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

Avsnitt(443)

I was a deep cover KGB spy Part 1 (140)

I was a deep cover KGB spy Part 1 (140)

If you’ve seen the TV drama series, “The Americans” you’ll be fascinated by this episode. Albrecht Dittrich was an East German graduate student and a true believer in the Communist cause when he was r...

18 Sep 20201h 6min

Portland Spy Ring Part 2 (139)

Portland Spy Ring Part 2 (139)

This is the 2nd episode with Trevor Barnes, the author of “Dead Doubles, a new book on the Portland Spy Ring, one of the most infamous espionage cases of the Cold War. The story continues with the dra...

11 Sep 20201h 25min

Portland Spy Ring Part 1 (138)

Portland Spy Ring Part 1 (138)

In this episode we talk with Trevor Barnes, the author of “Dead Doubles, a new book on the Portland Spy Ring, one of the most infamous espionage cases of the Cold War. In 1960 it was discovered that c...

4 Sep 202051min

The Last British Commandant in Cold War West Berlin Part 2 (137)

The Last British Commandant in Cold War West Berlin Part 2 (137)

This is the 2nd part of our conversation with Major General Sir Robert Corbett, KCVO, CB who was the last Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin. We join as I ask what were the British Army’s plan...

28 Aug 202057min

The Last British Commandant in Cold War West Berlin Part 1 (136)

The Last British Commandant in Cold War West Berlin Part 1 (136)

Major General Sir Robert Corbett, KCVO, CB was the last Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin. We start his story with the description of his first experience of Berlin as a young Army officer co...

21 Aug 202048min

Eva - A Cold War Czechoslovak Childhood (135)

Eva - A Cold War Czechoslovak Childhood (135)

Born in Communist Czechoslovakia, Eva Caletkova has written an honest and unflinching account of her childhood in Bratislava. Eva’s parents were Catholics, and the communist regime began to persecute ...

14 Aug 20201h 18min

My father was Cold War Stasi spy Werner Stiller (134)

My father was Cold War Stasi spy Werner Stiller (134)

Werner Stiller’s spectacular defection to the West in 1979 inflicted one of the Cold War’s most serious blows to the Stasi. At the time he was working as a case officer for the Main Directorate for Re...

7 Aug 20201h 4min

Retracing the Iron Curtain: A 3,000-Mile Journey Through the End and Afterlife of the Cold War (133)

Retracing the Iron Curtain: A 3,000-Mile Journey Through the End and Afterlife of the Cold War (133)

Tim Phillips travelled the route of the former Iron Curtain from deep inside the arctic circle to the meeting point in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. On his journey, he explored both the surviving tr...

31 Juli 20201h 13min

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