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(453)

Cold War Britain: Fifty years in the shadow of the bomb (422)

Cold War Britain: Fifty years in the shadow of the bomb (422)

Fraser McCallum is the author of a new book Cold War Britain: Fifty years in the shadow of the bomb which gives a fascinating insight into a period that shaped the fabric of British society. The Cold...

19 Syys 202559min

D.B. Cooper: The Unsolved Cold War Aircraft Hijack (421)

D.B. Cooper: The Unsolved Cold War Aircraft Hijack (421)

On November 24, 1971, a man using the alias Dan Cooper hijacked a Northwest Airlines flight, demanding a ransom of $200,000 and four parachutes. What followed was a daring escape that has left investi...

12 Syys 20251h 2min

A Royal Scots Dragoon Guard in Cold War Berlin (420)

A Royal Scots Dragoon Guard in Cold War Berlin (420)

I delve into the remarkable life of Peter Stewart, a former Royal Scots Dragoon Guard Chieftain tank driver whose experiences during the Cold War offer a unique perspective on military life. Peter's...

5 Syys 20251h 12min

The 2nd Most Famous Voice In Cold War  Romania (419)

The 2nd Most Famous Voice In Cold War Romania (419)

Irina Nistor worked as a translator of TV programs in Romania under the Communist regime, and is known for secretly voicing over thousands of banned movie titles on VHS tapes smuggled in from the West...

29 Elo 202556min

Codename Sunbeam - The story of MI6’s greatest Cold War spy (418)

Codename Sunbeam - The story of MI6’s greatest Cold War spy (418)

He was a KGB colonel. A double agent. And the most valuable spy Britain ever had. Born into a world of secrets & silence in Moscow Oleg Gordievsky’s journey takes us from the waning days of Stalin t...

22 Elo 202554min

A 98 Year Old USAF Veteran Remembers the Berlin AIrlift (417)

A 98 Year Old USAF Veteran Remembers the Berlin AIrlift (417)

The Berlin Airlift stands as one of the most significant events in Cold War history, a testament to the resilience and determination of the Allies in the face of Soviet adversity. I speak with 98 year...

15 Elo 202549min

The Atomic Bombing of Japan -  The First Shots of the Cold War? (416)

The Atomic Bombing of Japan - The First Shots of the Cold War? (416)

Today is 80 years since the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Nagasaki. I talk with Stephen Walker who is the author of Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima. He has spent years researching the ato...

8 Elo 20251h 5min

 Berlin: A Spy’s Guide to its Cold War History (415)

Berlin: A Spy’s Guide to its Cold War History (415)

In the heart of Europe, Berlin stood as a city divided not only by walls but by ideologies. I dive into the world of espionage that thrived in this divided city with Special Forces and CIA veteran Jam...

1 Elo 202558min

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