The Berlin wall falling on the 9 th of November 1989 is one of the most classic events in history. It was more than a falling of a physical barrier, it marked the demise of the cold war and the dissolution of the Soviet imposed communism in Eastern Europe. Yet what was the real cause of this historic event? The causes are complex and varied and to unravel them it is important to lofixed at the intricate mix of political, economic and social reasons that eventually undermined the foundations of the wall and set the stage of its demolition. This discussion will unravel the major factors involved in creating a better insight into this critical event of modern history.
Stagnant Economy and Political Oppression: The Crumbling Soviet Empire
The Berlin Wall was the creation of the Soviet Union, which was the most powerful state of the Eastern Bloc, but was experiencing acute internal pressures by the late 1980s. Several decades of the centrally planned economy had brought the country to an economic standstill due to the lack of innovation and productivity. There was a shortage of consumer goods, the technological development was behind that of the West, and the standard of living was much lesser compared to that of the capitalist nations. This economic slump resulted in dissatisfaction among masses and also elevated demands of reforms.

At the same time, the political repression that was inherent to the Soviet system created massive opposition. The long arm of the Communist Party control over power oppressed the freedom of speech, assembly and expression. Citizens were monitored by secret police such as the KGB and any form of opposition to the regime was suppressed. Such atmosphere of fear and deprivation of personal freedoms led to certain undercurrent of dissatisfaction that finally blew up into open revolt in a number of Eastern European countries.
Perestroika and Glasnost of Gorbachev: The Seeds of Change
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev came to power and initiated a streak of reforms to renew the Soviet Union. His policies of perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness) were aimed at solving the economic problems facing the country and to create more openness in political matters. These reforms were however well meaning but they had the unintended consequence of weakening the hold of the Soviets on the satellite states in East Europe.
Gorbachev unwillingly unleashed dissident forces in these nations by relaxing the grip of control. The idea of increased freedom and independence of the citizens encouraged them to push forward with more substantial demands which caused the domino effect on the communist ruled states in the region. The reforms introduced by Gorbachev had unintended effects that turned out to be a trigger of the fall of the wall of Berlin.
Popular Uprisings in Eastern Europe.
The revolution of change in Eastern Europe began with Solidarity movement in Poland in early 1980s, which showed that organized opposition to communist leadership was possible. copying this success, other movements tofixed place in the region. In Hungary reforms brought about the opening of the border with Austria, an essential escape route to the West by East Germans.
The least to say is that the most effective of them was in Czechoslovakia, where in 1989 the so-called “Velvet Revolution” threw the communist regime out of power in a peaceful manner. The happenings were a strong indication of collapsing Soviet influence on the satellite states. The unwillingness of the Kremlin to use military force, which was strikingly different as compared to the practice of the past decades, was an indicator of a major change in the foreign policy of the Soviet Union and it served as an additional encouragement to the dissidents in East Germany.
struggle of the East German Regime to get Control
Under increasing pressure both internally and externally, the East German government, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was at a loss to control the situation. The flight of East Germans to West in search of bigger freedom and economic prospects placed an enormous burden on an already weak economy and social structure of GDR. The situation was worsened by the effort that the government used to suppress dissent.
The frequency and audacity of protests and demonstrations became a serious challenge to the authority of the authorities. The reaction of the government which was marked by even greater repression and heavy handedness was ineffective and it only served to enrage people all the more. This made it explosive and ready to have a great breakthrough.
The Spark: A botched Press Conference and the Domino Effect
On November 9, 1989, a top East German official Gunter Schabowski made an announcement in a press conference that the border with West Germany would be opened immediately. He was clearly not ready and his announcement was not clear either, causing a major confusion and impromptu celebrations at the border crossings.

The word about the opening of the border spread like a bush fire attracting thousands of East Berliners at the wall. Border guards, confused and not knowing what they had been ordered to do, eventually lets people cross freely which signaled the starting of the end of the Berlin Wall. This unpredicted occurrence which was as a result of poor communication and political upheavals served as the trigger to bring down the wall.
The Heritage of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
The falling down of the Berlin wall was not an incident but the result of the years of the growing tension, economical hardships and political convulsions. It was made as a result of internal forces of the Soviet Union, the emergence of popular uprisings in Eastern Europe, and the failure of the East German government to stop discontents. The premature publication was but a speeding up of an inevitable process.

The effect of the event is felt even today as it marked the victory of freedom and democracy over oppression. It is a reminder of the significance of nonviolent opposition, the strength of collective action, and the weakness of even the most apparently resilient boundaries. The collapse of the Berlin wall is one of the reminders of how strong the human need to be free and to make the choices is.

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