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Cold War Conversations

Ian Sanders
Cold War
Soviet Union
East Germany
Berlin Wall
Nuclear Weapons
Korean War
Romania
CIA
Vietnam War
Czechoslovakia
Hungary
KGB
West Germany
Stasi
Espionage
Poland
Communism
Berlin
Nicolae Ceaușescu
NATO

"Listening to even one episode of "Cold War Conversations" will make this sprawling, potentially intimidating period of history feel vivid and compelling." The New York Times Experience the Cold War like never before with Cold War Conversations — an award-winning podcast. Each week, host Ian Sanders brings you raw, firsthand accounts from the people who lived through one of history’s most tense an... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes484Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
HistoryDocumentarySociety & Culture

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Artwork for Cold War Conversations

Latest Episodes

At twelve years old, Bing became a Red Guard—and for a few intoxicating months, he felt invincible.

Growing up in Mao’s Beijing, Bing was taught to worship Chairman Mao, recite the Little Red Book and attack the old order. But the Cultural Revolutio... more

One morning in August 1980, the noise of 10,000 shipyard workers suddenly stopped. Something extraordinary was happening.

As a young shipbuilding student, Bogdan finds himself inside Gdańsk’s Lenin Shipyard as workers down tools and the movement tha... more

YouTube

Bogdan was born just a month before the Berlin Wall went up—and left communist Poland a month before it came down. In between lay a childhood shaped by shortages, censorship, compulsory conformity and a growing determination to escape.

Raised in Słu... more

For decades, ordinary Swedes secretly prepared for the day Soviet forces might occupy their country. Farmers, factory workers, gamekeepers and travelling salesmen were recruited into a clandestine resistance network, trained to operate radios, use de... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Bogdan Marzewski
Former shipyard worker and student recruited for the August 1980 events; later emigrated to Canada
Episode: The Birth of Poland's Free Trade Union Solidarity (475)
Bogdan Marchewski
Guest on Cold War Conversations discussing his life in communist Poland
Independent researcher / author
Episode: Growing Up Under Communism on Cold War Poland’s Baltic Coast (474)
Johan Wennström
Historian and author of The Stay Behind, Sweden's Cold War Guardians
Stockholm University (historian) / Author
Episode: If the Soviets Invaded : Sweden's Secret Underground Resistance Plan (473)
Toby Harnden
journalist and author of Bandit Country: The IRA and South Armagh
Episode: Bandit Country - The IRA and South Armagh (472)
Jiří Barteček
Former Czechoslovak border guard who defected to the West
None specified
Episode: A Czech Border Guard’s Daring Escape to the West (471)
Oana Aristide
Author of Astronaut
Author
Episode: Growing Up Grey: Childhood in Cold War Romania (467)
Ognyan Boytchev
BBC World Service Bulgarian section broadcaster and defector
BBC
Episode: Defection, Spies and the Shadow of Georgi Markov (466)
Oggy Boytchev
Former BBC journalist with experience reporting from conflict zones in the Balkans and the Middle East
BBC
Episode: My Father - The Enemy of the People: A Bulgarian Family’s Cold War Story (465)
Richard Lynton
Former British Army officer, UN observer, filmmaker, and thriller writer
British Army, UN, author
Episode: Face to Face with the Srebrenica War Criminals (464)

Host

Ian Sanders
Host of Cold War Conversations

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 1.9k ratings
  • Outstanding!

    Over the past six months, I have been on a Cold War deep dive and I don’t know how this terrific podcast did not come across my radar any earlier.

    Ian must have some serious “street cred” in the Cold War community, because his guests are interesting, candid, and remarkably forthcoming.

    Their stories, on more than one occasion, have left me with sweaty palms and my heart pounding.

    What’s so refreshing is that Ian is a very modest and humble host—quite unlike Joe Rogan—and does not interrupt... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kaaskop1962
    Spain20 days ago
  • History can be fun

    I have become a Cold War enthusiast- if that is a thing. I love this podcast. Fascinating!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CXH I
    United States22 days ago
  • Brilliant

    I listen to every episode, but 470 was fantastic. Well done Ian and more like this, please.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tim.Rice
    United Kingdoma month ago
  • Czechoslovakia

    Romania refused to participate and strongly condemned the invasion. Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu publicly denounced it, making Romania the notable Warsaw Pact member that opposed the intervention. For whatever reason.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    X@(gR99
    Germanya month ago
  • Great podcast BUT

    I wish Ian would use a lowcut filter like 80 Hz, 12 dB/oct. for his microphone so listening with headphones would become more pleasant.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    thumax
    Germany3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise deep archival history and first-hand storytelling.
Some listeners note loud or disruptive ads in a few episodes.
Guests are described as varied and engaging, with strong interviewer Skill.
The host is commended for neutrality and letting guests tell their stories.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#107
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#211
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#214
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#55
Indonesia/History
Apple Podcasts
#95
Finland/History
Apple Podcasts
#138
New Zealand/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Birth of Poland's Free Trade Union Solidarity (475)
Q: What was it like living through martial law and the crackdown that followed?
There were clashes, tanks and police, and a pervasive sense of danger, but also a stubborn commitment to peaceful resistance within the shipyard and among students in the universities afterward.
The Birth of Poland's Free Trade Union Solidarity (475)
Q: Can you describe the shipyard environment and what you heard about Solidarity as it began to form in August 1980?
I was a student in the shipyard program and saw the workers walk out, banners up, demanding bread and basic rights; the mood shifted from routine labor to a collective movement, with the union gaining momentum even as authorities tried to contain it.
Bandit Country - The IRA and South Armagh (472)
Q: What made South Armagh stand out as a base for the IRA?
Harnden explains that the border's geography, the local, family-centered networks, and insider knowledge created an unusually cohesive and autonomous operation that could coordinate with the wider IRA while exploiting the advantage of being in a terrain that was hard for outsiders to penetrate.
A Czech Border Guard’s Daring Escape to the West (471)
Q: How did you ultimately reach the United States?
He explains applying for multiple destinations through refugee networks, choosing the United States after initial rejection from South Africa, and undergoing extensive interviews before being granted political asylum.
A Czech Border Guard’s Daring Escape to the West (471)
Q: Tell me about September 12, 1975 and the escape day.
He describes a daytime sequence where friends visited the border area, the plan was set, and the team executed the crossing with the river as a key element, relying on practiced routines to minimize prints and alarms.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Cold War Conversations

What is Cold War Conversations about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Vivid, firsthand accounts from people who lived through the Cold War drive this history-driven series. Each episode centers on personal memories—from veterans and spies to civilians and journalists—delivering a human, on-the-ground perspective on topics like espionage, diplomacy, military aviation, and major crises. The show stands out for its calm, respectful interviewing and its ability to turn complex geopolitics into intimate stories that reveal everyday life behind the headlines. It's likely to appeal to educators, students, veterans, and history enthusiasts who want well-researched context, archival insights, and memorable human moments rather than textbook summaries.

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How many episodes of Cold War Conversations are there?

Cold War Conversations launched 9 years ago and published 484 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Cold War Conversations?

Recent guests on Cold War Conversations include:

1. Bogdan Marzewski
2. Bogdan Marchewski
3. Johan Wennström
4. Toby Harnden
5. Jiří Barteček
6. Oana Aristide
7. Ognyan Boytchev
8. Oggy Boytchev

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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