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EPISODE · Sep 15, 2025 · 13 MIN

The Pepsi Navy

from History Dispatches · host Matt and McKinley Breen

In 1989, the Soviet Union, under President Mikhail Gorbachev, wanted to ensure the soft drink Pepsi kept flowing to the empire. Unfortunately, the USSR lacked the money or goods to realistically trade with PepsiCo, so instead they swapped 17 submarines and three warships in exchange for the syrup. This, according to legend, made Pepsi the commander of the world's 6th largest navy. Sources https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/11/27/pepsi-navy-soviet-ussr/ History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Sep 15, 2025

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The Pepsi Navy

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