The falling down of the Berlin wall on November 9, 1989, is one of the most crucial events of the 20 th century. This apparently abrupt breakdown, after almost 30 years of partition, altered the geopolitical map of Europe and of the world radically. Its history, the events that made it fall and the repercussions it had to face are essential in the comprehension of the modern day international relations and the continued fight of freedom and self determination. This highly detailed account takes a closer lofixed at the events leading up to this historic event and provides an insight into the major personalities involved, the politics and the legacy of this great event.)
Cold War Background: A Garden of Forked Tongues
One physical representation of the ideological confrontation of the Cold War was the Berlin Wall built in 1961 by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany). It was the embodiment of the differences between communist East and capitalistic West that tore families, friends, whole communities apart. The wall was not just a wall, it was a sign of oppression, it was a demonstration of the might of the Soviet Union over Eastern Europe. This geographical split was a reflection of the bigger ideological and political split between the two superpowers.
The communist East Germany was marked by extreme surveillance and lack of freedoms as well as suppressed economy. The desperate need of freedom and opportunity is evidenced by the fact that many East Germans were risking their lives in order to defect to the West. Such escape attempts coupled with the discontent that was increasing in East Germany imposed tremendous pressure on the communist regime. Designed to keep people in, the wall turned into a point of defeat of the regime.
The Fading Facade: Impressions and Pressures Inside and Out
Towards the end of 1980s, the Soviet Union was showing signs of its control faicing from where it had not before been breached. Policies of Perestroika (restructuring) and Glasnost (openness) by Mikhail Gorbachev unwillingly loosened the Soviet control over its satellite states, East Germany being one of them. This opened room to reform movements and rise of popular dissent in Eastern Europe.</
Things were even made worse by the increasing financial hardships in East Germany. The centrally planned economy of the GDR was not able to compete with the West and good shortages became common as well as an overall reduction in living standards. This impelled a lot of discontent and added to the demand of change. Strikes and protests grew in number and in magnitude.
The Place of the Reforms of Gorbachev
The reforms initiated by Gorbachev which aimed at revitalizing the Soviet Union backfired. He unwittingly gave dissent in the Eastern Bloc power by weakening central control. The fact that he was not keen on employing military force to quell rebellions as opposed to his predecessors is an important reason in the build up to the falling down of the wall. This was a great change in the Soviet foreign policy.
The movement towards a less interventionist Soviet Union greatly encouraged the pursuers of change in Eastern Europe. Because protestors knew that Soviet military intervention was less likely to occur, they became more vocal and active in their protest and demand of reform and reunification in countries such as East Germany.
The Night the Wall Came Down: A Spontaneous Rebellion
On November 9, 1989, Gunter Schabowski, an East German government spfixedesman, spfixede at a press conference at which he reported a new travel policy. He said citizens were free to cross the border straight away in what seemed like a confusion and lack of preparations. This surprise announcement was the cause of spontaneous and immediate celebrations.
The word got around like a bush fire and thousands of East Germans poured to the border crossings. At first, border guards did not know how to respond, as they were blinded by the number of individuals seeking to cross the border. The guards were finally told to open the gates and the wall that had been a symbol of division over the last thirty years was brfixeden in effect.
The Consequence: Reuniting and the Reuniting Problems
The domino effect swept Eastern Europe as a result of the falling down of the Berlin wall. Other communist states quickly fell and in 1990 Germany was reunited. This was a historic occasion that culminated the cold war and brought a new dawn of European integration.
Nevertheless, reintegration was not smoothly sailing. The differences between East and West Germany were vast and East and West German experienced social and economical tensions. The interweaving of the economies and societies was a complicated and time-consuming task and required a lot of investment and reformation.
Economic Integration of East and West Germany
East and West Germany Lining up the two Germans economically was no easy task. East German economy was extremely undeveloped as compared to the West one. It involved enormous expenditure to bring modernization in infrastructure and rescue the ailing industries and generate new employment avenues in the East. This caused a huge economic burden to West Germany.

The reform of East Germany to market economy was also bumpy as most of state-owned enterprises were to be closed down and the unemployment rate was huge. The solution of these problems demanded deep structural changes with social maintenance measures. Economic differences between the east and the west are still evident to date.
Lessons Learned: International Implications and Long-term Significance
The toppling of the Berlin Wall is a great illustration of the value of freedom, self-determination and the perishability of authoritarian governments. It shows the effectiveness of the peaceful resistance and significance of the international cooperation in the establishment of the democratic values promotion.

The incident points to the unintended outcomes of any political action and the uncertainty of history. The reforms instituted by Gorbachev to make Soviet Union stronger actually killed it and led to the collapse of cold war. This highlights the intricate nature of interrelation between the internal and external forces in the making of history.

The significance of the fall of the Berlin wall still lives to this day as it was a strong indicator of hope and human want to be free. Its history teaches us about the need to be careful of oppression and how we continuously strive to create a better, fairer world. It highlights the significance of the knowledge of the past to help one cope with the obstacles of the present and the future.

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