A Cold War US Soldier defects to East Germany (61)

A Cold War US Soldier defects to East Germany (61)

What could make a privileged 24-year-old American serving in the US Army in Germany in 1952 to swim across the Danube River to what was then the Soviet Zone? Victor Grossman who was born Stephen Wechsler but changed his name after defecting to the GDR. A child of the Depression, Grossman grew up in an environment that nurtured a commitment to left-wing causes. He continued his involvement with Communist activities as a student at Harvard in the late 1940s and after graduation, when he took jobs in factories in Buffalo, New York and tried to organize their workers. After being drafted into the US Army and fearful of his discovery as a communist Grossman ended up in GDR with other Western defectors, He was able to establish himself as a freelance journalist, lecturer and author. Travelling through East Germany he saw the failures as well as the successes of the GDR's "socialist experiment". While some of you will disagree with Victor's views, his first-hand account of his experiences is an important part of Cold War history. We start my Cold War Conversation with Victor telling us about this early life in the United States. Episode 2 is here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode69/ 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/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jaksot(443)

Cold War Kid to Space Age Engineer via President Kennedy's last flight alive & RAF Upper Heyford (435)

Cold War Kid to Space Age Engineer via President Kennedy's last flight alive & RAF Upper Heyford (435)

Keith Longstreth takes us through an extraordinary life shaped by the rhythms and risks of the Cold War. Born into an Air Force family, Keith grew up on bases across the world—from Scotland to Italy t...

20 Joulu 20251h 27min

Eyes at the Edge of the Iron Curtain - Life in a 1960s British Reconnaissance Regiment (434)

Eyes at the Edge of the Iron Curtain - Life in a 1960s British Reconnaissance Regiment (434)

This is the 2nd part of the story of Miles, a British National Service conscript during his military service in the late 1950s. I’d like to give special thanks for the Norfolk Tank Museum for highli...

13 Joulu 20251h 3min

What was Cold War British Army Conscription really like?  (433)

What was Cold War British Army Conscription really like? (433)

We hear the fascinating story of Miles, a British National Service conscript during his military service in the late 1950s. I’d like to give special thanks for the Norfolk Tank Museum for highlighti...

6 Joulu 202559min

The Berlin Airlift - Victories, Myths, and the Berlin Blockade (432)

The Berlin Airlift - Victories, Myths, and the Berlin Blockade (432)

The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War when the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Wes...

27 Marras 20251h 8min

Surrounded and outnumbered 8-1 : A forgotten story of the Korean War (431)

Surrounded and outnumbered 8-1 : A forgotten story of the Korean War (431)

This is the largely untold story of Task Force Faith, the U.S. Army soldiers who although outnumbered 8-1 by Chinese troops fought valiantly during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. ...

22 Marras 202559min

Shaking Hands with China’s Second Most Powerful Man (430)

Shaking Hands with China’s Second Most Powerful Man (430)

Bill Hodes was an American school child in 1950s Revolutionary China and this is the second part of his story. Among many stories we hear how he had the unique opportunity to meet one of China's mo...

15 Marras 202554min

An American Childhood in 1950s Revolutionary China (429)

An American Childhood in 1950s Revolutionary China (429)

Bill Hodes was a red diaper baby, a baby born to Communist parents. Bill shares stories about his parents, Bob and Jane Hodes, both convinced communists who were active in civil rights movements durin...

8 Marras 202557min

The German Democratic Republic The Rise and Fall of a Cold War State (428)

The German Democratic Republic The Rise and Fall of a Cold War State (428)

Ned Richardson- Little has written a new book titled The German Democratic Republic: The Rise and Fall of a Cold War State. It offers a differentiated picture of the communist state with a sophistica...

1 Marras 20251h 11min

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