Russians blink first in Cold War poker game played with tanks

“Ten Soviet and four American tanks yesterday withdrew from the East-west Berlin border after facing each other for 16 tense hours.”

So began The Sunday Post’s report on the escalating Berlin Crisis involving Russia and the Western Allies on October 29, 1961.

“Six other American tanks, posted in streets near the border, also pulled back,” it was reported. “The

Soviet tanks started up their engines first and rumbled away into East Berlin.

“A US official said: ‘We seem to have faced the Russians down.’ The US tanks withdrew about 90 minutes after the Russians. They stayed near the border area and reassembled at two separate spots within three or four minutes from the Friedrichstrasse crossing point.

“Later a US Air Force plane and helicopter circled the border.

Throughout the all-night vigil the scene was lit up by East German searchlights.

“The tank poker game started with an American move to assert the Allied right to send an official in civilian clothes into East Berlin without proof of identity to East German Police. They are willing to identify themselves only to Russians.”

The Berlin Crisis ultimately led to the partition of the city and the erection of the Berlin Wall.