BBC - Days that Shook the World Series 2 (2004) Part 9 Cold War Spies 1960 U-2 incident/Spy swap of Abel, Pryor and Powers

Through dramatic reconstructions, eye-witness accounts and archive footage, each episode in the “Days That Shook the World” TV series pieces together the thrilling stories of the landmarks of our time; the moments in history - human tragedies, scientific breakthroughs and calamitous events that have profoundly affected the way the world thinks and acts. Days that Shook the World examines some of the most important days in history, creating a detailed and forensic analysis of 24 hours that changed the world. It covers some of the biggest themes in World history - from the history of flight, to the rise and fall of Communism. This fresh and unusual BBC production explores mankind's defining moments. A gripping anatomy of some of the most important days in history, hour by hour as they unfolded. Incisive, fascinating & dramatic, the complete series builds a compelling picture of the seismic moments in world history. From ancient Egypt to the Berlin Wall, these episodes look at events that had a lasting impact on human history, from technological breakthroughs to political tragedies. Finding new angles and putting events into historical context, the series spans centuries and continents with one common thread On each of these days, the lives of millions were changed forever. Incredible breakthroughs, acts of shocking brutality, and stories of hope form the themes of these compelling programs. As the clock ticks, the events of the day climax, and we learn just what happened and how the day affected the course of history. The series focuses on events that defined the 20th century, from the discovery of the first dinosaur remains to the Hindenburg disaster. The programmes also investigate Yuri Gagarin's space flight; the Great Train Robbery; the abdication of Edward VIII; the events leading to the fictional Day Of The Jackal; the theft of the Crown Jewels; the hoax that was Piltdown Man; and disasters such as the Oklahoma bombing and the Challenger explosion.

A Lion Television Production for BBC in Association with The History Channel

Part 9 Cold War Spies 1960 U-2 incident/Spy swap of Abel, Pryor and Powers

The shooting down of a top secret spy plane ultimately led to a dramatic spy swap on a Berlin bridge. Two Cold War tales are told in this look at a time of international tension and suspicion. Cold War Crisis GARY POWERS U-2 SPY PLANE. Russia. It is May 1, 1960. The shooting down of America's U-2 spy plane put a resounding stop to the ostensibly thawing Cold War relations between the US and the USSR. In just two weeks' time a nuclear disarmament summit was due to take place, yet, behind this fa?ade, America had mobilised U-2, to photograph Soviet military installations. Witnesses - including the pilot Gary Powers - help to reconstruct that fateful day.The Cold War was a time of mistrust and suspicion, with espionage the favoured tactic to stay one step ahead of the enemy. But today it seems as if Cold War relations are at an all-time low. Just six months ago, Premier Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet Leader to visit America, and in barely two weeks' time a crucial disarmament summit is about to take place between Western nations and Soviet leaders in Paris. COLONEL RUDOLF ABEL. Berlin, the border between East and West Germanies. It is February 10, 1962. In Cold War Crisis we witness a scene later synonymous with Cold War espionage dramas, the most dramatic spy exchange of the Cold War is about to take place on a bridge in Berlin. It has taken nine days of heavy negotiations between an American lawyer and the Head of the KGB in Western Europe to get to this point. As they edge closer to each other on the bridge both sides look for traps. The stakes are too high for anything to go wrong.

Full Version Available Upon Request
Related Documentary