Cold War in the News -- History

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Tours of escape tunnels under the Berlin Wall
When the East German government set up the Berlin Wall in 1961 to prevent its citizens from leaving, the regime failed to consider the creativity of those willing to risk anything to escape the communist system. But several hundred took advantage of the soft soil beneath Berlin to tunnel their way under the wall. Today Berlin's Cold War-era bunker and tunnel system has become one of the most popular attractions for tourists. In 2008, over 150,000 visitors explored the underground of the German capital, touring the bunkers and tunnels that serve as a chilling reminder of the city's grim history.
by abcnews.go.com :: 2009-10-22 :: Berlin Wall

Russia's Doomsday Machine still ready for action?
It's supposed to be science fiction: A device that triggers a nuclear attack in the event of an American strike against Russia. But the "Dr. Strangelove"-like technology isn't fantasy. The Cold War-era Soviet "doomsday machine" was - and might still be - very much a reality. From interviews with former Soviet arms officials and Defense Department documents, Wired editor Nicholas Thompson found out that the system was built 25 years ago to make sure a nuclear retaliation if Russia were attacked by the U.S. And though the Iron Curtain was removed, it's thought that the "doomsday" system was never switched off.
by abcnews.go.com :: 2009-10-22 :: Nuclear War

How vital were Cold War spies, did they actually make any difference?
The world of espionage is at the heart of the mythology of the Cold War. But while the tales of adventure, treason, and mole hunts are a great source for thriller writers, did they really make a difference to the outcome? Did intelligence make the Cold War hotter or colder? It is difficult to know the answer, because much of the intelligence collected was military or tactical in nature, and would only have useful if the Cold War had gone hot. But in the lack of traditional warfare, intelligence becomes itself the primary battleground.
by bbc.co.uk :: 2009-08-11 :: Spies, Intelligence, Espionage of Cold War

The spy who started the Cold War by passing Britain's atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union
For 10 years a Soviet spy codenamed Eric revealed Britain's nuclear secrets to Moscow, paving the way for the Cold War. The KGB treasured him; MI5 suspected him, trailed him, opened his letters and monitored his every move. But he was never caught. Now, with the opening of MI5 and KGB archives, Eric can be id'ed as Engelbert (Bertie) Broda, a Austrian scientist who evaded Britain's spy-catchers while working as a Soviet mole in the heart of the wartime nuclear research programme. The amazing story of Bertie Broda is like a spy novel: a tale of espionage and counter-espionage, elaborate spycraft, deception, and double-life.
by timesonline.co.uk :: 2009-08-11 :: Cold War Soviet Spies

Majority of Eastern Germans say life was better under Communism
Glorification of the German Democratic Republic is increasing two decades after the Berlin Wall collapsed. Young people and the better off are among those rejecting criticism of East Germany. In a new poll over half of former eastern Germans defend the GDR. People are whitewashing the dictatorship, as if criticizing the state meant calling their own past into question. "Many eastern Germans perceive all criticism of the system as a personal attack. Not even half of young people in eastern Germany describe the GDR as a dictatorship, and a majority believe the Stasi was a normal intelligence service," Klaus Schroeder discovered in a 2008 study.
by spiegel.de :: 2009-08-11 :: East Germany

Anthony Blunt: passing secrets to Communist Russia was the biggest mistake of my life
The memoirs of spy Anthony Blunt reveal how he regarded passing British secrets to Communist Russia as the "biggest mistake of my life". He passed secret documents to the Soviets while a WWII agent for MI5. Blunt was part of the Cambridge spy ring, with Kim Philby, Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean. His memoirs, at the British Library in London, says a "naive" desire to help Moscow beat fascism motivated him. Blunt penned the 30,000-word document after PM Margaret Thatcher exposed his treachery in 1979. Blunt says he became disillusioned with Moscow, wishing only to "return to my normal academic life". However, his knowledge of the others in the spy ring made this impossible.
by bbc.co.uk :: 2009-08-11 :: Spies, Intelligence, Espionage of Cold War

Was West German history shaped by East German spy
The name of the literature student Benno Ohnesorg became a rallying cry for the West German left wing after he was shot dead by police in 1967. Newly discovered documents from the Stasi archive suggest that Karl-Heinz Kurras - the cop who shot Ohnesorg - may have been a spy for the Stasi. The papers show that Kurras began working with the Stasi in 1955. He had wanted to move to East Berlin, but instead he signed an agreement with the Stasi to remain with the West Berlin police force and spy for the communist state. As a result of the new information, criminal charges have once again been filed against Kurras (who has already been acquitted two times).
by spiegel.de :: 2009-06-03 :: East Germany

Teenager Mathias Rust tested Soviet air defenses on May 28, 1987
The Cold War was still in full force in 1987, when West German teenager Mathias Rust decided he was going to help us all just get along. Not only did he escape a death and fail to start World War III, but his stunt actually smoothed the way for an eventual easing of global tensions. Rust, 19, was determined to prove that the "evil empire" really wasn't all that evil and that Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was truthful in his desire to end the Cold War. His plan: Violate the most heavily defended airspace in the world, get to Moscow in one piece, and show the world the softer side of the Soviets.
by wired.com :: 2009-06-03 :: Uncategorized Cold War News

Cold War in the News is an edited review of hand-picked Cold War related news and articles.