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Chronicle 1962

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    • 10-12 December

      1962

      At a conference of the Supreme Soviet, the Soviet party and state leader Nikita Khrushchev calls West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer the "Chancellor of the Cold War" and threatens West Germany with Soviet nuclear missiles.

      He says that Adenauer’s joy at the hardline course taken by the West, which had allegedly forced the Soviet Union to withdraw their missiles from Cuba, was in vain: "I dare to assure you, Mr Chancellor, that, when we took the decision to take four dozen missiles to Cuba, we left your ration untouched, so to speak, in case you were to think up some kind of aggression in Europe. Now, however, that our missiles have come back from Cuba, to your satisfaction, we are adding them to the defence system covering our western borders." less

    • 24 December

      1962

      Many West Berliners follow an appeal by the Committee for an Indivisible Germany (Kuratorium Unteilbares Deutschland) and place candles in their windows on Christmas Eve to demonstrate their unbroken resolve to bring about reunification.

    • 26 December

      1962

      On Boxing Day, there is a successful escape made in an armoured bus.
      RIAS report on an escape with an armoured bus, 27 December 1962 (in German) (Source: Archiv Deutschlandradio, Broadcast: Die Zeit im Funk, Reporter: Rainer Höynck)

    • December 1962

      “In the month of December 1962, the situation at the sector and zone border was largely unchanged and peaceful. To note are three explosions at the 'Wall' that caused considerable damage – mostly by destroying windows – on the western side, but relatively little to the border barriers”, the West Berlin police write in their report on developments at the sector and zone border. Report by the West Berlin police on the situation on the sector and zone border, incidents on suburban and East German Reichsbahn (Reich Railway) premises and other events of political significance for the month December 1962 (in German)
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