27:10 Soviet occupation of Bornholm

34:51 Journey from the Baltic to Marienborn

38:47 The transformation of the border area into a nature reserve post-Cold War

44:55 The role of the church in the East German dissident movement

51:15 Exploring the border in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

1:00:31 The British naval incident near the island of Corfu

1:05:53 Turning the trip into a book

1:08:10 Cold War Conversations Coasters and donations

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Cold War Czechoslovak hockey star defects to Canada (132) Jul 24, 2020

Show notes

Vashi Nedomanský is the son of Czechoslovak former legendary ice hockey forward Václav Nedomanský aka “Big Ned” who is best known as the first ice hockey player to defect to North America to play.

We hear a dramatic true story that combines sports, politics, espionage, corruption, and life-changing events that played out on a global stage.

Among the stories we hear are the vivid descriptions of the 1969 Ice Hockey World Championships where the Czechoslovak National Team faced the Soviet national team for the first time since the 1968 Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Vashi is currently finishing a film that will reveal his father’s incredible story for the first time in his own words. Visit the show notes here to see the trailer and the 1969 Ice Hockey World Championships. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode132/

If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us get new guests.

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Back to today’s episode, we welcome Vashi to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode132/

If you like what you are hearing, please leave reviews in Apple podcasts and share us on social media.

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook.

Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye.

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/

Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations

0:00 Introduction and Vashi Nedomanski's father's defection story

12:02 Vashi's father's professional ice hockey career and political climate in Czechoslovakia

16:44 Prague Spring and the Soviet invasion

19:00 The 1969 World Championships and its political implications

27:06 Vashi's birth, early life, and family's decision to defect

38:16 The methodology and journey of the Nedomanski family's defection

44:25 Arrival in Canada and challenges faced by the Nedomanski family

49:14 Erasure of Vashi's father from Czechoslovak ice hockey history and consequences faced by family

56:02 Vashi's own professional hockey career and experience of discrimination

58:04 Vashi's return to Czechoslovakia and his father's popularity

1:00:52 The making of Vashi's documentary about his father's life and journey

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Robert - The anti Cold War activist (131) Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

Robert Perschmann describes himself as an anti-Cold War activist.

His political views started to form while serving in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War period where he saw first hand the toll on the US military and the racism prevalent in the American South.

An interview with a Soviet journalist which was broadcast on PBS radio (the US equivalent of the BBC) was the catalyst for an almost one-man campaign to reduce tensions between the two superpowers.

At this point, Robert was working as a US Mailman where he financed numerous visits to the Soviet Union to foster a better understanding between the two systems and became friends with many Soviet personalities including Dean Reed and legendary Soviet journalist Vladimir Posner.

If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners.

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Thanks to our latest supporters including Greg Collins, Derek Worthington, Craig Donald, Janet Kelley, David O’Leary, STepwolf, Paul Hatzer, Chris Cock, Jon Forsyth, & James Roberts

Back to today's episode, we welcome Robert Perschmann to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode131/

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations on Facebook.

Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye.

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/

Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations

0:00 Introduction and Robert Pershman's unexpected call from FBI

2:26 Sponsor: Fundraising plea for the podcast

3:16 Robert's experience in the US Air Force and his exposure to racism

8:42 Experiences of racism in the American South and impact of Martin Luther King on Robert's life

15:35 Robert's transition from military to civilian life and anti-cold war activism

20:07 First impressions of Aeroflot and the Soviet Union, meeting and connecting with Vitali Chirkin

28:40 Robert's perspective on living conditions and work in the Soviet Union

35:36 Dealing with the FBI due to Soviet connections, encounters with the KGB

43:56 Activism efforts during the Cold War, meeting Dean Reed

51:55 Changing family dynamics due to Soviet connections, meeting Svetlana Starodubtseva

1:00:57 Discussion about the Soviet Union's role in World War II, Robert's views on the Soviet Union's post-war actions

1:06:31 Closing remarks and acknowledgements

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Susan - An American teaching English in East Germany (130) Jul 11, 2020

Show notes

Susan Morrison is Professor of English at Texas State University. In the late 1980’s she taught in Rostock in the former GDR and then lived in West Berlin but frequently crossed back into the East to teach and meet friends. In this episode we talk to her about her experiences and her impression of the two Germanys in 1989.

During her time in Rostock, Susan got in trouble with the authorities over bulletin board known as ‘The Wall’; the way she was censured by senior academics in the GDR sheds a valuable light on how people lived within the strict system of control by using humour and compromise.

Susan talks about finding the humanity in the GDR and how, as she watched the wall fall in 1989, that she wondered if unification would truly benefit all Germans.

Susan also retrieved her personal Stasi File and talks about how they tracked and monitored her during her time in the GDR and the assumptions that they made (not always successfully!).

If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners.

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

James our co-host is the interviewer as we welcome Susan to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode130/

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook.

Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye.

Radio GDR

If you are interested in East Germany we can highly recommend our friends over at Radio GDR.

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

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0:00 Introduction and Susan Morrison's first encounter with the East German

2:43 Susan's journey as a graduate student in East Germany

6:49 Susan's role as the editor of the wall newspaper and potential conflict with GDR authorities

11:09 The repercussions of posting a controversial article and the aftermath

14:31 Susan's complex feelings about her time in East Germany

18:08 Susan's discovery of her Stasi file and its references to the controversy

26:01 Susan's extended stay in Berlin and her travels to East Germany

34:35 Susan's experience living in West Berlin during the fall of the wall

46:21 Being detained at the border and misinterpretations by the East German government

56:53 The night the Berlin Wall came down and meeting with Angela after the fall

1:09:31 Feminist scholars' perspective on the change and the story of the Stasi car

1:20:05 Closing conversation with Susan Morrison and Ian Sanders wraps up the episode.

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The KGB tried to recruit me (129) Jul 03, 2020

Show notes

Hans de Vreij is a Dutch journalist who has worked in Berlin , Brussels, Geneva and Prague.

Whilst working at the United Nations in Geneva Hans was the subject of attempted recruitment by the KGB to develop an ‘agent of influence’ to disseminate Soviet points of view.

In addition, they analysed the ‘targeted journalist’ in terms of possible blackmail: ‘kompromat‘ (compromising material). This especially held true for journalists who later might find themselves in an important position, such as press spokesman at a ministry.

We later talk about Hans’ visit to a Soviet chemical weapons facility and testing ground on the Volga, some 750 kms southeast of Moscow as well as his service in the Dutch Army.

If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners.

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Back to today’s episode, we welcome Hans to our Cold War conversation…

There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode129/

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook.

Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye.

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/

Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations

0:00 Introduction and meeting with Soviet diplomat Mikhail Petrukhov

1:51 Sponsor message and request for donations

3:57 Hans de Vreij's career journey and focus on human rights and arms control

10:49 The envelope incident and potential for blackmail

16:33 Conclusion and reflections on the old-fashioned tactics of Soviet intelligence

20:14 An unusual request from a KGB agent

29:15 Understanding KGB tradecraft

35:01 Invitation to see a chemical weapons facility in the Soviet Union

53:01 Hans de Vreij's time in the Dutch Army

55:38 Closing remarks and call to action: Show notes, donations, and the Facebook discussion group

56:16 Podcast sign off by Ian Sanders

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Experiencing the Cold War via virtual reality (128) Jun 26, 2020

Show notes

How can we go beyond the films, books, and photos to learn more about the Cold War? Films are certainly evocative and certainly inform but how can we go beyond that and immerse ourselves to see what it felt like to be there. The two technologies of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality may allow us to do this.

Robin Hardenberg is a Berlin-based filmmaker who has developed ’The Berlin Wall App’ which uses Augmented Reality to bring the drama of the division of Berlin to those who are able to walk around the City.

Patrick Furlong is Head of Factual at Remarkable TV and has produced VR content for YouTube’s Virtually History series about the Berlin Wall. These programs allow you to immerse yourself in key episodes in Berlin’s Cold War history from your own home.

If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners.

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Back to today’s episode, we welcome James, Robin & Patrick to our Cold War conversation…

There’s VR videos and further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app.https://coldwarconversations.com/episode128/

If you like what you are hearing, please leave reviews in Apple podcasts and share us on social media.

If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search for Cold War Conversations in Facebook.

Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye.

Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/

Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations

0:00 Introduction and meeting with Soviet diplomat Mikhail Petrukhov

1:51 Sponsor message and request for donations

3:57 Hans de Vreij's career journey and focus on human rights and arms control

10:49 The envelope incident and potential for blackmail

16:33 Conclusion and reflections on the old-fashioned tactics of Soviet intelligence

20:14 An unusual request from a KGB agent

29:15 Understanding KGB tradecraft