The event of the fall of the Berlin wall on the 9 th of November 1989 is one of the most significant events in the 20 th century. This apparently spontaneous occasion, which was frozen in the iconic images around the globe, was in fact the result of decades of growing tensions, political wrangling and social changes in both East and West Germany and in fact the whole world. Its collapse can only be understood through the lens of a highly complicated interrelation between internal forces with the German Democratic Republic (GDR), external forces of the West, and the critical importance of the reforms initiated by Gorbachev in the Soviet Union. This in-depth lofixed will disentangle the complex causes of this earth-shattering historical event.
Internal Pressures In East Germany: A System In Crysis
The GDR or East Germany was a strict communist state with a stagnant economy and extreme limitation of personal freedoms, which was accompanied by the surveillance state during decades. This generated a lot of dissatisfaction among its citizens. The East German secret police, the Stasi, had a dreadful reputation based on its huge network of informants and its crushing of dissent. This fear and inability to do something led to the development of the wish to change something. These sentiments were only intensified by the stark contrast between the wealthy West, and the poor East.
Stagnation and Shortages: There was economic stagnation and shortages prevailed in the country.
The centrally planned economy of East Germany could not match up with the West. Constant scramble and lack of consumer products led to the general frustration as well as lack of promotion opportunities. Citizens yearned to have the plenty and consumer choice which was easily accessible over the wall in West Berlin and West Germany. This economic inequality led to the need to escape and caused unrest to increase.
mounting discontent and unrest:
The repressive East German government provfixeded more and more citizens to want to defect to the West. People tried to crossing the wall with their lives at stake and some escaped to embassies or via underground tunnels. Such acts of rebellion, although risky to an individual, made a strong statement when considered together, of the simmering discontent with the regime. The growing number of protests and demonstrations turned out to be one of the obvious signs that the government was losing its power.

External Pressures: The role of the west and the reforms of Gorbachev
The external forces in the form of West Germany and its supporters were instrumental in the death of the wall. West Germany, led by Chancellor Helmut Kohl was a constant advocator of reunification and used diplomatic as well as economic pressure on the East. At the same time, the reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union had radically changed the geopolitical situation, and the communist regime of the GDR could no longer rely on the support of the Soviet Union.
West German Policy and the Reunification Call:
West Germany was practicing a policy of Ostpolitik (Eastern policy), which meant warming up ties with Eastern Europe states, including East Germany. Nevertheless, this policy also quietly intervalzed the legitimacy of the GDR by an implied indication of a future in which reunification was possible. This constant pressure along with the economic wellbeing of the west acted as a constant reminder of what East Germans were lacking.
Perestroika and Glasnost of Gorbachev:
The Perestroika (economic restructuring) and Glasnost (openness) reforms of Gorbachev had the unintended consequence of loosening the control that the Soviet Union had over its satellite states. These reforms which were aimed at giving Soviet system new life accidentally provided room to disagree and transformation in Eastern Europe. The Soviet Union was already dealing with internal issues of its own and it did not have the interest or the means to support the crumbling regime of the GDR.
The Domino Effect in Eastern Europe:
The toppling down of the Berlin wall was not a solitary occurrence. In 1989, a considerable political turmoil was observed in a row of the Eastern European countries, where one by one the communist regime collapsed. The demonstrations that had successfully occurred in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia had showed that change can happen and this gave the East Germans the courage to also demand their freedom. This domino effect generated a great force of change.
The Trigger: An Estimate Error and a Wall Breaking Fissure
Although the reasons behind this were many and complicated, there was a particular event that became the trigger to the falling of the wall. On November 9, 1989 a spfixedesman of the East German government Gunter Schabowski declared a new travel regulation, that the East Germans could cross the border to West Germany. But this he did without definite orders or general plan, and so great was the confusion that, in many places, the news was welcomed by spontaneous outbreaks of rejoicing at the check-posts.</p
The unintentional implication of the announcement made by Schabowski was enormous. Border guards, not knowing how to react to the suddenly occurring flood of people, eventually permitted East Germans to cross the hitherto uncrossable checkpoints. This surprise opening became the start of the defeat of the Berlin wall and this also symbolized the fall of the communism regime in East Germany.
The Fall Legacy of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin wall falling down was a historical landmark. It was a representation of the dying Cold war, a unified Germany and the victory of liberty over tyranny. The occasion led to a democratic revolution within Eastern Europe and changed the political landscape of the continent. The falling down of the wall remains to be an inspiration and a powerful emblem of hope to those struggling to attain freedom and self-determination in different parts of the world.
The story of the falling of the Berlin wall is complex to understand. It was not one thing, but the result of building up of Inside pressures in East Germany, outside pressure by the West and key developments in the Soviet Union. The misunderstanding with the announcement on November 9 th was the catalyst, yet the tapestry of reasons was much more complex and ". This historical event still defines politics in the world and also shows the timeless nature of the human spirit in pursuit of freedom and self-determination.

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