Description
Object description
American officer served as G-2, Military Intelligence, United States Army in Berlin, Germany, 1945-1947; served as Director, Radio in the American Sector in Berlin, Germany, 1948-1949
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as G-2, Military Intelligence, United States Army in Berlin, Germany, 1945-1947: involvement in plan for Allied attack on Berlin, 1945; lack of awareness of Soviet strategy; learning that American troops were not to advance on Berlin, 4/1945; impressions of Berlin and it's inhabitants, 2/7/1945; American attitude towards Soviets; liaison with Allied and Soviet intelligence officers; belief that Allied relations would deteriorate with Soviets; attitude of Germans towards Soviet; deterioration of relations between Soviet Union and western Allies; character of Ernest Reuter and his effects on German politics; character of General Lucius Clay and his attitude towards Soviets; General Lucius Clay attitude to murder of German women by Soviet forces; character of Brigadier General Frank Howley, American Military Governor of Berlin; Allied Control Council meetings; lack of intelligence liaison with Soviets; discovery of Soviet espionage activities.
REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of period as Director of Radio in the American Sector in Berlin, Germany, 1948-1949: description of the origins of Radio in the American Sector; actions on becoming director of radio station, 2/1948; broadcasting adaptation of George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'; increase in radios in Soviet Sector of city; motives behind Soviet radio propaganda; use of humour in broadcasts; use of mobile loud speaker vehicles to broadcast warning at time of expulsion of western political parties from Soviet Sector and subsequent mass meeting; covering Communist coup in Czechoslovakia, 2/1948 and events in Hungary; handling Soviet propaganda at time of Berlin Blockade, 1948-1949; broadcasting names of Soviet informers and spies.
REEL 3 Continues: reaction of population and authorities to broadcasts in Soviet Sector; meeting future wife Christina Ohlsen and her role as announcer for Radio in the American Sector; importance of radio station during Berlin Blockade, 1948-1949; how Radio Free Europe evolved from Radio in the American Sector; importance of propaganda during Cold War; story of French blowing up of Soviet Radio Berlin radio transmitters to construct Tegel Airfield in French Sector.