Coming in From the Cold: Untold Stories from the Cold War artwork

Coming in From the Cold: Untold Stories from the Cold War

51 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 28 ratings

Coming in from the Cold explores forgotten—or never-remembered—national security policy initiatives, incidents and events during the Cold War. In each episode Cold War Historian Bill Rosenau, sits down with experts on a wide range of topics to discuss these events and how they are relevant to today’s challenges.

The views expressed here are those of the commentators and do not necessarily reflect the views of CNA or any of its sponsors.

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Episodes

J. Edgar Hoover

February 28, 2023 16:56 - 41 minutes - 57.5 MB

Today, J. Edgar Hoover is remembered as a power-hungry, corrupt and prejudiced man, obsessed with an imagined threat of domestic communists. But during his life, he was widely respected and admired as the man responsible for building the FBI into a premier law enforcement agency. In the final episode of Coming in from the Cold Bill sits down with Beverly Gage, author of “G- Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century,” to discuss the complicated legacy of Hoover. Further ...

Weaponizing the Weather

December 31, 2022 14:00 - 37 minutes - 51.7 MB

Jim Fleming is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Science, Technology, and Society at Colby College and a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution. He has earned degrees in astronomy (B.S. Penn State University), atmospheric science (M.S. Colorado State University) and history (Ph.D. Princeton University). Professor Jim Fleming's website. “Fixing the Sky: The Checkered History of Climate Engineering”

The Moscow Signal and Havana Syndrome

October 31, 2022 18:25 - 26 minutes - 36.5 MB

In 2017, reports of the mysterious “Havana Syndrome” dominated the news. American diplomats around the world reported experiencing a variety of symptoms including hearing a sudden loud noise, pain in one or both ears, feeling of pressure or vibrations in the head, tinnitus, visual problems, vertigo, nausea and cognitive difficulties. There is no consensus among American Intelligence agencies as to the cause of Havana Syndrome, but one theory is that directed microwave weapons could be resp...

Napalm: The Original Weapon of Mass Destruction

September 30, 2022 13:00 - 37 minutes - 51.4 MB

The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is seen by most as the ultimate display of man’s capacity to destroy. While the destructive power of nuclear weapons cannot be denied, there was another weapon used in the Pacific campaign which was responsible for even more civilian death, Napalm. In this episode, Bob Neer, author of “Napalm an American Biography,” joins Bill to discuss the history of Napalm and its complicated role in U.S. Military history. Bob Neer’s Website: ...

Able Archer: The Invisible Cuban Missile Crisis

August 31, 2022 18:59 - 46 minutes - 63.2 MB

The Cuban Missile Crisis is widely considered to be the closest the world has come to nuclear war. But while that crisis played out in public view, there was another close call that happened in the shadows. In this episode the story of Able Archer 83. Brian Morra is the author of “The Able Archers.” He has spent his career in intelligence and national security beginning with his time as a decorated Air Force Intelligence officer and through his many years as a senior executive in the aer...

In Review

July 31, 2022 13:00 - 34 minutes - 47.6 MB

In this episode, we are taking a look back at the series so far and looking ahead to where it's going in the future. John Stimpson is the producer of Coming in From the Cold and a member of CNA’s Office of Communications. Lt. Cdr. Steven Wills served for 20 years as an active-duty U.S. Navy officer, he served on a variety of small and medium surface combatants, including an assignment as the executive officer of a mine countermeasures ship.

The Rise of the Right

June 30, 2022 18:27 - 47 minutes - 65 MB

From the beginning of the Cold War, a network of U.S. conservatives dreamed of an international anti-communist revolution. Rather than overthrowing communist regimes directly, they instead pinned their hopes on armed groups who could topple communist states from within. In this episode, we explore the ideology of anticommunist internationalism and how it connects to today’s American far-right.   Kyle Burke is an assistant professor of history at Hartwick College. He is the author of “Rev...

Nixon and Watergate 50 Years Later

May 31, 2022 18:43 - 41 minutes - 56.4 MB

50 years ago, the Watergate scandal rocked American politics. The break-in and subsequent cover-up by the Nixon administration led to the only presidential resignation in American history and defines political scandal to this day.  In this episode of Coming in From the Cold: Michael Dobbs, author of “King Richard: Nixon and Watergate--An American Tragedy,” joins Bill to discuss President Nixon, the Watergate scandal, and its impact 50 years later. Michael Dobbs’ biography: https://www.mi...

Urgent Fury: The 1983 Invasion of Grenada

April 30, 2022 13:00 - 32 minutes - 44.7 MB

 In 1983, the United States along with Caribbean partner nations invaded the island nation of Grenada. The goals of the operation outlined by the Reagan administration were to protect American citizens on the island, forestall further chaos, and restore the rule of law and order on the island of Grenada. While broadly successful in objectives, the operation was criticized by both U.S. and allied officials. In this episode of Coming in From the Cold, Alex Powell and Steve Wills join Bill, t...

The Chernobyl Meltdown: Past and Present

March 31, 2022 16:51 - 32 minutes - 44.5 MB

On April 26, 1986, reactor No.4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, triggering one of the worst man-made disasters in human history. Today, Chernobyl is back in the news as the site of one of the first battles in the Russia-Ukraine War. In this episode of Coming in From the Cold, Steve Wills sits down with Michael Kofman and Mary Chesnut, from CNA’s Russia Studies program. They discuss the impact that the Chernobyl accident had on the Ukrainian people, and the strategic value of...

Numbers Stations: Unacknowledged Transmission

February 28, 2022 17:54 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MB

When most of us think of radio stations we think of pop music and drive-time DJs. But those with shortwaves radios can access a whole other world of broadcasts, including police scanners, satellite signals and the mysterious “numbers stations.” These stations occasionally broadcast a bizarre string of numbers before going silent. To learn more about these “number stations,” what purpose they serve and how they were employed during the Cold War, Bill welcomes historian Māris Goldmanis and D...

Numbers Stations: Unacknowledged Transmission

February 28, 2022 17:54 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MB

When most of us think of radio stations we think of pop music and drive-time DJs. But those with shortwaves radios can access a whole other world of broadcasts, including police scanners, satellite signals and the mysterious “numbers stations.” These stations occasionally broadcast a bizarre string of numbers before going silent. To learn more about these “number stations,” what purpose they serve and how they were employed during the Cold War, Bill welcomes historian Māris and Dave Broyle...

A Visit to a Washington, DC Bomb Shelter

January 31, 2022 19:05 - 28 minutes - 39.4 MB

Episode 27 of Coming in from the Cold covered the history of fallout shelters and civil defense in Cold War America, now our team had a chance to experience one firsthand. Producer John Stimpson joins Bill for a guided tour of the Tudor Place fallout shelter. Special thanks to Mark Hudson, Executive Director of Tudor Place, for providing the tour and making this episode possible.    Follow the link below to follow along with a photo album of the tour.  https://www.facebook.com/CNA.org...

Rebroadcast: The Brain as a Secret Weapon

December 31, 2021 22:23 - 42 minutes - 59 MB

In this episode, Ralph Espach and Ken Gause join bill to discuss the weird world of Soviet and American experiments with parapsychology, during the Cold War.

The Wall of Honor's First Star

November 30, 2021 21:23 - 37 minutes - 51.6 MB

At the CIA Headquarters in Langley Virginia, stands the Wall of Honor. Here CIA operatives who have died in the line of duty are memorialized. The first star on that wall belongs to Douglas Mackiernan. On this episode of Coming in From the Cold, Robin Shwetzer a retired DIA analyst, and Nicholas Dujmovic a retired CIA analyst join Bill to discuss the story of Douglas Mackiernan and the effort to repatriate his remains. Robin Shwetzer served as an analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agenc...

Blowtorch Bob Komer

October 31, 2021 13:00 - 37 minutes - 50.9 MB

Very few people know the name Robert Komer, but he played a key role in shaping America’s national security policy during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. In this episode Coming in From the Cold, Dr. Frank Jones author of the book Blowtorch: Robert Komer, Vietnam, and American Cold War Strategy. Join Bill and friend of the show Steve Wills to tell the story of Robert Komer. Frank Leith Jones is a professor of security studies in the Department of National Security and Strategy at...

Terrorism in New York: The Long 1960s

September 30, 2021 20:13 - 34 minutes - 47.2 MB

When most American’s think of terrorism in New York City, they think of September 11, 2001. However, there is an entire untold history of terrorism in the city dating back decades. On today’s episode of CIFTC, Bill sits down with David Viola professor of criminology at John Jay College, who tells the story of terrorism in New York, during the long 1960s. David C. Viola Jr., Ph.D., is an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. He received his Ph.D. in history ...

The Lavender Scare in Cold War America

September 17, 2021 19:57 - 32 minutes - 44.1 MB

The story of Sen. Joseph McCarthy targeting alleged Communists working for the federal government is part of every American history textbook, but his persecution of LGBTQ people is not as widely known. In this episode, we are exploring the Lavender Scare. CNA analyst Kyle Penner and David Johnson author of, "The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government," join Bill for this discussion. Kyle Penner is a Research Analyst in CNA's Undersea Warfa...

Rebroadcast: The Bear Came Over the Mountain

August 31, 2021 18:03 - 35 minutes - 48.2 MB

Paul Saunders and Alex Powell join Bill to discuss the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, and how world powers continue to make the same mistakes. Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants.    

The Collapse of Cold War Naval Strategic Planning

July 31, 2021 13:00 - 43 minutes - 60.1 MB

On this episode of Coming in From the Cold, CNA analysts Josh Tallis and Steve Wills join Bill. They discuss Steve’s new book, “Strategy Shelved: The Collapse of Cold War Naval Strategic Planning.” “Strategy Shelved: The Collapse of Cold War Naval Strategic Planning,” by Steve Wills: https://www.usni.org/press/books/strategy-shelved “The War for Muddy Waters: Pirates, Terrorists, Traffickers and Maritime Insecurity,” by Josh Tallis: https://www.usni.org/press/books/war-muddy-waters

The UFO Phenomenon: Reckoning with the Inconceivable

June 30, 2021 17:01 - 39 minutes - 54.1 MB

This month on Coming in From the Cold, returning guest Ken Gause and Kevin Pollpeter join Bill to discuss the Pentagon’s report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants.    

From UFO to UAP

June 25, 2021 14:24 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MB

On this bonus episode of Coming in From the Cold, we are gearing up for the Pentagon’s report on “unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)” anticipated today, June 25. Sam Bendett, an expert on Russian military technology joins Bill to explore the possibility that adversary technology can explain these phenomena and dive into the Russian experience with UAP. Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants.  

Gender and Violent Extremist Organizations

May 31, 2021 14:27 - 33 minutes - 45.9 MB

This time on Coming in From the Cold, Pamela Faber and Meg McBride join Bill to discuss their recent report, "Understanding Gender and Violent Extremism." Including examples from the Cold War. Click here to explore the report discussed in the episode: https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/Understanding-Gender-and-Violent-Extremism.pdf

Duck and Cover

April 30, 2021 19:41 - 36 minutes - 50.6 MB

On this episode of Coming in From the Cold, returning guests Steve Wills and Anya Fink join Bill to discuss the Cold War history of nuclear fallout shelters, civilian evacuations plans, and other aspects of civil defense. Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants.    

The John Birch Society

March 31, 2021 18:21 - 32 minutes - 44.6 MB

Bill and his guests discuss the rise and fall of the John Birch Society, a far-right organization which trafficked in conspiracy theories. CNA’s Meg McBride returns, accompanied by Darren Mulloy author of the “The World of the John Birch Society: Conspiracy, Conservatism and the Cold War.” Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants.  

The Brain as a Secret Weapon

February 28, 2021 13:00 - 35 minutes - 48.6 MB

On this episode, Ralph Espach and Ken Gause join bill to discuss the weird world of Soviet and American experiments with parapsychology, during the Cold War.   

The Last Shah of Iran

February 02, 2021 00:17 - 48 minutes - 66.2 MB

Dr. Afshon Ostovar Associate Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School and CNA’s Mike Connell join Bill to discuss the rise and fall of the Shah of Iran. Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants.   

Rebroadcast: Dyna-soars and Brilliant Pebbles- The Cold War in Space

December 31, 2020 17:18 - 43 minutes - 59.3 MB

On this episode, from Sputnik to Apollo to Star Wars, we cover the Cold War in space. Steve Wills returns, joined by special guest Don Brown, who leads the government group at Telesat, a major satellite operator. Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants. 

The Congo Crisis: The Assassination of Patrice Lumumba

November 30, 2020 19:57 - 42 minutes - 58.6 MB

Pamela Faber returns along with Judd Devermont the director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). They discuss the Assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the first elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and its implications for Central Africa. Additional Reading U.S. National Archives: “Interview with Congo Chief of Station,” Miscellaneous Records of the Church Committee, Record Number 157-10014-10178, May 3, 2000, and Re...

The Mujahideen: From Allies To Menace

October 31, 2020 17:08 - 40 minutes - 55.9 MB

This month on Coming in From the Cold, a discussion of the history of Afghanistan leading up to the Soviet Invasion, and the war's legacy in the nation today. Regular guest Steve Wills sits in for Bill Rosenau as host and is joined by Ohio University professor of history Dr. John Brobst, and Dr. Jon Schroden Director of CNA's Center for Stability and Development. Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants. 

Apartheid in South Africa: Project Coast

September 30, 2020 20:23 - 46 minutes - 63.4 MB

This month on Coming in From the Cold, CNA analyst Pamela Faber and Steve Wills join Bill to discuss Project Coast. This was the covert effort of the Apartheid government to develop chemical and biological weapons, assassinate political dissidents, and continue the oppression of the Apartheid State in South Africa. Related Materials Chandré Gould, Brian Rappert, Verne Harris, and Kathryn Smith, “Why Project Coast Still Matters,” Institute for Security Studies, November 24, 2014, https:/...

Setting the Night on Fire: Right Wing Terrorism in the U.S.

August 31, 2020 19:57 - 46 minutes - 64.1 MB

On this episode of Coming in from the Cold, Bill is joined by CNA analysts Dawn Thomas and Meg McBride as well as Arie Perliger of U-Mass Lowell. They discuss the history of right-wing terrorism in the United States and what it can teach us about these groups today. Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants.   

American Counter-Insurgency and Policing

July 31, 2020 16:00 - 43 minutes - 59.1 MB

On this episode, Professor Stuart Schrader of John Hopkins University and CNA’s Stephen Rickman join Bill. They discuss how counter-insurgency tactics used by the U.S. military abroad were repatriated and used by police departments in American cities. Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants.   

The Bear Came Over the Mountain

June 30, 2020 17:53 - 34 minutes - 47.9 MB

Paul Saunders and Alex Powell join Bill to discuss the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, and how world powers continue to make the same mistakes.   Click here to visit our website and learn more about the participants. 

Disinformation Cont.

May 31, 2020 13:00 - 37 minutes - 51.9 MB

This month on Coming in from the Cold, Kasey Stricklin returns for another discussion of disinformation, this time with Thomas Rid Professor of Strategic Studies at John Hopkins University.

From AIDS to Covid-19: Disease and Disinformation

April 30, 2020 16:25 - 38 minutes - 52.7 MB

Special Guest Doug Selvage of the Humboldt University in Berlin and returning guest Kasey Stricklin, join Bill to discuss the how the Soviet Union and Russian Federation craft disinformation campaigns around pandemics.   Additional Reading Wilson Center: Operation “Denver”: KGB and Stasi Disinformation regarding AIDS, by Doug Selvage CNA InDepth: Russia's Coronavirus Messaging and Disinformation, by Kasey Stricklin

The Fateful Triangle

March 31, 2020 17:40 - 44 minutes - 25.5 MB

Special Guest Tanvi Madan of the Brookings Institution and Nilanthi Samaranayake join Bill to discuss, the shifting relationship between India, China and the United States during the Cold War.

The Cold War at the Top of the World

February 29, 2020 14:00 - 41 minutes - 56.8 MB

On this episode of Coming in from the Cold, Bill and his guests put the cold in Cold War. Steve Wills returns along with Josh Tallis to discuss the history of the Cold War in the Arctic, and its implications for modern Arctic security.

Dyna-soars and Brilliant Pebbles: The Cold War in Space

January 31, 2020 18:45 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MB

On this episode, from Sputnik to Apollo to Star Wars, we cover the Cold War in space.  Steve Wills returns, joined by special guest Don Brown, who leads the government group at Telesat, a major satellite operator.   

PBSUCCESS: The 1954 Coup in Guatemala

December 31, 2019 14:00 - 32 minutes - 44.2 MB

On this episode, Operation, PBSUCCESS a covert operation carried out by CIA that deposed Guatemalan President Jacobo Árbenz. Georgetown University Professor Sean McFate, and CNA’s Eleanore Douglas join Bill to discuss the operation and its implication for the modern security environment.

The Hermit Kingdom: The Rise of the Kim Dynasty

November 30, 2019 17:00 - 40 minutes - 55.4 MB

Chung Min Lee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and returning guest Ken Gause join Bill to discuss the history of the Kim Dynasty in North Korea. 

Living Under the Cloud

October 31, 2019 19:49 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MB

Returning guest Steve Wills and new comers Vince Manzo and Anya Fink sit down to discuss the history of nuclear weapons, and the events that shaped modern nuclear policy.

Atonement: The 1973 Yom Kippur War

September 30, 2019 20:42 - 33 minutes - 46.4 MB

David Wallsh and returning guest Steve Wills join Bill to discuss the Yom Kippur War and how it shaped the modern Middle East. 

The UFO Phenomenon: Rejecting the Inconceivable

August 31, 2019 16:00 - 46 minutes - 64.4 MB

Ken Gause and Ralph Espach return, to continue the story of how the U.S. government responded to UFO sightings in the mid-1900s. 

Political Warfare and Subversion in West Germany

July 31, 2019 19:03 - 39 minutes - 53.9 MB

On this month’s Coming in From the Cold, Cornell Overfield and Jeffrey Edmonds join Bill to discuss political warfare in Germany during the 1940s and 1950s.  

The Iran-Iraq War

June 30, 2019 13:00 - 40 minutes - 55.5 MB

Michael Connell, the head of CNA’s Iran Studies Program, joins Bill and returning guest Kasey Stricklin to discuss the Iran-Iraq war.

Covert Action and the Solidarity Movement

May 31, 2019 18:37 - 45 minutes - 62.4 MB

In this episode, the little-known story of QRHELPFUL, a CIA operation in Poland which supported Solidarity during the dark days of Martial Law. 

Bonus Episode: America’s First Female Terrorist Group

May 23, 2019 19:30 - 30 minutes - 42.6 MB

On October 20, 1981, an infamous crime shook the New York suburb of Nanuet. The botched robbery of an armored Brink’s trunk resulted in the death of two police officers and a Brink’s security guard. When the police first apprehended the robbers, they simply believed them to be a group of well-armed thieves. In fact, they were members of America’s first female terrorist group, the May 19th Communist Organization, the subject of Bill Rosenau’s new book, “Tonight We Bomb the U.S. Capitol.”

The UFO Phenomenon: Dealing with the Inconceivable

April 30, 2019 18:11 - 45 minutes - 61.9 MB

In 1947 a wave of UFO sightings was covered by newspapers across the U.S. and Canada. This alarmed the U.S. national security establishment. Guests Ken Gause and Ralph Espach join Bill to discuss the UFO phenomenon and the response of the U.S. Government.

The Cold War at Sea

March 29, 2019 21:17 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MB

In this episode of Coming in from the Cold, Bill welcomes Rear Admiral Mike McDevitt (Ret.) and Commander Steven Wills (Ret.) to discuss the Maritime Strategy of the 1980s. McDevitt and Wills recall some of the key players surrounding the development of the Maritime Strategy. This includes CNA analysts who used open source data to hypothesize that the goal of the Soviet Navy was to protect their ballistic missile submarines. Additionally, they point to Secretary of the Navy John Lehman, who ...

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