Cold War

German born British physicist and spy, Dr Klaus Fuchs (1911 - 1988) who was tried at the Old Bailey, London on two charges of disclosing atom secrets 'calculated to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy'. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

Klaus Fuchs: the scientist who became the Soviet super spy

Michael Goodman tackles listener questions and popular search queries on the history of spying and intelligence. (Image by Getty Images)

Espionage history: everything you wanted to know

Susan Williams discusses the United States’ covert programme to undermine the leaders of newly independent African nations in the 1950s and 1960s. (Image by Getty Images)

The CIA’s secret African missions

John F Kennedy with US Army officials during the Cuban missile crisis

“We are eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked”: how the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated

A panel of eyewitnesses recall their memories of the divided city and the dramatic events of November 1989. (Image by Getty Images)

Witnesses to the Berlin Wall

As the world’s best athletes congregate in Tokyo for the 29th Summer Games, David Goldblatt answers your questions on the history of the Olympics. (Image from Getty Images)

Olympic history: everything you wanted to know

Giles Milton reveals how the German capital became the frontline in a bitter diplomatic conflict between the western Allies and the Soviet Union in the wake of the Second World War. (Image by Getty Images)

The Cold War battle for Berlin

Dr David Clarke explains how the idea of extra-terrestrials in mysterious flying saucers developed from its origins in the Cold War to become an enduring modern myth. (Image by Getty Images)

The history and mystery of UFOs

Anne Sebba explores the life of Ethel Rosenberg, who was executed for espionage in one of the most sensational and controversial episodes of the Cold War. (Image by Getty Images)

The trials of Ethel Rosenberg

US NATO Army on training in Germany

Able Archer 83: the Nato war-game that nearly spelled nuclear disaster

Mark Atwood Lawrence responds to readers’ questions about the United States’ failure to stem the advance of communism in Vietnam. (Image by Getty Images)

The Vietnam War: everything you wanted to know

Britain's Greatest Prime Minister Podcast Series From HistoryExtra

Who was Britain’s Greatest Prime Minister? Episode 3: Clement Attlee

Serhii Plokhy discusses the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and reveals just how close the world came to nuclear disaster. (Image by Getty Images)

How close to nuclear war did the Cuban Missile Crisis get?

In 1961 cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to journey into space. Stephen Walker delves into the supercharged battle between the Soviets and Americans to reach this milestone. (Image by Getty Images)

Sending the first man into space

Spy plane photos revealed that missile bases were being built on Cuba, prompting the crisis. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

What if... The Cuban Missile Crisis escalated?