True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics cover image

True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics

Shadow Games | Special Forces Berlin

Jun 22, 2020
Hayley Atwell and former Special Forces Berlin operative James Stejskal reveal the secrets of their covert unit stationed in West Berlin during the Cold War, tackling the Tehran Hostage Crisis and espionage challenges. Explore their infiltration of the German population, navigating relationships in espionage, Cold War threats, planning a high-stakes rescue mission in Tehran, and reflections on their shadowy past.
47:23

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Special Forces Berlin operated in Berlin during the Cold War sabotaging Soviet infrastructure to delay a potential Russian attack on NATO.
  • The unit transitioned from unconventional warfare to counterterrorism, playing a crucial role in missions like the Iran Hostage Crisis rescue attempt.

Deep dives

Mission Behind the Iron Curtain

During the Cold War in Berlin, Special Forces Berlin operated behind enemy lines with just 100 elite soldiers tasked with sabotaging Soviet infrastructure to stall a Russian attack on NATO. Members like James Stayskau adopted European aliases, delved into the German population undercover, building trust to extract crucial information for missions.

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