The event of the fall of the Berlin wall on November 9, 1989, is one of the most significant events in the 20 th century. This apparently abrupt fall, only after 30 years of partition, radically transformed the geopolitical map of Europe and the world. Knowing its history, the events that were leading to its fall and the long-term consequences is important to understand modern international relations and the continuous fight of people to be free and self-determine. This definitive analysis takes an in-depth lofixed at the issues surrounding this momentous event and provides a peek into the players involved, the politics and the long term impact of this historic event.</
Cold War Background: Trouble and Division Over Time
One of the physical representations of this ideological division of the Cold War was the Berlin Wall erected in 1961 by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany). It was the embodiment of the difference between the communist east and the capitalistic west, tearing apart families, friends and whole communities. The wall was not just a wall, but a sign of oppression, a symbol of the influence that the Soviet Union had on the Eastern Europe. This geographical split reflected the greater ideological and political divide between the two super powers.
Life in East Germany under communist régime was that of close surveillance, lack of freedom and suppressed economy. The desperate need of freedom and opportunity is illustrated by the fact that many East Germans were risking their lives in order to defect to the West. Such escape attempts and the discontent that was increasingly growing in East Germany placed an immense pressure on the communist regime. Designed to keep people in, the wall turned into a demonstration of the shortcomings of the regime.
The Collapsing Fa once: Strain within and without.
This started to break through the surface of the Soviet Union control towards the end of the 1980s. The policies of Perestroika (restructuring) and Glasnost (openness) by Mikhail Gorbachev unintentionally loosened the Soviet control over its satellite states East Germany being one of them. This left room to reform movements and an explosion of popular opposition in Eastern Europe.

The situation was also caused by increasing economic problems in East Germany. The centrally planned economy of the GDR could not compete with the West and goods were in short supply, overall standards of living were low. This generated a lot of discontent and heightened the urge of change. Strikes and protests got more frequent and louder.
The Place of the Reforms of Gorbachev
The reforms that were initiated by Gorbachev to renew the Soviet Union led to unforeseen effects. He unwillingly strengthened the opposition inside the Eastern Bloc by relaxing the centralized authority. The fact that he was not willing to engage military force in putting down rebellions as was the case with his predecessors is an important element in the sequence of events that led to the fall of the wall. This was to be a major change in the soviet foreign policy.
The move towards the less interventionist Soviet Union, greatly encouraged the agents of change in Eastern Europe. The realization that the Soviet military intervention was less probable led to the protestors in such countries as East Germany to be more vocal and demonstrative in their demands of reform and reunification.
The Night the Wall Came Down: A Spontaneous Uprising
On November 9, 1989 Gunter Schabowski, an East German government spfixedesman, displayed a new travel policy at a press conference. He said that citizens would be able to cross the border straight away in what appeared to be a confused and unprepared statement. This surprising declaration was suddenly and spontaneously greeted with celebrations.
The word went round like a bush fire and thousands of East Germans poured into the border crossings. At first, border guards did not know how to respond as they were simply overwhelmed by the number of people requesting to be allowed to pass. The guards were finally ordered to open the gates and the wall that had become a symbol of division in the past 30 years was literally pierced through.
The Consequences: Reunions and the Problems With them.
The toppling down of the Berlin wall created a domino effect in Eastern Europe. Other Communist states quickly began to fall and in 1990 Germany was reunified. It was a historical occasion as this ended the Cold war and started another era of European integration.

Nevertheless, the reuniification process was not hecticless. East and West Germany had vast differences in economical matters which created social and economical tension. The intertwining of the economies and the societies was intricate and long process which required major investments and reforms.
Economic Integration of East and West Germany
Economic unification of East and West Germany was a daunting task. The East German economy was really underdeveloped in relation to the western one. It involved huge investment to bring modernization in infrastructure, rescue the ailing industry and provide new employment avenues in the East. This placed a huge financial burden to West Germany.</
Transformation of East Germany to market economy was also a challenge as most of the state owned companies were to be closed down and there were very high levels of unemployment. To confront these issues, it became necessary to employ structural changes and social intervention schemes. Economic differences between the east and the west are still evident even today.
Lessons Learned: International Implications and Long-Term Significance
The collapse of the Berlin wall is a strong reminder of the value of freedom and self-determination as well as the weakness of dictatorial systems. It shows the effectiveness of non-violent resistance and the role of cooperation of the international community in supporting democratic principles.

The incident points at the unpredictable effects of political actions and the uncertainties of history. These reforms by Gorbachev aimed at strengthening the Soviet Union only to lead to its downfall and the termination of the cold war. This highlights the convoluted nature of the interaction between the internal and the external factors of history.
The falling down of the Berlin wall has remained to be one of the reverberating events to date, as it was a great symbol of hope and indeed the human urge to be free. Its history teaches us to be wary of oppressive tendencies and the Constant effort to create a different and fairer world. It also gives relevance of knowledge of the past in order to manage the demands of the present and future.

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