Preserving the Cold War in Sunny California

We are looking for a museum of Cold War history that has a collection of everything from East German blueprints to Soviet artwork.

Why Syria is Becoming a Battleground for Middle East Influence

Syria is becoming the latest battleground in a Cold War for influence in the Middle East. On one side is Iran, an old ally of the Assad regime. On the other is Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf Kingdoms.

GI Disco From Berlin

A dance club in Berlin celebrates the music brought to Germany by American G.I.s in the Cold War era.

Bavaria to Evict American Cold War Era Cultural House

The Amerika Häuser were places for Germans to learn more about America.

A Letter of Reconciliation from a Pakistani Pilot

Qais Hussain, who was a pilot in the Pakistani air force, shot down an Indian plane in 1965 [...]

Civil War, 1896 Tsunami, Mau Mau, Yuri Gagarin, Bay of Pigs

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In the last week alone we’ve had at least three big anniversaries: 150th anniversary of the start of the (American) Civil War; 50th anniversary of the first human being into space; 50th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs. So we’ll look back at each of those moments. Plus Lisa Mullins interviews an archivist at National Geographic about an American writer and photographer, Eliza Scidmore, who documented the aftermath of a tsunami in northeast Japan more than a century ago. And we have two segments on the history behind the trial unfolding in London right now over alleged British atrocities in Kenya during the counterinsurgency campaign against Mau Mau rebels in the 1950′s. Download MP3

Russians in disbelief over nuclear deal

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For the first time in more than a decade, Russia and the US have a nuclear arms reduction treaty. The pact promises to strengthen ties between the former Cold War foes. But many living in the former Soviet Union just can’t believe the news. Jessica Golloher has the details from Moscow. Download MP3

Video: Bunker 42 : A top-secret underground command post used for nuclear communications during the Cold War

Letters from Leningrad

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On Wednesday we ran a story remembering Samantha Smith, the 10-year-old American girl who wrote to Soviet leader Andropov in 1982, to ask why the US and the USSR could not live in peace. Our story brought a response from listener Jeff Henigson who himself had appealed to Soviet leader Gorbachev to ask for an end to the nuclear arms race. Marco Werman talks with Henigson. Download MP3

• Read Henigson’s comment
• Read some of Henigson’s letters
• Henigson’s website ‘Letters from Leningrad’
• Remembering Samantha Smith

Obama’s shift on US nuclear weapons policy

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The Pentagon released its official policy review on US nuclear weapons policy today. And the Obama administration says it signals a shift away from Cold War-era thinking. The World’s Matthew Bell reports. Download MP3

• Read the Nuclear Posture Review (pdf)
• Foreign Policy: Nuclear Posture Review (or Nuclear Public Relations?)

The post-communist generation

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For some living in what was once the Eastern Bloc, the anniversary of bringing down the wall brings little cause for celebration. The last twenty years have brought freedom but also hardship and uncertainty – especially for the youngest generation who have grown up without Communism. Laura Lynch visited a high school in Budapest, Hungary. Download MP3

• Laura Lynch’s story on the first breach of the Iron Curtain in 1989
• Susan Stone reports how young Germans remember East Germany
• The World’s Gerry Hadden revisits the former East German border
• The World’s Alex Gallafent on owning a piece of the Berlin Wall

First breach in the Iron Curtain

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Before the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, Hungary tore down its barbed wire. Hungary’s prime minister didn’t ask permission in Moscow. He just told Soviet President Gorbachev it was a done deal. Hundreds would escape to the West in a single day. The World’s Laura Lynch went back to Western Hungary. Download MP3

• Hungary’s role in the 1989 revolutions
• 1989: Europe’s revolution
• The World’s Gerry Hadden revisits the former East German border
• The World’s Alex Gallafent on owning a piece of the Berlin Wall

Remembering East Germany

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Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, young Germans don’t give a lot of thought to what was once known as the GDR or East Germany. Few know much about a state that vanished before they were even born. And while some educators would rather not dwell on a recent but painful past, others say remembering is the only way to move the whole country forward. Susan Stone reports from Berlin. Download MP3

• The World’s Gerry Hadden revisits the former East German border
• The World’s Alex Gallafent on owning a piece of the Berlin Wall
• Former leaders recall Berlin Wall’s fall

A return to the East German border

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Next week marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. But today, we’re taking you to an even deadlier part of the former border between East and West Germany. Twenty four years ago, our Europe Correspondent Gerry Hadden lived along that dividing line in Travemunde, West Germany. He returns to explore the region’s past, present and future. Download MP3 (Photo: Gerry Hadden)

• See more of Gerry Hadden’s photos
• 1989: A timeline from the BBC

Owning a piece of the Berlin Wall

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Twenty years ago, the wall that divided East and West Berlin for decades came down in dramatic fashion. Since that time, the Berlin Wall has been broken up and distributed around the world, including downtown Manhattan. Former Berlin resident Juliane Camfield (pictured) tells The World’s Alex Gallafent about how she could never own a piece of the wall. Download MP3

• BBC Archive: The Berlin Wall
• BBC Audio Documentary: How the Wall Fell

Robert McNamara dies

The World’s Jason Margolis has this look back at former Secretary of State Robert McNamara, who died today at the age of 93. McNamara served under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and came to be vilified for his role in escalating the war in Vietnam.
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