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

Episoder(443)

The first female CIA officer in Cold War Moscow (236)

The first female CIA officer in Cold War Moscow (236)

Marti Peterson was the first female CIA operative to be assigned to Moscow, probably the most challenging posting during the Cold War. Her story begins in Laos during the Vietnam War where she accompa...

20 Mai 202258min

The 1989 World Festival of Youth and Students in Pyongyang, North Korea (235)

The 1989 World Festival of Youth and Students in Pyongyang, North Korea (235)

The 13th World Festival of Youth and Students was held from 1–8 July 1989 in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. It was the largest international event staged in North Korea up until then. The even...

13 Mai 202258min

Britain’s Cold War Human Chemical Warfare Experiments (234)

Britain’s Cold War Human Chemical Warfare Experiments (234)

Ian Foulkes was exposed to the deadly nerve agent Sarin in 1983 at the Porton Down Chemical & Biological Defence Establishment., one of the UK's most secretive and controversial military research faci...

6 Mai 20221h 11min

Flying for the CIA's Air America in South East Asia (233)

Flying for the CIA's Air America in South East Asia (233)

In 1964, pilot Captain Hansen found himself unemployed. He began to send out feelers to several companies including one that had placed an ad in the Washington Post called Air America. When he was cal...

29 Apr 20221h 26min

A photojournalist in Cold War Eastern Europe (232)

A photojournalist in Cold War Eastern Europe (232)

During the 1970s and 1980s, Arthur Grace travelled extensively behind the Iron Curtain, working primarily for news magazines. One of only a small corps of Western photographers with ongoing access, he...

22 Apr 20221h 2min

Escaping from Cold War Romania (231)

Escaping from Cold War Romania (231)

Zsolt Akos Pall was 17 when he decided to flee Cold War Romania for a better life in the West.  It’s a heart-warming story of the generosity of strangers. Young Zsolt finds compassionate border guards...

15 Apr 20221h 14min

A Hungarian childhood in Cold War Romania (230)

A Hungarian childhood in Cold War Romania (230)

Zsolt Akos Pall was born in a small town in the Hungarian speaking part of Romania.  For ordinary people, life in Romania in the 1980s was very hard and it could be even worse if you were a part of th...

8 Apr 202249min

The shooting down of KAL007, the Able Archer exercise and the nuclear war scare of 1983 (229)

The shooting down of KAL007, the Able Archer exercise and the nuclear war scare of 1983 (229)

The year 1983 was one of the most dangerous in human history. While the Cuban crisis was exceptionally dangerous and both the United States and the Soviet Union had significant nuclear arsenals in 196...

1 Apr 20221h 24min

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