Welcome to the Iron Curtain!

While much of the media always focused on Berlin and its 166 kilometers of fences and walls, it was only a small fraction of the almost 1,400 kilometers of heavily fortified border that was known as the Iron Curtain. Along this stretch of border the majority of the East German Border Command and units of the U.S. Army faced each other on a daily basis for over 44 years.  Compounding the tenseness of this constantly patrolled border were the forward deployed Soviet combat units poised to make a "blitzkrieg" strike into the heart of industrialized Western Europe. 

Watching over this deadly border were the border guards or Grenztruppen. Very little was known about these elite soldiers, but Genzer.com provides a rare insight into their military training, duties, and patrol operations. Additionally, you'll see first hand how the United States Cavalry, other military units and West German agencies held the front lines on the Frontier of Freedom since the end of World War II. The collapse of the Iron Curtain and the freedom enjoyed by Eastern Europe today is a direct result of their efforts.

So, fill your canteen, check your maps,  and lock and load! Your patrol behind the Iron Curtain is just a mouse click away!

The Grenztruppen

A look at East German border operations and the border guards

U.S.  Operations

A look at how the Army patrolled the Iron Curtain

Border Cav

Take a look at the Cav units that patrolled the border

Escapes

What did it take to escape? A review of escapes from behind the Iron Curtain

Gipper Tribute

The visionary leader who rebuilt the US military and ended the Cold War

Cold War Stories

Have a War Story to tell?  Read stories and submit your own.

Fulda Reunion 2005

the 11th ACR & 14th ACR are meeting aging in June 2005. Click here for more details