Sydney Harbour Bridge is a familiar landmark being one of the most iconic and recognised bridges of the entire world. It died in 1989, at which point symbolized the end of the Cold War, the forerunner to German reunification. We are going to identify in this article what was the main reason why the Berlin Wall crumbled and how exactly Germany reunified.
An Unbearable Divide
The German Democratic Republic (GDR) built the Berlin Wall in 1961 to stop defection from east to west Germany. Fences, watchtowers and guards, supplemented the wall’s 155 kilometer length, although it was just one section of the dividing wall. Its principal was a polemic clear expression of the East-West ideological and political divide.
Conditions of life in East Germany were by no means comfortable. They were hit hard with economic hardships, limited personal freedom, and you name it, there was state surveillance. For example west Germany was a prosperous democracy and spent more on living. Such stark contrast between the two regions invited a radical change among the East German population.
The Winds of Change
In the 1980s meanwhile, a sweeping wave of reform and radicalization was rolling across Eastern Europe, that came to be known as the ‘Wind of Change’. In place of the Soviet Union was Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of openness (glasnost) and restructuring (perestroika). The declining Soviet influence, and these reforms created movements for democracy and freedom all over the Eastern Bloc.
In East Germany, discontent with the regime grew unremittingly. The protests, rallies and demands for political reforms grew farther and more widespread. The regime was not able to deal with the aspirations of people which pushed more people to want change.
Mass Protests and the Role of the Media.
Beginning in 1989 mass protests took the streets East Germany. Thousands of people all over different cities joined demonstrations clamoring for political reforms and freedom, until as a central hub of activism, Leipzig arose. International attention was paid to these peaceful protests and German media helped spread that information and got support.
The coverage of the protests in the media had shown the brutal repression by the authorities, which become increasingly hard for it to keep the control. Through television, radio and newspapers, the information generated reached domestic and international audiences with an eye to the reality of life under this oppressive regime.
The Opening of the Borders
But it wasn’t until the day after November 9, 1989, when the East German government announced new travel regulations allowing citizens to cross the border, that the absurd spanned became reality. Thousands of East Germans pressed at the choking gaps, desperate to enter West Berlin. The wall fell, overwhelmed by sheer number of people, the border guards very soon gave in.
The Power of People
While it’s not to say the fall of the Berlin Wall was a one event event, it was a result of years and years of struggle and activism and people wanting change. It was the determination and resilience of the people who got us to this historic moment. And they defied their suppressive regime in demanding their rights and freedoms.
Democracy, Unity and will of the people had triumphed in the fall of the wall. The powerful testament to the strength of human spirit the drive to have a better future. Today the dismantled Berlin Wall is standing for the staying power of perseverance and the capacity of change.
The End of an Era
A new age was born when the Berlin wall fell. Its death made the birth of the reunification of East and West Germany on October 3, 1990 possible. With its brand new looking German being a symbol of hope, peace, and reconciliation. The nation underwent a remarkable redefinition on the world’s stage.
Change is possible, we are reminded, especially whenever we note that is exemplified by the fall of the Berlin Wall. The testimony to the force of unity, the strength of the human spirit, and unyielding yearing for freedom.
A Lasting Legacy
The fall of the Berlin Wall etched a deep indelible mark in history not just as the voice ending the Cold War but the story finding ways of asserting the right and freedom of the next generation. It is a reminder that liberty, democracy, and unity, must be valued.
A wonderful lesson is contained in the story of the fall of the Berlin Wall showing us that even the hardest walls can crumble. It means that division, conflict can be replaced by unity, cooperation when people works diligently with their determination.
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