The rise and fall of East German leader Erich Honecker (302)

The rise and fall of East German leader Erich Honecker (302)

Honecker emerged as an ambitious political player and became the shadowy mastermind behind the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, a crucial moment in twentieth-century history. Author Nathan Morley brings to life the story of the longtime leader of the German Democratic Republic. Drawing from a wealth of untapped archival sources – and firsthand interviews with Honecker’s lawyers, journalists, and contemporary witnesses – Morley paints a vivid portrait of how an uneducated miner’s son from the Saarland rose to the highest ranks of the German Communist Party. Having survived a decade of brutality in Nazi prisons, and frequently on the verge of being relegated to obscurity, he managed to overthrow strongman Walter Ulbricht at the height of the Cold War and reigned supreme over the GDR between 1971-1989. However, by 1980, the Honecker honeymoon was on the wane as a decade of economic and social difficulties blighted the GDR. Then, as tumultuous changes swept through the Soviet bloc, everything in and around him collapsed in 1989. His health, his certainties, his ideology, his apparatus of power, and his beloved SED party. 0:00 Introduction and discussion on the life of Eric Honecker 5:42 Overview of Honecker's early life and family background 13:49 Honecker's return to Germany and the state of the country 19:37 Honecker's post-war life and rise in East German politics 28:01 Honecker's struggle with the exodus of East Germany's population 34:53 Operation Rose: The division of Berlin 44:10 Public perception of Honecker in East Germany 46:05 Intensifying economic struggles in East Germany and Poland 55:26 Honecker's refusal to follow Gorbachev's reforms and health decline 1:01:19 Honecker's extradition and trial in Berlin 1:03:17 Honecker's release and final years in Chile 1:05:29 Honecker's funeral and tributes received 1:06:51 Mention of the book "The Man Who built the Berlin Wall" by Nathan Moreley and podcast extras 1:07:22 Acknowledgement of podcast's financial supporters and closing remarks Buy the book here https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9781399088824 The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to keep this podcast on the air. You’ll become part of our community and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Book giveaway entry info here https://coldwarconversations.com/giveaway/ Episodes mentioned: History of East Germany https://coldwarconversations.com/episode284/ Doping of East German athletes https://coldwarconversations.com/episode264/ Polish strikes in 1980 https://coldwarconversations.com/episode152/ Extra episode information https://coldwarconversations.com/episode302/ Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ 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 Radio GDR If you are interested in East Germany we can highly recommend our friends over at Radio GDR. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jaksot(442)

Frozen in Time  - the Cold War Nottingham War Rooms (387)

Frozen in Time - the Cold War Nottingham War Rooms (387)

Last year I was given the unique opportunity to visit the Nottingham War Rooms. The site is about to be re-developed so it was a rare chance to see a British Regional Seat of Government bunker that h...

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Defending Baltic Skies : A Swedish Air Force Pilot's Cold War (386)

Defending Baltic Skies : A Swedish Air Force Pilot's Cold War (386)

During the Cold War Sweden outwardly maintained its neutrality, however from the 1960s the U.S. secretly promised to provide military force in aid of Sweden in case of Soviet aggression. As part of th...

1 Helmi 20251h 31min

Letters across the Iron Curtain -  Unseen Cold War Correspondence between Soviet and American Women (385)

Letters across the Iron Curtain - Unseen Cold War Correspondence between Soviet and American Women (385)

In the tense years of the early Cold War, American and Soviet women conducted a remarkable pen-pal correspondence that enabled them to see each other as friends rather than enemies. In a compelling n...

25 Tammi 20251h 2min

From Cold War Berlin to Belfast – A Paratrooper’s Story Pt 2 (384)

From Cold War Berlin to Belfast – A Paratrooper’s Story Pt 2 (384)

David Mackay is a former Cold War special forces officer and author of Bubbleheads, SEALs and Wizards: America's Scottish Bastion in the Cold War. He continues his unvarnished anecdotes about his Cold...

18 Tammi 20251h 10min

Bombs, Berlin & Peacekeeping: A Paratrooper's Cold War Story Pt 1 (383)

Bombs, Berlin & Peacekeeping: A Paratrooper's Cold War Story Pt 1 (383)

David Mackay is a former Cold War special forces officer and author of Bubbleheads, SEALs and Wizards: America's Scottish Bastion in the Cold War. He returns by popular demand to share his compelling ...

11 Tammi 20251h

Watching the Jackals: Prague's Covert Liaisons with Cold War Terrorists and Revolutionaries (382)

Watching the Jackals: Prague's Covert Liaisons with Cold War Terrorists and Revolutionaries (382)

Author Daniela Richterova new book "Watching the Jackals" tells the untold history of Czechoslovakia's complex relations with Middle Eastern terrorists and revolutionaries during the closing decades o...

4 Tammi 20251h 6min

The Truth about the Gulf of Tonkin incident that sparked the Vietnam War (381)

The Truth about the Gulf of Tonkin incident that sparked the Vietnam War (381)

The Gulf of Tonkin incident, was a pivotal moment that escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. I talked with US Marine Veteran John F. Davies, who researched the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. He sh...

28 Joulu 202456min

Under Fire: A Journalist's Story of the 1989 Romanian Revolution (380)

Under Fire: A Journalist's Story of the 1989 Romanian Revolution (380)

Today we are transported back to a pivotal moment in history that occurred 35 years ago this month - the Romanian Revolution of 1989. This episode is from our archive and features, Mark Brayne, a f...

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