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Cold War

The Cold War: What We Saw | An Iron Curtain – Episode 1

The Cold War: What We Saw, with Bill Whittle, is a podcast series designed to be heard on Apple, Google, or other podcast apps. It’s also on YouTube.


World War III — the Apocalypse that never was — started in the same place that World War II in Europe had ended: Berlin. “An Iron Curtain has descended across the Continent,” said Winston Churchill, and that curtain ran right through the heart of Berlin. One the Eastern side, the collectivist, state-centered world of Joseph Stalin communist ideology, armed to the teeth with conventional forces. On the other side — the Western side — a war-weary alliance of capitalist countries, led by the beacon of individual rights, the United States.

In Part 1 of The Cold War: What We Saw, we will peel back the layers of mystery cloaking the Terror state run by the Kremlin, and watch as America takes its first small steps onto the stage of world leadership.

30 replies on “The Cold War: What We Saw | An Iron Curtain – Episode 1”

I have the same problem. Nothing on YouTube. It says “no longer available”. I can only find the podcasts on daily wire, no videos. I had seen the first two episodes on Daily Wire……

Just joined last week, and was wanting to hear this series. Sadly, it seems to be a victim of the YouTube purge. Will Bill be uploading this series to his Rumble channel?

I’ve listened to it once. Great series. Just went to look for it again tonight. I’m pretty bummed about it not being out there anymore too.

It’s still available on podcasts. I’m listening to it for the third time on Apple Podcasts.

I was born the same year as Bill, and I don’t recall those films in my NY parochial schools. When I lived in Israel and people indicated their concern about Iran, I pointed out that for much of my life, we lived, without difficulty, with the understanding that we might not be here tomorrow.

PS – My Dad spent his wartime service in Okinawa during the Korean War. I’ll have to mention this to him.

Gotcha. Thank you for the quick response! Keep up the great work, even being just audio, this series is amazing!

Thank you Bill and crew for this exceptional effort in explaining the Cold War. Excellent writing and production made it tolerable to listen to the horrific details. The world needs to listen and learn.

I’m enjoying the series. I think BW’s approach, analyzing the Cold War in terms of individualism versus collectivism, is a real strong point. Republican politicians (not Trump but others) should combat their Democratic opponents more effectively by making this crucial distinction. Socialism is slavery but the moral basis of socialist slavery is viewing people as indistinguishable ciphers or zeros who have no weight, worth, or influence, literally no existence at all, other than their membership in some giant totalitarian collective which the Democrats so desperately desire to bring about in America.

Unbelievable. Bill, I didn’t think you would ever get close to the magnificence of the moon landing series, but this Cold War series is amazing, and that’s without video! It is gripping. Incredible result backed by unrelenting effort on your part. I am anxious to hear the rest.

I would argue that the events of the 20th century were set in motion by Bismarck uniting the German states and defeating the Austrians to become the liege rather than the vassal state.

Clinton was the first president not to be confined in his geopolitical options by the cascade of events set in motion by Otto.

If you ever get the chance, Bill, I hope you will someday overlay appropriate imagery and film to your excellent narration, thus turning this into a world class documentary series.

I agree with Colonel K, Bill. Especially since your series is one that the Milennials and GenZers need to hear. They are used to a lot of flash with their technology and, because their education has been hollowed out in the crucial area of history manifestly evident in their being enamored of Socialism and Communism, Bernie, etc., we need to make your work and superb narration even more attractive to them.

Great effort, Bill, and I look forward to the successive parts of your podcast.

I am a retired U.S. Army soldier, having served in West Berlin for almost half of my 20-year career. I arrived in early 1983 and left in the autumn of 1991, so I saw a great deal in Berlin during that time – the shooting of Major Arthur Nicholson, arguably the last casualty of the Cold War in 1985, the LaBelle disco bombing by Libyan terrorists the next year. As a performing Army musician, I was on hand to greet Vice President George H.W. Bush on a very cold February day in 1983 and I played the honor guard to welcome President Reagan in June 1986.

Living and working in Berlin, I saw communism up close and personal and witnessed the sham that it was. I saw the decrepit conditions of East Berlin and East Germany and observed how the Soviets had allowed the infrastructure to crumble. Time had stood still. Bullet holes still pockmarked buildings in the Pankow district in East Berlin. Gaudy colors on badly-constructed tenements that were supposed to reveal the glory of collectivism were an affront to the eye.

Visiting East Berlin, I had to be in uniform. Cameras were everywhere, so we wore no nametags. Verbally accosted by a rabid East Berliner, I knew I was being filmed while they hoped the encounter would push me into a nasty exchange.

When 9 November 1989 came, I chose not to join the crush of humanity up in the British sector or at Checkpoint Charlie, preferring to watch the happenings on AFN television, with Brokaw doing the announcing. And I participated in many reunification activities over the next couple years before I finally left after almost 9 years of continuous service in Berlin.

I am a product of my experience, just as we all are and I can say with complete confidence that capitalism, freedom, and self-determination outweighs anything that I saw anywhere in East Berlin or East Germany. I am grateful for my experience.

Carry on, Bill!

Sorry, I got lost for a few months! I play euphonium, bass trombone and tuba.

Thank you Bill.., Lots of memories, being brought back.., Having been to the Berlin Wall, twice now, and like a Phoenix rising from the ashes of Communism, the East Berlin area is in better shape than the rest of the city, known as the West. The History of the Wall, is truly a lesson for these modern kids today, put down the phones, and go read a book… This wall, wasn’t to keep people OUT, but keeping people IN.. . This lesson has to be learned, and unfortunately, too may today, have been indoctrinated into believing that Socialism is the answer, and Capitalism is bad. Good job Government schools..(Sarc).. In addition to visiting the Wall, I’ve been to Dachau Concentration camp, (outside of Munich) twice.., the horrific brutality.., there, for all to see.., is tame in modern times, unlike my Father-in-Law, who wandered into this camp, January’45.., and went back to alert the rest of the company, who came and liberated these “walking dead” bodies.., he never ever got over the horrors he had seen.., and never talked about it, but the nightmares never stopped.. The Cold War was real, the bomb drills, the sirens screaming out every Friday at noon, get under your desks.., and then the Cuban Missile crisis.., where I went with my dad, and we checked out ..underground bunkers, that could be buried in your backyard.., listening to the news on a pocket , yet bulky, AM radio, for the news alert.., to get ready.., it was very primitive, but that’s all we had.., and yet we survived..

I watched your presentation on the moon landing and was completely enthralled, so when I heard you were going to do one on the Cold War, which I only know/understand so much about, I was very excited to learn more about it from you. This first episode was very interesting and I’m looking forward to more. Thanks for what you do Bill!

I heard that too. While Bill wrote and narrated it, he didn’t to the production…otherwise there would have been more severe attentuation.

Really, really good, Bill. As a Navy veteran who lined up against the Soviets for a good portion of the cold war, I am very much looking forward to listening to the rest of the series.

Brilliant! I love hearing the perspective from the Russian side. It’s definitely a great opportunity to tell this side of the story and I’m chomping at the bit for the next one. As always, my thanks to you Mr. Whittle for putting this together.

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