| Twenty years ago, on June 12, 1987, during a | | | | |
| visit to the divided German city of Berlin, | | | | Large demonstrations against the government |
| U.S. president Ronald Reagan publicly and | | | | system of East Germany took place over the |
| memorably challenged Soviet leader Mikhail | | | | three months from September through November. |
| Gorbachev to "tear down this wall." Reagan's | | | | On October 18, Erich Honecker, East Germany's |
| trip to Berlin, a historical moment to say | | | | head of state, was compelled to resign. |
| the least, coincided with the former German | | | | |
| capital's 750th anniversary. | | | | Subsequently the new East German government |
| | | | prepared a law to lift travel restrictions |
| Reflecting an earlier speech by President | | | | for citizens. In the early evening of |
| John F. Kennedy, Reagan also said, "Standing | | | | November 9, a member of the new government |
| before the Brandenburg Gate, every man is a | | | | was asked at a press conference when the |
| German, separated from his fellow men. Every | | | | revised travel law would come into force. He |
| man is a Berliner, forced to look upon a | | | | answered: "Well, as far as I can see . . . |
| scar." | | | | straightaway, immediately." |
| | | | |
| The wall was erected in 1961, ostensibly to | | | | In response, thousands of East Berliners |
| keep the fascists out. However, it was in | | | | flocked to the border crossings. At |
| fact built to keep the oppressed people of | | | | Bornholmer Strasse, people demanded that the |
| East Germany in. | | | | border be opened--and it was--at 10:30 p.m. |
| | | | That moment spelled the end of the Berlin |
| Just two years after Reagan delivered his | | | | Wall. Soon other border-crossing points |
| most famous sound byte, the wheels came off | | | | peacefully opened their gates to the West, |
| the Eastern European communist wagon. | | | | and people pulled chunks off the wall not |
| Gorbachev had begun to make fundamental | | | | only as souvenirs, but also to symbolize the |
| changes to Russian policies beginning in | | | | coming destruction of the entire hated |
| 1985. His reforms, dubbed "Perestroika" | | | | barrier. |
| (restructuring) and "Glasnost" (openness, | | | | |
| transparency) were billed as a renewal, not a | | | | On December 22, 1989, the Brandenburg Gate, |
| replacement of the communist system. | | | | backdrop to Reagan's speech, was opened. Less |
| | | | than a year later, on October 3, 1990, the |
| The reforms in the Soviet Union soon | | | | two Germanys were reunited. |
| resonated across the other communist | | | | |
| countries, especially in Poland and Hungary. | | | | Perhaps the most surprising lesson of the |
| On August 23, 1989, Hungary opened the Iron | | | | cascading events that took place in this |
| Curtain to Austria, and East German tourists | | | | moment in history is during the 16 months |
| seized the chance to escape there. During | | | | between President Reagan's speech and the |
| just three days in September 1989, more than | | | | fall of the wall is how quickly the shape of |
| 13,000 fled East Germany via Hungary. | | | | the political landscape can change. |