Cold War Conversations

Latest Episodes:

British Forces in Germany: The Lived Experience 1945-2019 (87) Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

Dr Peter Johnston is the Head of Collections Research and Academic Access at the National Army Museum in London and the author of a lavishly illustrated military and social history of the British forces in Germany during the Cold War.

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So back to today’s episode - James speaks with Peter who provides some great accounts of the experiences of British soldiers Germany.

We welcome Peter to our Cold War conversation…

We have further photos, videos and information on this episode in our show notes here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode87/

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Growing up on a Soviet base in East Germany (86) Oct 25, 2019

Show notes

Andrej's father served with the Soviet Army in Germany. He grew up on a military base and shares his childhood memories as East Germany began to disintegrate.

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So back to you today's episode. Andrej's father was a lieutenant in Signals and Andrej provides a fascinating child's eye view of life on the base and in his East German kindergarten as well as insight into the changing mood of some of the East German population to the Soviets as the GDR began to disintegrate.

Next week they'll be a second episode with Andrej where we hear his experiences as a child refugee in West Germany after the Wall fell. Do make you are subscribed via your favorite podcast app so you don't miss that.

I'm delighted to welcome Andrej to our Cold War Conversation...

I do hope you found Andrej’s story interesting. We have further photos, videos and information in our show notes which are at https://coldwarconversations.com/episode86/ or will show as a link in some podcast apps.

Radio GDR

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

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Childhood at the Hungarian Border with Austria (85) Oct 18, 2019

Show notes

Balint grew up in Hungary right next to the border with Austria. Part of his family escaped in 1956 and went to Australia. Balint’s grandfather survived 4 years in a Gulag camp.

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Back to today episode, Balint’s home village was a hot spot for escapes being so close to the border. The locals knew the area well and helped many people across for money. He tells that his Dad used to play right next to the fence with his friends often messing with the border guards. They could see tractors in the Austrian side working the fields. One quick note before we start, Balint now lives in Ireland, hence the Irish accent you will hear in the recording.

We welcome Balint to our Cold War conversation…

We have further photos and information in our show notes which are at https://coldwarconversations.com/episode85 or will show as a link in some podcast apps.

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Life on a Cold War Polaris Nuclear Missile Submarine (84) Oct 11, 2019

Show notes

As a restless and adventurous 18-year-old, Richard Humphreys joined the submarine service in 1985 and went on to serve aboard the nuclear deterrent for five years at the end of the Cold War.

Now before we start his story as I’d like to tell you about some of our fans who are helping the podcast financially such as Liam Doyle, Sarah Ampolsk, Philippe Branco, Victor Osprey and Richard Orman. So how do you join this select band? Then sign up to Patreon. For the price of a couple of coffees a month you help to cover the show’s increasing costs and keep us on the air, plus you get the sought after CWC coaster too.

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Back to today episode, Richard has just published his book called “Under Pressure” described by historian James Holland as “'An utterly fascinating and wonderfully detailed insight into the hidden - and frequently disorientating and claustrophobic - world of the modern submariner, this richly compelling and hugely entertaining memoir brilliantly conveys the tension, huge responsibility, culture and, of course, humour, of being a crewman on the nuclear deterrent.”

You can have the chance to win a free copy via the information in our show notes here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode84/ The show notes also contains a documentary film of life aboard one of these boats.

We welcome Richard Humphreys to our Cold War conversation.

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Mark - Eyewitness to the events of 1989 (83) Oct 04, 2019

Show notes

Mark Baker was a journalist in Vienna who covered Czechoslovakia during the 1980s. In a wide ranging conversations we discuss the events of 1989 with Mark providing some vivid accounts of his experiences and how events were viewed at the time.

Now as I’m sure you know some of our fans who are helping the podcast financially, so if you’d like to join this select band? Then sign up to Patreon. For the price of a couple of coffees a month you help to cover the show’s increasing costs and keep us on the air, plus you get the sought after CWC coaster too.

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Mark is now an independent journalist and travel writer who’s lived in Central Europe for more than two decades. He loves the history, literature, culture, and mystery of this often-overlooked corner of Europe, and makes his living writing articles and guidebooks about the region. Do visit his excellent Eastern Europe Blog which contains a number of Cold War stories here

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https://coldwarconversations.com/episode83/

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A Cold War Romance (82) Sep 27, 2019

Show notes

In 1986 GDR student Antje met a British guy who was installing sewing machines in the hosiery companies in East Germany. Unusually he was given quite a bit of freedom to socialise locally and he eventually asked Antje to marry him. However, with her prospective husband being a citizen of the capitalist West the process was far from simple…

Now talking of the Capitalist West I’m sure you know some of our fans who are helping the podcast monthly via Patreon, so if you’d like to join this select band? Then head over to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ plus you get the sought after CWC coaster too.

Back to today’s episode, Antje describes her early life in the GDR and how romance blossomed between East & West, despite the best efforts of East German bureaucracy to thwart the union. Now the story does have somewhat of a twist towards the end so make sure you keep listening.

If you enjoyed this episode here is the other side of the coin. Genuine laugh out loud moments. "A 22 year old Briton working in East Germany (170)"

We recorded our chat at The Barbican Centre in London, so excuse any background noise, I’m delighted to welcome Antje to Cold War Conversations

Radio GDR

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

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Eyewitness to the 1991 Soviet Coup (81) Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

As a 24-year-old Kieran Williams was in Moscow staying with Soviet friends when the 1991 Moscow Coup occurred.

He is a Professor at Drake University in the United States and previously he taught for nine years at University College London's School of Slavonic and East European Studies, where he was an associate professor in politics as well as a frequent consultant to the UK Foreign Office. He is a specialist in the politics of Central and Eastern Europe, he has authored or co-authored four books, including a prize-winning account of the 1968 events in Czechoslovakia and a biography of the writer-statesman Václav Havel.

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Back to today’s episode, Kieran gives a rich eyewitness account of those edgy days with vivid descriptions of what he saw and felt during those tumultuous days.

I’m delighted to welcome Kieran Williams to Cold War Conversations

Do visit our show notes at https://coldwarconversations.com/episode81 These include Kieran's photos of the Coup and some amazing audio he recorded in the streets of Moscow at the time - well worth a look!

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Cuban Missile Crisis U2 Squadron Commander (80) Sep 13, 2019

Show notes

Col. William "Greg" Gregory served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and saw extensive combat over North Africa and Europe during World War 2.

When the Air Force was created he continued his role as a pilot and eventually became part of the clandestine U-2 spy plane program, rising to the position of squadron commander. It was his squadron that flew many of the spy missions over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

He was later awarded a medal by the CIA for his service, as well as a letter of appreciation by President Kennedy.

However…before we start I have to thank our fans who are helping the podcast financially.

So how do you join this select band? Well sign up to Patreon for the price of a couple of coffees a month you help to cover the show’s increasing costs and keep us on the air, plus you get the sought after CWC coaster too.

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Today’s episode is brought in conjunction with The Cold War Museum and I’m delighted to welcome Col William Gregory to Cold War Conversations.

It was such an honour to speak to Greg and hear first-hand from someone so deeply involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis. Thanks again to the Cold War Museum for arranging the conversation.

If you’d like to learn more then head over to our show notes which are at coldwarconversations.com/episode80 or will show as a link in some podcast apps. The show notes also have some videos relating to this

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Bridget Kendall - BBC Moscow Correspondent 1989 - 1995 (79) Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

Today we have James taking the helm again with a fascinating chat with Bridget Kendall, the BBC's Moscow correspondent from 1989 to 1995 when she was witness to the power struggles in the Soviet Communist party as Mikhail Gorbachev tried to introduce reform.

However…before we start I have to thank our fans who are helping the podcast financially.

Just go to Patreon.com/coldwarpod

So back to today’s episode. I’m delighted to welcome back James and his Cold War Conversation with Bridget Kendall.

If you’d like to learn more and maybe didn’t get a chance to write down those book recommendations then head over to our show notes which are at https://coldwarconversations.com/episode79 or will show as a link in some podcast apps.

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Watching Socialism: The Cold War Television Revolution in Eastern Europe (78) Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

Today we’re at the Wende Museum in Los Angeles at their Watching Socialism exhibition. Organized in collaboration with British-Slovenian media historian Sabina Mihelj and British cultural historian Susan Reid, this exhibition focuses on the impact of Cold War-era television programming in Eastern and Western Europe on private lives.

Now many of our fans are the proud owners of a Cold War Conversations Coaster, a gift from me to thank them for helping the podcast financially.

So how do you join this select band? Well for the price of a couple of coffees a month to cover the show’s increasing costs and keep us on the air you can get a coaster too.

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So back to today’s episode. I’m delighted to welcome Anna Rose Canzano of the Wende Museum to Cold War Conversations.

If you’d like to learn more and see photos of the Wende museum and exhibition then head over to our show notes which are at coldwarconversations.com/episode78 or will show as a link in some podcast apps. The show notes also have some videos relating to this episode.

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