BACKGROUND
The Cold War was a period of geopolitical hostility between the Soviet Union and the United States – to include their respective allies, often referred to as the Eastern and Western Blocs. East/West hostilities began shortly after World War II. The term "cold" was used to describe this conflict because there was no large-scale fighting directly between the two superpowers, but they each supported major regional tensions known as proxy wars – Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, to name a few.
The disputes were centered around the ideological struggle for global influence by the two powers, following their temporary alliance and victory against Nazi Germany in 1945. The doctrine of mutually assured destruction (MAD) discouraged a pre-emptive attack by either side. Aside from their nuclear arsenals and conventional military deployments, the struggle for dominance was expressed via indirect means such as psychological warfare, propaganda campaigns, espionage, far-reaching embargoes, rivalry at sports events and technological competitions – from Sputnik, through PacMan, to Star Wars, and more.
SYNOPSIS
Munich Spring – is about a group of everyday free thinkers in Germany during the tumultuous time that was the late 1980s European upheaval. It’s told by Heath Winslow – a cynical, self-deprecating freelance journalist – who seeks to boost awareness of societal swings while buttressing himself against the push by many to remain steadfast.
Set in Bavaria, the novel recounts the dynamic interactions between characters as they attempt to deal with the political, social, and economic shifts sweeping Europe. The adventure culminates in the fall of the Berlin Wall and far-reaching changes impacting the continent.
The goal of Winslow’s writings is to help people realize how things are changing. Some of the book’s characters support his aim while others are firmly against it. Of course, before a shift can be achieved, several conditions must be met by everyone. Those needs strongly involve the past – in one way or another. As a result, the characters’ concerns with change are spent concentrating on the past as a means of moving forward or preventing it – depending on their points of view.
DEDICATION
To members of the American Armed Forces, U.S. Dept. of Defense civilian employees, their families and friends who worked and lived in Europe during the 1980s period of dramatic political, cultural, and social change.
I salute them for their dedication and tenacity – so instrumental in bringing about the downfall of the Soviet Union, the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact, and the collapse of communism across Eastern Europe.
The fact that free men persist in the search for the truth is the essential difference between Communism and Democracy.