The Berlin Wall
Short History Of...
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The American Convoy in East Berlin
An American diplomat was taking his wife across Checkpoint Charlie to the theatre. With their diplomatic legally detained at the border, the Americans see an opportunity for a bit of saber rattling. President Kennedy's man on the ground in Berlin is retired general Lucius Clay. He's already a Cold War veteran, having supervised the successful Berlin airlift three years earlier and he's in no mood to be messed around by the Soviets. The diplomat is rescued by a full platoon of military police with bayonets fixed to their rifles. But rather than heading straight back to West Berlin, the American convoy first takes a tour around the east of the city. It's a provocative gesture, thumbing their noses
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