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 atomic bombings and highlights how they impacted Soviet/US relations in the early Cold War as well as US relations with their Allies.
We reflect on the decisions made at the time, his interviews with the scientists who worked on them and the last surviving aircrew who dropped the bombs. Many aircrew believed they were participating in a mission that would hasten the end of the war, but the reality of what they witnessed—cities obliterated in an instant—haunted them for the rest of their lives.
The threat of nuclear warfare remains a pressing issue today, and understanding the motivations and decisions that led to Hiroshima and Nagasaki can help inform our current global discussions on security and peace.
Buy the book https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9780008372552
Stephen's Guardian article https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/22/atomic-bomb-hiroshima-nagasaki-author-stephen-walker
Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode415
The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.
You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, 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.
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If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link.
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1:05:57
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1:05:57
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 James Stejskal who has written a new book Berlin: A Spy’s Guide to its Cold War History in Story & Image.
We explore in some detail the intricate web of intelligence operations that unfolded against the backdrop of a tense geopolitical landscape and James shares his own firsthand accounts and lesser known stories giving us insights into spy recruitment, tradecraft and clandestine communications.
Other related episodes
Special Forces Berlin - Clandestine Cold War Operations of the US Army's Elite, 1956-1990 https://pod.fo/e/19e5f
My father was Cold War Stasi spy Werner Stiller https://pod.fo/e/255a6
The Cold War Berlin spy tunnel - Operation Gold https://pod.fo/e/1191c
Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode415
The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.
You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, 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 welcome one-off donations via the same link.
Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/
Follow us on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social
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58:05
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 rigors of military life for the first time. Doug recalls the challenges of adapting to the strict regimen and the camaraderie that formed among the recruits.
As their stories transition to life in Germany, they reflect on the unique challenges and cultural experiences they encountered while stationed overseas. From the friendships forged in the face of adversity to the unforgettable moments during training exercises, both Doug and Mike provide listeners with a glimpse into the realities of military service.
Their narratives also highlight the lasting impact of their time in the military, emphasizing how their experiences shaped their lives and careers long after their service ended. With anecdotes that range from the humorous to the poignant, this episode serves as a testament to the resilience and camaraderie that define military life.
Whether you're a veteran, a family member of someone in the service, or just curious about military life, Doug and Mike's stories are sure to resonate.
Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode414
The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.
You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, 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 welcome one-off donations via the same link.
Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/
Follow us on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social
Follow us on Threads https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations
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Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod
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1:16:53
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1:16:53
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 full episode, but are far too good to leave untold. So keep them coming!
Your Cold War memories, or those of a loved one, are part of history. Share them with us!
If you have a story to share, whether in text or audio form, you can send it to me at ian "at" coldwarconversations.com.
In this first edition, we’ve got a brilliant mix: a memory from the Cuban Missile Crisis, a chance encounter with a Cold War legend, a 13-year-old’s unexpected flight behind the Iron Curtain, some poignant family reflections from the Korean War, and a visitor’s eerie timing as they arrived in Ukraine just as the Chernobyl disaster was unfolding.
Links.
Robin Stock's web site https://theextraordinarylivesofordinarypeople0.wordpress.com/cuba-rockets-and-me/
Russell Phillips web site https://russellphillips.uk/
Article about Russell's story https://coldwarconversations.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Saga-June-2000.pdf
Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode413
The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.
You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, 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 welcome one-off donations via the same link.
Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/
Follow us on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social
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16:20
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 are still very much with us today, shaping the geopolitical fault lines on the Korean peninsula and beyond.
In their latest book, Korea : War Without End, Richard Dannatt and Robert Lyman challenge not just the memory but the understanding of the war, arguing that much of what we believe about Korea is incomplete, misunderstood, or dangerously simplified.
They explore the war as a story of missed opportunities, strategic miscalculations, and unintended consequences—a war that was as much about domestic Korean ambitions as it was about Cold War superpower rivalry. You will hear why this war has been forgotten, why it mattered then, and why it still matters now.
Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode412
The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history.
You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, 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 welcome one-off donations via the same link.
Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/
Follow us on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social
Follow us on Threads https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations
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Experience the Cold War like never before with Cold War Conversations — an award-winning podcast recommended by The New York Times.
Each week, host Ian Sanders brings you raw, firsthand accounts from the people who lived through one of history’s most tense and transformative eras — soldiers, spies, civilians, and more.
These aren’t stories from textbooks. They’re unfiltered voices from the frontlines of history — emotional, gripping, and deeply human.
This is Cold War history, told from the inside out.
We cover subjects such as spies, spying, the Iron Curtain, nuclear weapons, warfare, tanks, jet aircraft, fighters, bombers, transport aircraft, aviation, culture, and politics.
We also cover personalities such as Fidel Castro, JFK, Ronald Reagan, Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, Mikhail Gorbachev, Konstantin Chernenko, Margaret Thatcher, John F. Kennedy, Josef Stalin, Richard Nixon, Lech Walesa, General Jaruzelski, Nicolae Ceaușescu.
Other subjects include Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin, West Berlin, East Berlin, Cuban missile Crisis, Berlin Airlift, Bay of Pigs, SALT, Perestroika, Space Race, superpower, USSR, Soviet Union, DDR, GDR, East Germany, SDI, Vietnam War, Korean War, Solidarność, Fall of the Wall, Berliner Mauer, Trabant, Communist, Capitalist, Able Archer, KGB, Stasi, STB, SB, Securitate, CIA, NSA, MI5, MI6, Berlin Wall, escape, defection, Cuba, Albania, football, sport, Bulgaria, Soviet Union, Poland, China, Taiwan, Austria, West Germany, Solidarity, espionage, HUMINT, SIGINT, OSINT, IMINT, GEOINT, RAF, USAF, British Army, US Army, Red Army, Soviet Army, Afghanistan, NVA, East German Army, KAL007, T-72, T-64, Chieftain, M60
The podcast is for military veterans, school teachers, university lecturers, students and those interested in Cold War history, museums, bunkers, weapons, AFVs, wargamers, planes, A Level, GCSE students studying Superpower Relations and the Cold War.
Brasil