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(449)

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

With the US 1st Armored Division in Cold War West Germany (414)

With the US 1st Armored Division in Cold War West Germany (414)

Doug and Mike served in CS Company, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor in the US 1st Armored Division in West Germany. They provide vivid accounts of their basic training experiences, where they faced the rig...

25 Heinä 20251h 16min

Cold War Short Stories  Ep 1 (413)

Cold War Short Stories Ep 1 (413)

Welcome to a new type of episode I'm calling Cold War Short Stories — a collection of stories from our listeners and social media followers. These are fascinating Cold War tales that may not fill a f...

22 Heinä 202516min

Korea: War Without End (412)

Korea: War Without End (412)

The Korean War is often called "the forgotten war"—a brutal, complex conflict that claimed millions of lives but has largely faded from public memory, particularly in the West. Yet its consequences ar...

18 Heinä 20251h 11min

The Night a Nuclear Missile Exploded: A Firsthand Account of Survival (411)

The Night a Nuclear Missile Exploded: A Firsthand Account of Survival (411)

In this gripping episode, we hear the harrowing account of Greg Devlin, a former US Air Force technician who barely survived a catastrophic explosion at a Titan II nuclear missile silo in 1980. He sh...

11 Heinä 20251h 16min

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