The Last British Commandant in Cold War West Berlin Part 2 (137)

Cold War Conversations - "vivid & compelling" The NY Times

Ian Sanders

History, Documentary, Society & Culture

4.8 • 865 Ratings

🗓️ 28 August 2020

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This is the 2nd part of our conversation with Major General Sir Robert Corbett, KCVO, CB who was the last Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin. We join as I ask what were the British Army’s plans in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion of West Berlin. We also talk about the momentous night of 9th November 1989 and a fascinating tale of a situation, which if handled differently could have sent the history of that night in a very different direction... Sir Robert also recollects his experiences at the Checkpoint Charlie closure ceremony and at the Tag der Deutschen Einheit when on 3 October 1990 the two Germanies were officially reunified. If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners. If you can spare it I’m asking listeners to contribute at least $3 USD per month to help keep us on the air (larger amounts are welcome too) plus you can get a sought after CWC coaster as a monthly financial supporter of the podcast and you bask in the warm glow of knowing you helping preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ I am delighted to welcome back Major General Sir Robert Corbett to our Cold War conversation… There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode137/ If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook. Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ 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 0:00 Introduction and Major General Sir Robert Corbett's experience in West Berlin 7:17 British army's plans and readiness for a potential Warsaw packed invasion 13:15 Major General Sir Robert Corbett's visits and experiences in East Germany 23:01 Recollection of the moment the Berlin Wall opened and the ensuing chaos 28:34 Interactions with Soviet soldiers and the changing relationship with East German border guards 36:37 Soviet reaction to the unfolding events and the bond between enemy soldiers 41:18 Major General Sir Robert Corbett's ongoing connection with Russia and Berlin 44:03 The departure of British troops from Berlin and the change in their status 47:05 The close-call confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie in 1961 and stories about German reunification 51:36 Reflections on the peaceful resolution of the Cold War and the importance of recording Cold War history Chapters powered by PodcastAI✨ 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.
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0:19.1	Shalemay is a revelation.
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0:23.8	Now nominated for the Golden Globes for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor, Edward Norton.
0:29.3	A complete unknown.
0:30.5	Ladies and gentlemen, Bob, Bill!
0:32.5	In cinemas, January 17, rated 15.
0:36.0	Arbor the Tragedia sits for by. The tragedy is now over.
0:41.4	And as I said those words, I looked up and there's sitting in the front row, the great
0:46.9	governing mayor of West Berlin, Willy Brandt. And the chairs were absolutely pouring down his face and I will never forget that
0:57.2	moment as long as I live.
1:00.9	This is Cold War Conversations. If you're new here, you've come to the right place to listen to
1:07.9	first-hand Cold War history accounts. Do make sure you follow us in your
1:12.7	podcast app or join our emailing list at cold warconversations.com. This is the second part of our
1:21.4	conversation with Major General Sir Robert Corbett, who is the last commandant of the British
1:26.8	sector in Berlin.
1:28.5	We joined the conversation as I ask, what were the British Army's plans in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion of West Berlin?
1:37.4	We also talk about the momentous night of the 9th November 1989 and a fascinating tale of a situation which, if handled differently,
	...

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