Cold War Cast

Today we're talking about the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950. We'll discuss how China lost Tibet in the first place, the “century of humiliation” and the agreement China gave Tibet. We'll also discuss how India reacted and Tibet's unlikely ally - El Salvador

With the recent tensions between India and Pakistan, i figured it was a good time to talk about India's entrance to the nuclear club. We'll talk about the reasons why India would want the bomb and the world's reaction (particularly Pakistan's). We'll also discuss some issues of nuclear proliferation- if the US and USSR can have these weapons and be trusted to not end civilization as we know it, what's the problem with nations like India or Pakistan having them? Enjoy!

UVB-76 is in the news today because of a cryptic shortwave transmission. I wanted to jump on real quick and talk a little bit about what we know about the station, some speculation on what they're up to and a little bit about shortwave in general during the Cold War (which is a fascinating topic)

Today we're talking about a real Cold War gem - Carol Reed's 1953 film noir thriller “The Man Between”. It's a great showcase of one of the most tense times and places in the Cold War, Berlin in the early 50's. It kept me on the edge of my seat and was also loaded with Cold War themes and imagery. The big question- was Ivo Kern, the antihero, a metaphor for Germany looking to atone for the past? Do we trust them? It's easy for us to answer now, but not so much then. I hope you check it out, I assume most of us haven't seen it since it was new to me.

During the Cold War the United States started on a secret plan to build an extensive network of tunnels in Greenland's ice cap for nuclear missiles. We're going to talk about project iceworm, but we'll also discuss the political fallout between the United States, Denmark and Greenland over this and another incident up there. I hope you'll find this is an interesting topic with present day relevance.

The defense of Greenland is in the hands of a handful of men - Denmark's Sirius Patrol. They're an elite long range reconnaissance patrol unit that prowls Greenland's coastline on dogsleds looking for things that shouldn't be there. These guys are one of the most elite and interesting units in NATO's arsenal

Greenland is in the news right now because Donald Trump is looking to add it to America's portfolio. Today we are talking about the strategic importance of Greenland during the Cold War and current day.

Today we are looking at the short and not very sweet history SEATO, The Southeast Asian Treaty Organization. We are also going to look at what's made NATO work that SEATO didn't have. Who knows, we may see them drag this alliance out again someday.

In this episode, I look at a recent book by Annie Jacobsen that gives a realistic account of what would go down if we detected nuclear missiles incoming. Although it takes place in the present, there's a strong Cold War essence to the book, when all the protocols were developed. A must for those of us who are fans (?!?!?) of nuclear stuff!

On September 2, 1945 Ho Chi Minh delivered a speech in Hanoi announcing Vietnam's independence from Japan and France. Tonight we're going to read the speech and add a little context in order to hear it from the “other side”. Ho Chi Minh was one of America's communist boogeymen, after all. I believe hearing all sides, even ones you don't like, are important- especially today

My thoughts on the film Oppenheimer and one of the major themes of the film and how it relates to the Cold War

Today we're doing a Cold War analysis of the 1951 Film Noir gem “I Was A Communist For The FBI”, a dramatization of undercover agent Matt Cvetic's time amongst the communists in Pittsburgh.

This episode is a little different because I'm giving my hot takes on the tanks coming to Ukraine. I feel that both the Ukrainian / Western and the Russian sides need a little moderation on the situation with the incoming tanks. I hope you enjoy this one, I'm shooting from the hip here on this subject --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today we're looking at a real Cold War gem, “Red Nightmare”. Our protagonist gets taken on a twilight zone-esque journey into what his life would look like under communism. This short film is one of my favorite examples of the Cold War being fought through pop culture. Let me know what you think! As always, this is brought to you by Red Dragon Herbs, our own loose leaf tea business --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today we're talking about Conelrad, the American government's answer to getting the word out in the event of a Soviet attack. This topic is a fun relic from those uncertain times. We had the power to blow each other up across the world, but communication across the country wasn't foolproof --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In a press conference in 1954, President Eisenhower cites the Domino Theory as a reason for America's involvement in the war in Vietnam. Today we're talking about the origins of the theory and its impact on the Cold War.

In January of 1989 Ayatollah Khomeini sent a letter to Gorbachev. He invites him to turn to Islam, but also gets his final digs in as the USSR crumbles. This letter is an interesting snapshot of the waning days of Gorbachev and the Soviet Union from a unique Cold War perspective we don't hear from often. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today we're talking about the great Cold Warrior J Edgar Hoover and his 1958 book “Masters of Deceit: The Story of Communism in America and How To Fight It”. This is a real gem from the red scare era of the Cold War. I leave you with a few actionable tips on fighting communism at the end. Enjoy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today we're talking about a Cold War pop culture gem, The Manchurian Candidate. This book was written after the McCarthy era “red scare” began to cool down. A good satire on the era. Enjoy --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We're going right in to the danger zone tonight and discussing Top Gun, which I think was America's on-screen Cold War victory lap. It's a story of a nation regaining confidence and redemption after being shaken up by the experience of the Vietnam War. Enjoy the episode and let me know what you think. Share, subscribe and support reddragonherbs.net or I'll have you flying a cargo plane of rubber dogshit out of Hong Kong. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today we dig into the archives of the Des Moines Register to get reactions from when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first man made satellite into space. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

There will be a lot of eyes on this year's Victory Day parade in Russia because of the speech Vladimir Putin will have to give. What will he say? In this episode I give a rundown of how the parade goes. At the end of the day, it's a great Cold War throwback, lots of Soviet nostalgia and stunning military pageantry. I also discussed “babushka z” and how she plays into the current mood in Russia. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode we talk about Austria, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ukraine. There's a little something for everyone, really --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode we'll discuss DEFCON and the Doomsday Clock. I think these topics are relevant for understanding some of the information…and misinformation about the war in Ukraine --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The second nation to step forward for Korea was Turkey. Today we're talking about why they got involved, their experience and the mythos surrounding the Turks. We'll also discuss the film “Ayla: Daughter of War”

Recently on the Jocko podcast he discussed Mcnamara's Folly about Project 100,000 to draft substandard men into the armed forces. Today I discuss the Cold War considerations of the plan and how it relates to current American foreign policy. I'm all over the place on this one, enjoy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Of all the countries that participated in the Korean War, Ethiopia stands out as the most unique. Today we'll tell the story of the Kagnew Battalion in Korea. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Will Poland evoke Article IV of the North Atlantic Treaty due to tensions on the Belarus border? I don't know, but we'll discuss what these articles actually mean today --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today we're talking about that 1950's Cold War classic of suspense, dread and horror “down under”, On The Beach. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In order for NATO to work, everyone needs to be understood. Today we're doing a quick episode about the Cold War considerations behind the NATO alphabet. Of general military interest as well --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The interstate system we all probably use is a product of Cold War considerations. Let's dive into it! Feels good to be back. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Hey guys, I'm back! Too much has been left unsaid about the Cold War. I'm ready to jump back in. We'll figure out all the details on the fly. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

  We’ve come close to discussing the Warsaw Pact several times in past episodes and today it finally gets a stand-alone show! It’s easy to look at the Warsaw Pact as solely a counterbalance to NATO, but we’re going to discuss a few other nuances that are important to understanding it from the Eastern perspective. […]

  I don’t have a real historical topic today, but I’ve been thinking about why I’ve always been fascinated with the Cold War and I think it has something to do with my historical perspective catching the tail end of it as a young child and then growing up in an era (the 90’s) where […]

  Today we’re discussing a true Cold War curiosity and perhaps the most famous pigeon of the Cold War, Leaping Lena. As the story goes, the pigeon got lost behind the Iron Curtain during a race and came back with a message for the west to continue the fight against communism and that Radio Free […]

A few months ago I was able to sit down and go through the local library’s archives of articles they collected about the city’s civil defense planning for the nuclear war.  In this episode we’ll look at how Des Moines, Iowa, a good “Anytown, USA” looked at the threat of atomic attack and most importantly, […]

We’ve been discussing Cold War geography and today we’re talking about the most enduring interface of the Cold War – the DMZ between North Korea and South Korea.   The DMZ is the most tense border area on the planet.  In this episode we talk about the DMZ as a physical entity and the men […]

We’ve been discussing Cold War geography and today we’re talking about the most enduring interface of the Cold War – the DMZ between North Korea and South Korea.   The DMZ is the most tense border area on the planet.  In this episode we talk about the DMZ as a physical entity and the men […]

Today we’re talking about a stretch of ocean between the UK and Greenland (with Iceland in the middle) that is pretty much the only access point for the Soviets to hit the high seas of the Atlantic and potentially cut off NATO supply lines…as well as potentially get nuclear subs right off the East Coast […]

Over the next couple of episodes we’re going to look at some key points on the Cold War map.  Appropriately we’re going to start with the Fulda Gap in Germany, an extremely important pass through rugged terrain during the Cold War.   Today it’s just a bit of land in the middle of Germany but […]

The B-52 Stratofortress was the “tip of the spear” for the American arsenal during the Cold War (well, along with the ICBM) and really one of the most remarkable planes in the history of aviation. Today we’re going to look at the history of the B-52, go over some of the plane’s impressive stats and […]

Today we’re talking about one of the most iconic bits of pop culture from the Cold War, “Duck and Cover”. This 1952 short features an ever-vigilant cartoon turtle named Bert who shows America’s schoolchildren various ways to react to an atomic bomb including most famously…ducking and covering Most people say that Duck and Cover “didn’t […]

We’re straying far off our Cold War timeline in order to discuss Threads, a 1984 British “docudrama” about nuclear war. I have to say that this one way over exceeded my expectations. This is easily one of the most memorable films I’ve ever seen. It’s been on my mind since my first viewing a couple […]

Today we’re talking about the role of shortwave radio during the Cold War and even the state of that platform today. Shortwave radio was one of the most effective weapons of the Cold War in the sense of it allowed both sides of the conflict to directly address the people and governments on the other […]

I’ll admit I’ve always had a soft spot for conspiracy theories. As a kid I used to visit the John Birch Society booth at the Iowa State Fair every year and come back with pamphlets on all kinds of subjects. Although my exposure to them was during the 90’s, they were an anti-communist force to […]

Today we’re talking about decolonization, one of the most important undercurrents and/or parallel events to the Cold War. Although the decolonization process of each country was unique, there were certainly some common themes in this period that we’ll look at. Decolonization spread the Cold War throughout the world and really turned it into a global […]

The nature of warfare didn’t change in the atomic age, but being a prisoner of war had some new complications during the Cold War – prisoners now had political and propaganda value. With the world watching, prisoners could be used to undermine the enemy’s cause in various ways. The American (and other allied) POWs went […]

Today we’re talking about the original Godzilla film which gives us a unique perspective on the Cold War climate from Japan. Godzilla is a metaphor for the atomic bomb itself as well as the potential harmful side effects of playing with technology that can’t easily be reversed. Japan held the unfortunate distinction of being the […]

Today we’re discussing the brilliant 1959 Korean War film Pork Chop Hill. This film manages to turn a tragic and dire moment in history into something of a dark comedy…and also maybe acts as a microcosm of the Korean War and the Cold War experience up to this point – a test of will. Enjoy!

Today we’re talking about the period between about February 1951 through July of 1953 of the Korean War, characterized by a stalemate at the 38th Parallel and negotiations between the two camps.  We’ll cover that period and why talks were held up real quick and then go into some of my mile-high observations on the […]

This episode is a listener request and I hope I delivered what was asked for – we’re discussing Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea from 1948-60.  I think looking at his legacy is valuable because it adds some complexity to the Cold War by challenging the notion of the conflict being purely a good vs. […]