MOVING FARTHER NORTH, TO FRANCE’S NEIGHBORING COUNTRY OF GERMANY… PEOPLE ARE REMEMBERING AN IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARY.
IT HAS BEEN 28 YEARS SINCE THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL.
THE WALL WAS BUILT AROUND THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY IN 1961, TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM LEAVING.
THAT’S BECAUSE GERMANY WAS ESSENTIALLY SPLIT IN TWO AFTER THE END OF WORLD WAR II, AND SO WAS THE CITY OF BERLIN.
THE WEST SIDE BECAME A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY, ALIGNED WITH BRITTAN, FRANCE, AND THE US. THE EAST BECAME A COMMUNIST COUNTRY, CONTROLLED BY THE SOVIET UNION.
WHEN PEOPLE LIVING IN EAST BERLIN DECIDED THEY DIDN’T WANT TO BE UNDER THE COMMUNIST RULE THEY WOULD DEFECT TO THE WEST.
DEFECT MEANS ABANDONING YOUR OWN COUNTRY FOR ANOTHER.
MORE THAN TWO MILLION EAST GERMANS DEFECTED. SOON, SO MANY PEOPLE WE LEAVING THAT EAST GERMANY GOT NERVOUS AND BUILT THE WALL -- TO STOP PEOPLE FROM LEAVING. IN JUNE 1987 U-S PRESIDENT RONALD REGAN GAVE A FAMOUS SPEECH ABOUT THE WALL -- CALLING FOR SOVIET SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE COMMUNITY PARTY MIKHAIL GORBACHEV TO:
SOT: “TEAR DOWN THIS WALL”
RICK: THE COMMUNIST PARTY HAD BEGUN TO WEAKEN, AND ON NOVEMBER 9, 1989 THE WALL WAS FINALLY TORN DOWN. IT MARKED A SYMBOLIC END TO THE COLD WAR.
AS YOU CAN SEE IT WAS A CELEBRATORY TIME FOR THE EAST BERLINERS.
Find Out More
Website Article: Wikipedia, List of Berlin Wall Segment, United States | Find a place to see a piece of the Berlin Wall.
Interactive Quiz: Ducksters, Cold War - Berlin Wall | Read about & test your knowledge of the Berlin Wall
Website: Berlin Wall Online | Fact, timeline, & photos