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Europe
Berlin Wall Crumbled 20 Years Ago
2009-11-04
Thank you Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II.
For nearly three decades the Berlin Wall was the symbol of the Cold War; it divided a city and in effect the entire country. And then on November 9, 1989 it crumbled and with it Communist East Germany. It was a key event on the path to ending the Cold War.

The Brandenburg Gate - one of Berlin's best known landmarks. Once a stately entryway to the then capital of Prussian kings - by the late 1900's it was part of a grim barrier dividing the city.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, a new conflict was taking shape. The Cold War pitted East against West and nowhere was it more tangible than in Berlin.

It was on this bridge on the outskirts of Berlin that the two sides sometimes met - to exchange spies. Haio Koelling remembers those days. "Yes, I think the exchanges took place right here. The secret agent would be sent out from one military checkpoint to the other - in plain view of both sides," Koellling recalls, "But for us civilians, as of 1961, the bridge didn't exist anymore. We couldn't get close. You could see it from over there, but the Wall blocked it."

The Wall: the defining symbol of Berlin for decades.

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!"
US President Ronald Reagan
It was built in August 1961 by the communist East German government as a physical barrier through the heart of the city. But the Wall encircled all of West Berlin, cutting it off from East Berlin and the rest of East Germany. It was the most tangible part of the larger Iron Curtain - the dividing line between the West and the Soviet bloc to the east. It was the focal point of tension and fears the Cold War might erupt into full blown conflict.

But over time, cracks formed in the communist system, says political analyst Jochen Staadt of Berlin's Free University. "There were some people who knew that the GDR, East Germany is in a bad situation, the economy was going down," Staadt says, "As we now know our secret service they knew a lot about that."

A more obvious signal of change was Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev - a reformer at the reins in Moscow. "When Mr. Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union there were signs and one of the most important signs was that people in the Soviet Union started to talk publicly about reunion of Germany," Staadt states.

It sparked a difference of opinion between Moscow and East Berlin. And it was a split western leaders tapped into.

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall," US President Ronald Reagan urged. Change was afoot as President Reagan uttered that now famous challenge in 1987.

Reform movements gained ground within the Soviet bloc and by the summer of 1989 East Germans found a way to the West and peaceful protests spread in East Germany. While western pressure played a part, the key was Mr. Gorbachev, says political analyst Michael Cox of the London School of Economics.

"I think once the Soviet Union, Moscow, Gorbachev and the Politburo have made that decision not to use force then the whole house of cards is bound to come crumbling down," Cox said.
Thank you Ron, Maggie and John Paul for forcing Gorbachev into that decision.
And crumble it did, faster than anyone anticipated - November 9, 1989. The Wall fell and took with it the East German communist government.

But what would happen next was not a foregone conclusion. Negotiations would follow about the new structure of Europe and how Germany would fit in.

"Because don't forget in 1989 and 1990 when Germany unified many Europeans were worried and therefore it was extraordinarily important for very, very complicated diplomacy to engage Germany within Europe and as an Atlantic player," Cox says, "Don't forget that Gorbachev in the end had to say yes."

Germany was reunited -- the Soviet Union was dissolved; the Cold War drew to a close.
Posted by:Steve White

#12  
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2009-11-04 22:59  

#11  One issue - the title. The Wall didn't "crumble". We knocked the fucker down by pushing on it until it collapsed.
Posted by: OldSpook   2009-11-04 22:46  

#10  In that case, he'll order Israel to 'end the occupation', refuse to meet with Netanyahu (again), bow down to a Saudi king (again)...then he'll play golf and practice his jumpshots.
Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007   2009-11-04 22:35  

#9  I was thinking about something more along the lines of what he did to Poland, Woozle....
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-11-04 21:49  

#8  Wonder what idiocy Bambi will pull do to mark the occasion?

Golf in the afternoon, then practice his jumpshot around midnight.
Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007   2009-11-04 21:39  

#7  "Please remember that November 9 will be the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht."

Wonder what idiocy Bambi will pull do to mark the occasion?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2009-11-04 21:32  

#6  Please remember that November 9 will be the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2009-11-04 21:23  

#5  "Civil war in < 5 years" > I'm expectin as early as Year 2012-2013 myself.

* Year 2010-2012 > ISLAMIST IRAN declares it has NUKULAAR = STRATEGIC WEAPS TECHS.
* Year 2012-2020 [2025 maxima] > UNBCONTROLLED NUC/STRATWEAPSTECHS Proliferation to major RADIC ISLAMIST + aligned EXTREMIST MILTERR GRUPPES.
* Year 2020 and beyond > possible GEOPOL "FINAL CONFLICT" bwtn EAST-WEST = ISLAM VS NON-ISLAM, NUCLEARIZED + includ "MUTUAL DESTRUCTION" Scenarios.

* "GREAT GAME" > STRENGTH IS STRENGTH, WEAKNESS IS WEAKNESS, and AMERICA = AMERIKA, the USA = USSA/USR, should not expect either ENEMY, ALLY, ANDOR NON-ALIGNED TO EXPLOIT SAME TO THEIR OWN ADVANTAGE OR AGENDUM, AND AMER'S DETRIMENT.

SUN TZU > "THE ENEMY" IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WEAKNESS [nor strengths] OF YOUR SHIELD + CAMP. DITTO FOR HOW YOU USE YOUR SWORD.

Lest we fergit, 1990's NET > 9-11 + WOT = WAR FOR OWG-NWO espec PRO-US OWG versus ANTI-US OWG, among other.

VARIOUS NET PERTS + POSTERS > YEAR 2020 AND AFTERWARDS > MAPS OF ASIA + WORLD AS WE + OUR PARENTS, ETAL. KNEW IT MAY LOOK COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, + BE SO WITHIN OUR CURR LIFETIME???
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2009-11-04 18:40  

#4  It t'was the anniversary of 1979 IRAN EMBASSY TAKEOVER + attempted "DESERT ONE" RESOP on CNN this AM.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2009-11-04 18:21  

#3  One of the greatest victories of all time for human liberty.

"Thank you Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II."

Amen to that--and credit for an assist to Gorby. Not because he did anything right. His stated objective was to preserve the USSR and its empire--and we should thank him for failing so spectacularly (albeit unintentionally).
Posted by: Mike   2009-11-04 11:10  

#2   "When Mr. Gorbachev came to power in the Soviet Union there were signs and one of the most important signs was that people in the Soviet Union started to talk publicly about reunion of Germany," Staadt states.

Some how always leaving out East Prussia and Silesia in the conversations. So much for the principle of 'right of return'.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2009-11-04 07:15  

#1  Ha, The soviets just won yesterday when the EUSSR constitreaty was signed.

I expect "civil" war in < 5 years.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2009-11-04 06:28  

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