The Cold War was the defining global conflict of the second half of the twentieth century. Fought across multiple terrains, the "soft power" of international broadcasting placed the BBC on the frontline of the information war.
Explore the role the BBC played in communicating our understanding and experience of the Cold War, with the help of unique oral history interviews with those involved – from World Service foreign language journalists and correspondents in the field to directors-general and strategic managers.
Curated by Emeritus Professor David Hendy and Dr Alban Webb, University of Sussex; and John Escolme, BBC History.
The Long War
Between 1939 and 1991, the experience of World War and Cold War helped shape the journalistic and diplomatic significance of the BBC World Service.
Iron Curtain
How did the BBC’s response to the descending Iron Curtain shape its Cold War broadcasting style?
BBC Monitoring in Wartime
Established at the outbreak of the Second World War, the BBC Monitoring Service continued to be a vital component of the BBC’s journalistic work during the Cold War.
Letters without Signatures
During the Cold War the BBC German Service was a vital means of 'projecting Britain', and broadcast a nightly programme specially targeted at listeners behind the Iron Curtain.
