Soviet Union

Vladimir Putin, the KGB spy turned Russian president and potentially the richest man on the planet, doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to go looking for advice when it comes to international relations. In fact, a common criticism levied at the world leader from Russians is that his attention all too often lies beyond […]

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, has been tasked with countering Russian aggression for as long as there’s been a Russia. First established in 1949, NATO sought to ensure peace and stability throughout Europe with an eye on the Soviet bear that was awakened during World War II, and while NATO’s purview has expanded […]

Back in 1985, the fall of the Soviet Union was not yet assured, but the wheels of progress were already moving within the Soviet Bloc. Glasnost, the Soviet policy of openness and transparency that, in many ways, helped usher in the collapse of the Soviet Union in favor of modern-day Russia was still a year away, […]

The Berlin Airlift stemmed from the Berlin Blockade which occurred in June 1948. It was the world’s first major situation with regards to the Cold War that involved a plethora of nations. The Soviet Union enacted the blockade after the Deutsche mark was introduced to areas of Germany controlled by the Western Allies. The soviets […]

The digital age has, in many ways, been a revolution in narrative management and the transmission of propaganda, but the fundamental elements of managing perceptions both domestically and internationally have existed as long as there have been nations to exercise the effort. While some dismiss the effect of information and disinformation operations on the global […]

“When the attack on Russia starts, the world will hold its breath” Hitler In June of 1941,  Germany invaded the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa. The Germans had the largest invasion force in history with about 4 million men in the attacking force. They attacked along a 2900 mile front, with about 600,000 vehicles and […]

Here in the United States, there’s a certain image of the Astronaut’s journey we’ve grown accustomed to: a dramatic launch, a majestic weightless experience, turbulent reentry, and finally, a splashdown somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. From there, America’s Navy swoops in, picking up the floating Astronauts and their capsules (barring an embarrassing incident like Gus […]

On July 17, 1983, Capt. William Howard Hughes Jr. called his mother and told her was he heading to the Netherlands. The Airman, who worked as a lead analyst with a Top Secret clearance, had been tasked with helping NATO test aircraft surveillance systems. The orders were short-term, with him scheduled to return on August […]

In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a national address with international ramifications; touting new advanced missile platforms that were meant to usher in a new era of Russian military strength. These new platforms, of course, weren’t new to defense experts who had been following the development of these weapons systems, but raised concerns throughout […]

The West German military during the Cold War planned to stockpile vast amounts of chemical weapons to stave off a Soviet Union invasion into the west. They also planned on using them, despite long-time denials by the government. War, Auschwitz, chemical weapons: never again. This was what the newly formed Federal Republic of Germany swore […]

Irving Isaacson was one of America’s OSS operatives during World War II serving with the Dutch, but after the war, he traveled across Europe and spied on the Soviets. He passed away last week in Maine at the age of 102. Like his wife, who died three years ago, Irving Isaacson did what he knew […]

The United States announced on Monday that President Trump has ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats, joining a bevy of other European nations taking similar actions following the use of a Soviet-era nerve agent on a former Russian spy on British soil. Although UK officials have permitted international access to the substance recovered from […]