« Tear down this wall ! » by Ronald Reagan.
In 1987, the USA (United States of America) was fighting against the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). Indeed, since the end of the Second World War, the relations between these two countries had been tense. After the war, Germany was separated into two sides : West Germany, controlled by the American, French and English and East Germany which the Soviets took possession of. To mark this separation, a wall was built in 1961. This wall mark was like a border that inhabitants could not cross. Because of that wall, the East Germans were doomed to stay in the East and their restrictions were very hard. The Soviets wanted control whereas the Americans were more indulgent with the population.
It was then that the US President Ronald Reagan gave a speech to celebrate the 750th anniversary of Berlin. He addressed some words to the Russian President, Mikhaïl Gorbatchev : « Tear down this wall ! ». As the will to free the East had become clearer on the international stage by then, his request was granted a couple of years later.
In fact, the situation changed after forty years of Cold War tensions. In 1989, the Communist Party was at a disadvantage because some popular movements wanted more liberty. On 9 November 1989, a meeting between political leaders was organized and the result was announced : all East Germans would be able to travel and go to the West freely. The Soviet leader would have said « he didn’t want to be woken » when the events started. During that night, the West Germans started to seize the border posts before crossing them. The wall was destroyed later on in the night – it was the end of a long fight.
©PIXABAY Ronald Reagan.
Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States of America. He was born on 6 February 1911 in Tampico, in the U.S.A and he died on 5 June 2004, in Los Angeles, in California. This man was a member of the Democratic Party, before he joined the Republican Party in 1962. He was elected Governor of California in 1966 and in 1970. He ran for the presidential elections in 1968 and 1976, and was finally elected twice in 1980 and 1984. During his first term, he suffered the American crisis, survived an attempted murder and triggered the invasion of Grenada. He was a key actor of the end of the Cold War. Ronald Reagan notably wanted to negotiate with the Soviet Union because he believed if they signed a deal, Communism could disappear. Ronald Reagan finally signed an agreement with the Eastern Bloc in 1990.
Justine Campo.
