Fulda Gap, Germany

The Fulda Gap was known as the Hottest Spot of the Cold War. Located between East Germany and West Germany, this point was the point of highest tension in the world. Despite anxiety being at an all time high during this time, there was no point more fragile, no place more at risk, no area more obvious when it came to potential starting points for World War III. If it was going to happen, it was going to happen here. Throughout the Cold War, NATO and Warsaw Pact military forces remained heavily concentrated in the area. Constant patrols, surveillance, and alerts were carried out along the border, where opposing observation points stood less than 100 yards apart.