Film 'The Road to the Wall' depicts the rise of communism in Russia, Eastern Europe, China and Cuba. Opening scene shows a newly build section of the Berlin Wall, early in its construction period, and a line of German people viewing the newly built wall between East Germany and West Germany. Historical retrospective shows various scenes of refugees in various countries (China; somewhere in Europe) walking on roads and uphill with baggage in hand. Communist troops march. Refugees walk bare foot. Man carrying a child on his back. Huge gathering of people in Moscow at the Kremlin wall (near future site of Lenin's tomb). Vladimir Ilyich Lenin speaks to a crowd in Russia during the Russian Revolution circa 1917. Refugee women and children being checked by soldiers as they attempt to board a railroad train. Closeup of a baby looking frustrated or angry and throwing a baby tantrum. Bodies of dead refugees on the ground. View of Fidel Castro, in January 1959, with Che Guevara, and other rebels or revolutionaries, in Cuba. A person being executed by a Che Guevara revolutionary firing squad. Huge parade in Communist China in 1960. View of Chinese workers manually pulling what appears to be, a heavy gun carriage. Parade of communists in East Germany in 1961. The Berlin wall, and East German policeman on horseback riding to intercept persons attempting to cross. A few East German people making an escape from East Berlin to West Berlin by running through a gap in barbed wire at the Berlin Wall border, and being escorted by West Berlin citizens afterward. Armed East German guards at border marked with barbed wire and other obstacles.
Russia's atom powered icebreaker on its first operational voyage in Arctic. It brings supplies and equipment to the Arctic for establishing a scientific outpost on an ice floe. Interior of the icebreaker. Men discuss a map. Other vehicles on snow. Men stand. Houses in the background. A flag hoisted. Men gather around the flag.
Population worldwide shown waiting for news about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Groups of people watching televisions and listening to radios. Press announcement in front of White House that President Kennedy has received message from Nikita Khrushchev, Secretary of Communist Party of the Soviet Union, saying that Russia will dismantle missile sites in Cuba. Views of various ships in United States fleet. Military band playing at port as wives and children of U.S. military service men return to Guantanamo, hug and greet the service men, and celebrate. View of a small church and citizens entering the church. Americans going to work. Reconnaissance photos showing missiles dismantled, and showing shadow of the photographing aircraft, itself. Soviet ships carrying missiles out of Cuba. American men, women, and children pedestirans walking on sidewalks in the downtown area of a town, past shops and stores. A man entering a building beside a fallout shelter sign. Department of Defense logo is shown at end of film, followed by on screen text, "If our country should ever be attacked by nuclear weapons, people at ground zero would be lost. But millions more, outside these areas of complete destruction, would be spared, only to be imperiled by radioactive fallout. Today, the nation is better prepared to meet this threat, as the community fallout shelter program goes forward. But much work still remains to be done. Cuba may not be the last crisis we'll be called on to face. But let it be the last we'll face unprepared.
United States resumes bomb research in the Pacific. The United States answers Russia's violation of the Atom Test Moratorium by beginning a series of nuclear shots in the Pacific. Missile being launched. United States aircraft in flight. U.S. soldier looks through the periscope aboard a ship. View of smoke rising from the nuclear tests conducted.
Kremlin residence of president of the USSR in Moscow.Flag of the USSR on top of the building.View of frozen Moskva river.During Cuban Crisis.1962.
Track and field meet in the United States. In the women's 100 meter race an American athlete wins against a Russian athlete. In the men's high jump Russian Valeri Brumel breaks his own world record. American athlete Jim Betty sets a new record in the 1500 meter run.