Cold War on the Airwaves: The Radio Propaganda War against East Germany
Cold War on the Airwaves: The Radio Propaganda War against East Germany
Radio in the American Sector (RIAS), an America propaganda station, became one the most popular and trusted sources for news behind the Iron Curtain. Based in West Berlin, the station was created to serve as a counterweight to the propaganda operations of the German Democratic Republic. In his new book, Cold War on the Airwaves (University of Illinois Press, 2015), Dr. Schlosser argues that RIAS’s success lay in its ability to balance principles of professional journalism with a partisan commitment to destabilizing the East German government. Building a close, symbiotic relationship with its listeners, the station helped drive a wedge between East Germany's ruling communists and a significant segment of the country's population. The book, based on Dr. Schlosser’s doctoral research, draws on broadcast transcripts, listener letters, and U.S. Information Agency polls.
Dr. Nicholas J. Schlosser is a historian with the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C., where he is currently writing a history of the Iraq War's surge campaign. From 2009--2014 he was a historian with the Marine Corps History Division, where he wrote historical studies on the Iraq War, Cold War, and Vietnam War. He received his PhD in History from the University of Maryland in 2008. His dissertation, written under the supervision of Jeffrey Herf, was the recipient of the 2009 Richard Farrell Award.
This event is co-hosted the Miller Center for Historical Studies.
Wine and cheese will be served. To RSVP contact millercenter@umd.edu or 301-405-4209.