Czechast with historian Igor Lukeš about Prague on the edge of Cold War

It is a kind of bitter déjà vu. As the war in Ukraine conflict heightened tensions between the West and Russia, Prague has become a focal point for intelligence and disinformation. There have been increasing intelligence reports over the years indicating a resurgence of Russian covert operations. It is not the first time that the Czech capital has found itself in such a situation. 

Igor Lukeš - On the Edge of Cold War: American Diplomats and Spies in Postwar Prague|Photo: Oxford University Press

The rising wave of Russian propaganda in Czech information channels brings back memories of earlier struggles. It's as if Prague stands once more at the forefront of an ideological war that's reshaping modern geopolitics. Let's not forget, that post-World War II, between 1945 and the 1948 Communist coup d’etat, Czechoslovakia, and particularly Prague, were in similar waters.

Czechast is thrilled to speak to Igor Lukeš. He's a professor of international relations and history at Boston University and the author of the intriguing book, "On the Edge of Cold War: American Diplomats and Spies in Postwar Prague". We delve into the past, and get a feeling of what it was like to be in Prague in the 1940s, and why the US Intelligence was no match to their Soviet opponents.