When Mr. Spassky, a Russian, played Bobby Fischer, an American, in Iceland at the height of the Cold War, the media attention reduced them to pawns in a wider drama.
Tag: Cold War Era
In Former East Germany, the Hard-Right AfD Party Finds Most of Its Support
The former East Germany still votes virtually as a separate country — and increasingly for a party that has been linked to neo-Nazis.
The Secret Pentagon War Game That Offers a Stark Warning for Our Times
The devastating outcome of the 1983 game reveals that nuclear escalation inevitably spirals out of control.
50 Years After Killing, a Berlin Court Convicts a Stasi Officer of Murder
The court handed down a guilty verdict and a 10-year sentence to a former officer of East Germany’s dreaded secret police, in a case straight out of the Cold War.
U.S. and Allies Sound Alarm Over Their Adversaries’ Military Ties
The Biden administration is struggling to halt cooperation among Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. It feels urgency over the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East while also aiming to protect Taiwan.
Germany’s State Elections Are Likely to Reveal a Still-Divided Country
Closely watched elections in the former East Germany are likely to reveal a still-divided country and yield a worrying challenge to Berlin.
Thomas Neff, Who Turned Soviet Warheads Into Electricity, Dies at 80
An M.I.T. physicist, he engineered an East-West deal that reduced nuclear threats and produced one of the greatest peace dividends of all time.
Russia Vows ‘Military Response’ to U.S. Missile Deployments in Germany
The United States and Germany announced episodic deployments of longer-range American missiles in Germany starting in 2026.
Putin Once Tried to Curb North Korea’s Nuclear Program. That’s Now Over.
Vladimir Putin promised unspecified technological help to North Korea, which could allow it to advance its nuclear weapons program.
Shattered by Montreal Mind-Control Experiments, but Undeterred in a Suit
Families of patients in a Cold War-era mind-control experiment in Montreal are pressing forward after a recent setback in their class-action lawsuit.