The Cold War 1945-1990

A Brief History and a Personal Perspective

By

Greg Kleponis, Colonel, USAF

WWII Ends- The Cold War Begins

• 8 May 1945 – War in Europe “VE” Day – signifies the end of the 2nd World War

• The Soviet Union & Allies cooperated to defeat Nazi Germany

• Stalin very distrustful of Allies and influence over Eastern Europe

• Breakdown in relations shortly after war Winston Churchill’s coins the term “Iron Curtain” during a speech at Westminster College in 1946

Soviets Close Berlin- Berlin Airlift

• Berlin split into 4 sectors

• Soviet Union takes East Germany and blockades the city

• Allies overcome this crisis/standoff

Blockade of Berlin and East Germany

Cold War Escalates During 1950’s

• Strategic Air Command

• Advent of Nuclear Power and Weaponry

• Tensions over arms race escalate

Berlin Wall

• 1961 Berlin Wall

Cuban Missile Crisis

1970’s Detente

• Begun with Nixon and Brezhnev- begun the dialog which opened the door for detente

• Followed by Ford - did not achieve much apart from setting the stage for future treaties

The 1980’s and Reagan The Cold War is on Again.

• New emphasis on East West Competition

• US Military Build Up after a decade of decline

– Ground and Air Launched Cruise Missiles

– New Nuclear Submarines

– Expansion of Naval Fleet and Ground Forces

– SDI

• Soviet Union in economic and social decline

• Could not compete with spending

• Gorbachev introduction of reforms

• INF Treaty - 1987

Me as a Cold Warrior

• 1985 as a Security Forces Lt guarding Alert B-52’s in Texas

• Because of language skills (German) transferred to the 38th Tactical Missile Wing Germany. Ground Launched Cruise Missile Unit – full operational in 1987.

• USAF responsible for all GLCM assets. Mobile Tactical Nuclear Weapons.

•Much emphasis on getting the system up and running prior to the INF Treaty- bargaining power

• Deployed to Forests of Germany and went covert and waited for orders to launch in the event of war

Ground Launched Cruise Missile System

• System consisted of 4 Transporter Erector Launchers (TELs) and two Launch Control Facilities (LCCs)

• I was the Ground Defense Force Commander in charge of 44 qualified USAF Security Force personnel.

• Armed with M-16s, M-60s machine guns, MK-19 Automatic grenade launchers.

Weapons M-16

M-60 Machine Gun

MK-19 Grenade Launcher

1989 The Beginning of the End

• Egon Krenz mistakenly announces the “opening”of the Berlin Access points

• Confusion ensures and the crowds take over

My Experience with East Berlin

• Would visit periodically during walled times

• Exchange Rate

• Checkpoint Charlie

• Russian Soldiers

• East German Soldiers

• Post Wall Inspections

• Part of Team that Inspected Post Volks Armee facilites

http://www.coldwar.org/articles/70s/SALTIandII.asp