Frank Baldwin was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1979 and served for ten years, rising to the rank of Major. The first battlefield study he planned was in 1989 for HQ 4th Armoured Division. Since then, he has been a guide or historian for over 200 realities of war tours, battlefield studies and staff rides. 

Frank reels off lots of great anecdotes as he takes us through the initial years of the BAOR and the British Army’s plans for the defence of West Germany. 

He talks about the evolution of doctrines, on both the Soviet and NATO sides including their nuclear war-fighting techniques.

Frank also describes working with Warsaw Pact observers of NATO military exercises and the British view of the effectiveness of other NATO armies as well as the armies of the Warsaw Pact.

Maps and material to accompany this episode are here https://www.staffrideservices.com/?p=461

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I am delighted to welcome Frank Baldwin to our Cold War conversation…

Battlefield tour website

Story of a BAOR Cold war tour

Maps and material on BAOR and the Cold war. Cold war background material

Frank Baldwin's blog The Observation Post

0:00 Introduction and overview of the episode

2:37 Discussion on the planning and strategy during the Cold War

8:50 The concept of flexible response and the shift in NATO's planning

19:39 Tactics and maneuvers in the face of Russian forces

27:14 The Battle Group trainer and war simulation

33:04 Introduction of CSC and Stockholm agreement, and experiences during Iron Hammer exercise

37:07 Interaction with officers from the Warsaw pact and insights into Russian training methods

46:23 Perception of East Germans and experiences in East Germany

53:00 Post-cold war British army engagements and core values

56:31 Civilian evacuation during the Cold War and the role of German transport

1:00:34 Supporter acknowledgement and episode closing

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