Den kolde krig

En kæmpe ildsøjle oplyste 23. november 1951 den københavnske nattehimmel og blev efterfulgt af et øredøvende brag fra flådestationen på Holmen. Hvad der var begyndt som en uskyldig brand i et træskur, udviklede sig til en katastrofe, fordi skuret var et armeringsværksted, der indeholdt 11 søminer. De stakkels brandfolk, der var blevet tilkaldt af flådestationen og var i færd med at slukke branden, var ikke blevet advaret om eksplosionsfaren, og de var chanceløse overfor den voldsomme eksplosion, som branden udløste.11 brandfolk, tre falckreddere og to mand fra søværnet måttelade livet. Holmenkatastrofen er den værste ulykke i Københavns Brandvæsenshistorie, men det er også historien om et fattigt dansk forsvar, der pludselig skulle omstille sig til at være en del af NATO. Det indebar blandt andet, at søværnet skulle modtage store leverancer af søminer fra USA. Travlheden og knapheden på ressourcer skabte ideelle betingelser for katastrofen. Hvad var årsagen og hvem havde ansvaret for Holmenkatastrofen? Disse spørgsmål forsøger bogen også at besvare.

I januar 1962 dumpede en tynd, mørkeblå pjece ind ad brevsprækken hos samtlige danskere. Afsenderen var Statsministeriet, og overskriften lød Hvis krigen kommer. 17 år forinden havde USA afsluttet verdenskrigen med to atombomber over Japan. De dræbte tusinder og satte gang i Den Kolde Krig mellem USA og Sovjet, der gjorde ord som prøvesprængninger, civilforsvar og radioaktivt nedfald til allemandseje. Senere råbte miljødemonstranter nej tak til atomkraft, og det sovjetiske atomkraftværk Tjernobyl nedsmeltede i en stråleregn. I dag er der igen stærke kræfter, der promoverer kernekraft som fremtidens blændende brændstof.På sikker afstand flyver Casper Sylvest, historiker ved Syddansk Universitet, over paddehatteskyen for at overskue, hvordan danskerne håndterede deres atomfrygt.

Sovjetunionen er brudt sammen. Og en parentes (den sovjetiske epoke) er afsluttet. Udviklingen har radikalt ændret hele perspektivet på Ruslands nyere historie. Og det er denne blodige og destruktive parentes, indledt med bolsjevikkernes magterobring i 1917, der står i centrum for professor Bent Jensens Ruslandshistorie – fortalt i et let forståeligt og kontant sprog."Den ny Ruslandshistorie" beskriver den russiske histories anderledeshed før 1917. Men også udviklingen af de lovende reformer, som prægede Zarens Rusland i perioden op til første verdenskrig.Bogen fortæller både om implementeringen af marxismen i Sovjetunionen, om unionens fredelige sammenbrud og de kaotiske år, der fulgte, da det russiske demokratis hårde fødsel gik i gang.Bent Jensen (f. 1938) er dansk historiker og forfatter. Han er professor emeritus ved Syddansk Universitet og har været leder af Center for Koldkrigsforskning. Han er oprindeligt uddannet cand.mag. i historie og russisk og har udgivet en lang række bøger om russisk historie.

SLXErik Kulavig (f. 1953) er cand.mag. i russisk og dansk fra Odense Universitet. Han har flere gange været på studie- og forskningsophold i Sovjetunionen/Rusland og har endvidere været gæsteforsker ved Stanford University i USA og ved Det Europæiske Universitets Institut i Firenze. Ved siden af sit arbejde som forsker og underviser har Erik Kulavig skrevet en lang række bøger om Rusland, kommunisme og Sovjetunionen.

Den dramatiske skæbnefortælling om en af Danmarks ledende kommunister, Richard Jensen, der op gennem 1930’erne levede et dobbeltliv som Kominterns og Moskvas mand i Danmark.Flere landes efterretningstjenester overvågede Richard Jensen og opbyggede hemmelige arkiver om hans aktiviteter. Mangeårig journalist og forfatter Lars Halskov har gennem en dybdeborende research fået adgang til fortrolige dokumenter, der afslører den sande historie om ham.Richard Jensen, der blev født i 1894, var med i ledelsen af Danmarks Kommunistiske Parti (DKP), formand for Søfyrbødernes Forbund og senere medlem af Københavns Borgerrepræsentation.Men Richard Jensen levede et dobbeltliv. Han arbejdede i al hemmelighed også for Komintern, den internationale sammenslutning af kommunistiske partier, der var styret af Sovjetunionen. Han smuglede våben og penge til revolutionære aktiviteter og producerede falske pas til partikammerater og flygtninge.Under besættelsen blev Richard Jensen efter en magtkamp smidt ud af DKP, men han fortsatte sit illegale arbejde og havde tæt kontakt til den kriminelle underverden.Grænserne var ofte flydende, og den ene tjeneste var den anden værd.Manden med de mange ansigter er en dramatisk skæbnefortælling om en mand, der blev født i ekstrem fattigdom, kom på opdragelsesanstalt og oplevede to verdenskrige, totalitære regimer, revolutioner og en kold krig. Det er en historie om en usædvanlig og kontroversiel skikkelse i 1900-tallets danmarkshistorie og den røde skyggeverden, som han færdedes i.

Minimal Megasinet bruger den viden og de teorier, der er opstået i de sidste 100 år, og er derfor noget så specielt som en kvanteteoretisk tidsfilosofisk børnebog, men det er også bare en spændende historie om to børn, Helga og Tristan, som lever i det nordligste Norge. De kommer til at opleve fantastiske begivenheder og møde fantastiske ting.Bogen er skrevet og illustreret af Gunnar Wille – også kendt som Skrumpen fra det ydre rums far.

With Germany in the World, award-winning historian David Blackbourn radically revises conventional narratives of German history, demonstrating the existence of a distinctly German presence in the world centuries before its unification-and revealing a national identity far more complicated than previously imagined. Blackbourn traces Germany's evolution from the loosely bound Holy Roman Empire of 1500 to a sprawling colonial power to a twenty-first-century beacon of democracy. Viewed through a global lens, familiar landmarks of German history-the Reformation, the Revolution of 1848, the Nazi regime-are transformed, while others are unearthed and explored, as Blackbourn reveals Germany's leading role in creating modern universities and its sinister involvement in slave-trade economies. A global history for a global age, Germany in the World is a bold and original account that upends the idea that a nation's history should be written as though it took place entirely within that nation's borders.

In August 1989, a group of Hungarian activists organized a picnic on the border of Hungary and Austria. But this was not an ordinary picnic-it was located on the dangerous militarized frontier known as the Iron Curtain. Tacit permission from the highest state authorities could be revoked at any moment. On wisps of rumor, thousands of East German "vacationers" packed Hungarian campgrounds, awaiting an opportunity, fearing prison, surveilled by lurking Stasi agents. The Pan-European Picnic set the stage for the greatest border breach in Cold War history: hundreds crossed from the Communist East to the longed-for freedom of the West.Drawing on dozens of original interviews-including Hungarian activists and border guards, East German refugees, Stasi secret police, and the last Communist prime minister of Hungary-Matthew Longo tells a gripping and revelatory tale of the unraveling of the Iron Curtain and the birth of a new world order. Just a few months after the Picnic, the Berlin Wall fell, and the freedom for which the activists and refugees had abandoned their homes, risked imprisonment, sacrificed jobs, family, and friends, was suddenly available to everyone. But were they really free? And why, three decades since the Iron Curtain was torn down, have so many sought once again to build walls?Cinematically told, The Picnic recovers a time when it seemed possible for the world to change. With insight and panache, Longo explores the opportunities taken-and the opportunities we failed to take-in that pivotal moment.

Under Den Kolde Krig og frem til Murens fald forsøgte tusindvis af borgere at undslippe diktaturet i DDR via Østersøen. Flere end 6000 østtyskere var – ofte på dramatisk og eventyrlig vis – villige til at krydse åbent hav for at nå friheden. Langt de fleste blev afsløret af Stasi og endte i fængsel, og op mod 200 personer mistede livet. Næsten 1000 mennesker klarede dog den farefulde færd, og for mange af dem blev danske kyster og danske søfolk deres redning. Flugten over Østersøen i perioden 1949 til 1989 er et stykke verdenshistorie med Danmark i en central rolle. Bogen bringer læseren tæt på en række skæbner, der satte deres liv på spil for en bedre tilværelse. Det er dramatiske fortællinger med forskellige udfald - fra de lykkelige til de tragiske. Udgivelsen er en storskrift-udgave til svagsynede i serien MAGNUMBØGER Lindhardt og Ringhof.

While most famous for its U-2 penetration flights over the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the People's Republic of China, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operated a large number of 'other' types of intelligence-gathering aircraft, or specially modified aircraft for operations beyond the Iron Curtain from the mid-1940s.

On September 9, 2002, the MIT program in Science, Technology, and Society (STS)held the first in a week-long series of events marking the inaugural anniversary of 9/11.The goal was to stimulate "personal reflection and remembrance" of the tragedy and itsaftermath among members of the MIT administration, faculty, students, and staff. Inher welcoming address to those assembled in Killian Hall for a colloquium titled, "MITin a Dangerous World," historian and director of the STS program Rosalind Williamsshared her hope that, by "the end of this week, MIT's motto of 'Mind and Hand' willsomewhat be modified to remind us all that it's mind, hand, and heart that have to worktogether."3 The point of the colloquium, she explained, was to broadly consider MIT'ssocial and moral responsibilities in a new era of global conflict.

With a focus on Berlin, this assessment of transatlantic relations since 1945 emphasizes the importance of diplomacy and long-term conflict management at a time when many commentators speculate about a new cold war developing.

A fast-paced account of America's plunge into simultaneous cold wars against two very different adversaries - Xi Jinping's China and Valdimir Putin's Russia.New Cold Wars - the latest from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author of The Perfect Weapon David E. Sanger - tells the riveting story of America at a crossroads. At the turn of the millennium, the United States was confident that a democratic Russia and a newly wealthy China could gradually be pulled into the Western-led order. That proved a fantasy. By the time Washington emerged from the age of terrorism, the three nuclear powers were engaged in a high-stakes struggle for military, economic, and technological supremacy - with nations around the world forced to take sides.Interviewing a remarkable array of top officials in the United States, world leaders, and tech companies thrust onto the front lines, Sanger unfolds a riveting narrative spun around the era's critical questions. Will Putin's ill-considered invasion of Ukraine prove his undoing, and will he reach for his nuclear arsenal? Will China strike back at the US chip embargo, or seize Taiwan, the world's semiconductor capital?Taking readers from the battlefields of Ukraine - where trench warfare and cyberwarfare are fought side by side - to the back rooms and boardrooms where diplomats, spies, and tech executives jockey for geopolitical advantage, New Cold Wars is an astonishing first-draft history chronicling America's return to superpower conflict, the choices that lie ahead, and what is at stake for the United States and the world.

Grenada Gambit: Navigating Nuclear Relations in the Cold WarExplore the gripping narrative of "Grenada Gambit," a compelling exploration of the intricate web of Anglo-American relations during a pivotal moment in Cold War history. Unraveling the layers of deception and trust, this book provides a riveting account of the impact the American invasion of Grenada in 1983 had on the delicate balance of power.Key ThemesWhy "Grenada Gambit"?Conclusion"Grenada Gambit" is not just a historical account but a thought-provoking analysis of how political decisions can reverberate through the corridors of power. Perfect for history enthusiasts, political scholars, and anyone intrigued by the nuances of Cold War diplomacy. Immerse yourself in the pages of this meticulously researched and expertly crafted narrative, offering a fresh perspective on the intricate dance of nations during a critical juncture in history.

This book compiles the color profiles, scale plans, and photo details of the single variant of the MiG-21R. Scale plans are in 1/72 scale, plus drawings from technical manuals. Also contains photos of the details in black and white.

In this groundbreaking work, the Cold War is unraveled and redefined as a clash of imperialisms. Focusing on two pivotal colonies, Hong Kong (1938-1952) and Cyprus (1941-1955), the book exposes the strategic maneuvers against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL). Dive into the motivations and actions of British colonial policymakers navigating the challenges posed by international anti-colonialism, colonial nationalisms, and coordinated communist movements. This revisionist study asserts that British imperialism, alongside the Soviet Union, not only initiated but also shaped and evolved within the Cold War context.

"A fascinating look at the most famous sign of the Cold War can be found in 'Berlin Wall: Looking Back at a Fractured Past.' Alina's carefully researched book goes into the turbulent past and long-lasting effects of the Berlin Wall. It brings to light stories that haven't been told before and gives new perspectives on this historical divide.Alina carefully explains the political issues that led to the building of the Berlin Wall, looking at the important politicians who decided what would happen to it. Stories and tales from real people take readers back to a time when families were suddenly split up, changing their lives forever.Although the story is mostly about politics, it also goes into great depth about how the Berlin Wall was built and how it was put up so quickly. The strong differences between East and West Berlin, as well as the daily struggles of Berliners, give us a full picture of what it's like to live in this split city.This book not only looks at the ideological reasons behind the wall, but it also looks at how it was used as a battleground sign during the Cold War. 'Berlin Wall' gives a full picture of a troubled time, from stories of people who tried to escape to those who failed and how it affected families, friendships, and cultural exchanges.'Berlin Wall' makes us think again about a broken past by revealing the layers of a huge wall that was once a stark sign of ideological conflict.

Sumérgete en los intrigantes pasajes de la historia mundial con "Telón de Acero: La Historia de la Guerra Fría" Desde las tensiones iniciales hasta el auge del espionaje, la carrera armamentística o espacial, este cautivador relato te transportara a una era de rivalidad global. Descubre los secretos detrás de los bastidores de las dos superpotencias en conflicto, mientras el mundo se mantiene al borde del abismo nuclear. Una narración absorbente que te mantendrá en vilo hasta la última página.

I am a soldier and a ranger - a specialist in reconnaissance, intelligence, and covert operations. I never wanted to be a soldier, but I found that I excelled at it. I have fired my weapons in anger, infiltrated terrorist groups, and made and burnt sources. Number 788 is my story.Being good at doing bad things is not always a blessing. You can't be the judge, only the executioner. The concept of 'for the greater good' always has a flip side. You are moving and living in the shadows. The ones in control grant you the ultimate power of life, but a life lived in the shadows is never your own.My development was slow and meticulous; it was improvised and innovative. Now, I write about this and what it was like to be pushed past the brink of what I thought was humanly possible. My story may excite some and bore others, but it is not a self-help story for those looking for solutions on paper - I aim to share my flawed path, lessons learned, relationships forged, revelations of self and the workings of others, with the very small hope of inspiring a few new generation warriors.I was trained at a unique time, as I joined the forces after the Cold War but just before the attacks of 9-11. During my formation, the lack of controls and regulation came with tremendous risks but also significant opportunities - I seized them. I am the product of brave officers who took action with great personal risk to save a regiment without permission and by asking for forgiveness later. Officers who believed in the saying, 'Who Dares Wins'. I share my small place as a silent mediator between the light and shadows in the long and flawed history of Western and Nordic fighters.The broader context of this story is that the end of the Cold War and subsequent peacekeeping missions caught the Swedish military flatfooted when the War on Terror came around. The need for special operations forces was in high demand, but for the most part, Sweden lacked this niche capability. While still in its conceptual form, the International Ranger Platoon, an elite force that became a Special Purpose Unit within the Ranger Battalion, was used to fill the gap. Newly recruited, I was drawn to the challenge and adventure of it all; I took on the tough selection course - the reward was to be part of something new - the Special Purpose Units.

On 1 May 1960, a traditional military parade was held in Moscow. What stood it out from the previous ones, however, was the number of missiles, and in particular the ground-to-air anti-aircraft variants, that were present.There was perhaps nothing surprising in this dominance of missiles, for Nikita Khrushchev had already declared that the so-called Rocket Troops were to be the 'main branch of the armed forces'. Not for nothing had the Politburo allocated huge sums of money and the best scientific minds to the on-going development of these weapons and units. In fact, there was no fly-past over the Red Square in 1960 as Khrushchev considered aircraft to be a 'dying species'. From then on, it was being stated, military aviation would be assigned little more than an auxiliary role in the defense of the Soviet Bloc.Khrushchev's assessment of the future of aircraft was seemingly confirmed by an incident that occurred more than 1,000km to the east of Moscow. For what the spectators and participants of the grand 'rocket' parade did not know was, that in one of the key events of the Cold War, an American high altitude reconnaissance Lockheed U-2 jet had, barely hours before, been shot down over the Urals by one of the types of missiles that were passing before them.Based on documents held in the CIA's archives, declassified documents released by the Russian Ministry of defense, and the memoirs of participants in the events in question, this book explores the true story of the preparation, implementation, and consequences of the U-2 reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Cuba between 1956 and 1962. For the first time, the author reveals the military plans that were activated in the Eastern Bloc to combat the U-2 missions, and how the Soviets tried unsuccessfully to create a fighter-interceptor to operate in the stratosphere. This book also reveals which secret locations and objects were photographed by the U-2, including those which remained unidentified, and investigates where the secret center of the Russian atomic project was actually located and whether the U-2 was able to find it. What was the true reliability and value of the information received from America's U-2 operations?The reader will discover which objects were confiscated from Francis Gary Powers, the pilot of the U-2 brought down, following his capture, and why was he had been issued with women's jewelry and watches before his fateful flight? The Soviet view of the incursions by Powers and his fellow U-2 pilots is laid bare - revealing just why the Powers' name is as widely known in Russia as that of the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

From “quite possibly the best historical novelist we have” (Philadelphia Inquirer), the fourth Joe Wilderness spy thriller, moving from Red Scare-era Washington, D.C. to a KGB prison near Moscow’s KremlinIn Moscow Exile, John Lawton departs from his usual stomping grounds of England and Germany to jump across the Atlantic to Washington, D.C., in the fragile postwar period where the Red Scare is growing noisier every day. Charlotte is a British expatriate who has recently settled in the nation’s capital with her second husband, a man who looks intriguingly like Clark Gable, but her enviable dinner parties and soirées aren’t the only things she is planning. Meanwhile, Charlie Leigh-Hunt has been posted to Washington as a replacement for Guy Burgess, last seen disappearing around the corner and into the Soviet Union. Charlie is soon shocked to cross paths with Charlotte, an old flame of his, who, thanks to all her gossipy parties, has a packed pocketbook full of secrets she is eager to share. Two decades or so later, in 1969, Joe Wilderness is stuck on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, held captive by the KGB, a chip in a game way above his pay grade—but his old friends Frank and Eddie are going to try to spring him out of the toughest prison in the world. All roads lead back to Berlin, and to the famous Bridge of Spies…Featuring crackling dialogue, brilliantly plotted Cold War intrigue, and the return of beloved characters, including Inspector Troy, Moscow Exile is a gripping thriller populated by larger-than-life personalities in a Cold War plot that feels strangely in tune with our present.

An unforgettable account of how misguided and illegal U.S. policies in Central America during the 1980s resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, created many of today's problems along America's Southern Border, and helped perpetuate a legacy of hawkish militarism at the expense of democracy and diplomacy.During the 1980s, the United States financed and directed wars against popular movements in El Salvador and Nicaragua that left tens of thousands dead and countless more wounded. Vowing to block "Soviet expansion," the U.S. waged a Vietnam-style counterinsurgency in El Salvador while orchestrating a covert and illegal war to overthrow the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Some 75,000 died in El Salvador, and more than 30,000 were killed in Nicaragua. Meanwhile, with tacit American support, the Guatemalan military razed hundreds of Indigenous communities and killed more than 200,000 people during a civil war that claimed the lives of 100,000 Mayan villagers.Scott Wallace arrived in Central America in 1983 to cover these conflicts as a freelance "stringer" for CBS News, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and for the next seven years he would also report for Newsweek, The Independent, and The Guardian, among other news media. Traveling along the frontlines of war, Wallace evolved a distinctive reporting style that included photojournalistic portraits of startling intimacy, page-turning tales of high adventure, and incisive analysis of the events he witnessed. A consummate field reporter and award-winning journalist, Wallace brings to bear the full range of his skills as a storyteller and photographer in Central America in the Crosshairs of War. The result is an unforgettable account of a reporter coming of age on the battlefield as he seeks the truth amid a landscape rife with death and deception.Readers will find within these pages a compelling, eye-opening narrative and an indispensable visual record of the conflicts that continue to reverberate in the crisis on America's southern border and in policy decisions made in Washington that impact families at home and throughout the world. Situating the exercise of U.S. power on a continuum running from Vietnam through Central America to Iraq and the Middle East, where he later reported, Wallace provides a rare look into the shocking real-life consequences of morally dubious policies while offering a gripping primer for aspiring foreign correspondents and field reporters.Central America in the Crosshairs of War is a tour de force, a highly compelling memoir recounted in rich, nuanced detail. Scott Wallace's book reboots America's history of misadventures overseas since Vietnam and restores faith in the importance and power of journalism at a time when "alternate realities" and "disinformation" abound in America and abroad.