Spying on NATO from a Cold War East German Army radio monitoring base Part 2 (313)

Cold War Conversations Podcast

Ian Sanders

Society & Culture, Documentary, History

4.8 • 758 Ratings

🗓️ 13 October 2023

⏱️ 92 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This is the second part of my chat with Thomas who worked in a secret East German radio monitoring base. He describes how a BRIXMIS or another Allied Military Liason Mission vehicle had once got into the base and what the East German Army was told about MLM capabilities. When the officers aren’t around he and his comrades listen to Western radio and watch Western TV. Gorbachev is now in power and liberalisation has now started in the Soviet Union and the East German government worries about contamination. Thomas describes his participation in the Dresden protests and is totally shocked by police brutality against East German citizens. We talk about the opening of the Wall and the decline in NVA discipline as East Germany starts to implode in the march to reunification. We also hear about the surprising contents of his Stasi file. Extra episode information here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode313/ 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 also welcome one-off donations via the same link. 0:00 Introduction 1:21 Thomas's Stasi file and military liaison mission experiences 11:30 Perception of NATO and potential for invasion 18:06 Exposure to Western media and culture 22:39 Unrest and start of the rebellion in East Germany 34:20 Closure of the Czech border 49:04 Shared experiences with American and Czech soldiers 55:38 Recollection of the day the Berlin Wall came down 1:02:55 First experience visiting the West and adapting to Western lifestyle 1:12:27 Transitioning back to civilian life and the reunification of Germany 1:27:13 Joining the Cold War Conversations Facebook discussion group Table of contents powered by PodcastAI✨ Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ 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 Love history? Check out Into History at this link https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Cold War Conversations, the home of real stories of the Cold War.
0:05.9	This episode is brought to you by SimpliSafe. With the evenings getting darker earlier,
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0:25.8	Visit simplysafe.co.uk slash podcast for free shipping plus a risk-free 60-day trial.
0:31.7	There's no safe like Simply safe.
0:34.4	Teas and Cs apply.
0:38.6	This is Cold War Conversations. If you're new here, you've come to the right place to listen to first-hand Cold War history accounts. Do make sure you follow us in your podcast app or join our emailing list at cold warconversations.com.
0:57.2	This is the second part of my chat with Thomas who worked in a secret East German radio
1:03.4	monitoring base. Part one is episode 312. He describes how a bricksmith or other military liaison mission vehicle had once got onto the base and what the East German Army was told about the military liaison mission capabilities.
1:20.6	When his officers weren't around, he and his comrades listened to Western radio and watch Western TV.
1:27.7	Gorbachev is now in power and liberalisation has started in the Soviet Union
1:32.0	and the East German government worries about contamination.
1:36.5	Thomas describes his participation in the protests in Dresden
1:40.6	and is totally shocked by police brutality against the citizens of East Germany.
1:47.0	We talk about the opening of the wall and the decline of East German army discipline
1:52.0	as the country starts to implode in the March to Reunification.
1:57.0	We also hear some surprising details about the contents of his Stasi file.
2:02.3	I'm delighted to welcome Thomas back to our Cold War conversation.
2:08.7	At least once in the half year, we were told how to react in case of an so-called MLM alarm, military liaison mission alarm.
2:22.8	The military liaison missions were British-American and French units that were allowed by a treaty signed straight after World War II to patrol East Germany to minimize tensions between the Western Allies and the Soviet forces.
	...

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