Yr 1 University lecture about the fall of the Berlin Wall

1. The Fall of the Wall
Richard M McKenzie MA – Reading University
© University of Reading 2006
www.reading.ac.uk
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2. Die Mauer
• 155km long
• 302 Observation
Towers
• 3.6m High
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3. Germany Divided
• Europe Divided
• More than 2 million
soldiers based in
Central Europe
• “Iron Curtain” Solid
• No change for 30 years
• “I like Germany so much
that I am glad there are
2 of them…”
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4. Cold War Cools Down
•
•
1979 NATO-Doppelbeschluss
1980 Poland in revolt
– Solidarity
– 1981 Marshal Law
•
•
1982 Brezhnev dies
1985 Gorbachev
– Perestroika
– Glasnost
•
1985-88 Reagan/Gorbachev
summits:
– Geneva, Switzerland, Reykjavik,
Moscow
•
•
•
1986 Chernobyl
1989 Opening of Hungarian
Borders
1989 Tiananmen Square
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5. Mikhail S Gorbachev
• “…our common
European
Home…”
• “…the Sinatra
doctrine…”
• “…Those who
arrive too late are
punished by like
itself……”
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6. DDR Reaction
“…if your neighbours
was redecorating, did
that mean you have to
as well?...”
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7. Growth Of Opposition
• Protestant Church
– Space for thought
• Peace Movement
– Youth
– Fear of Nuclear
destruction
– Opposition to
militarisation of East
Germany
• Bausoldaten
• Women’s Groups
• Artists
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8. The Protestant Revolution
• Breath-taking Change
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1988 Soviet Magazine Sputnik banned
Jan 1989 Arrests at Rosa Luxemburg demonstration
May SED falsified local Election results
May Opening of Hungarian Border
• 6,000 people fled to Hungary
June Tiananmen Square Massacre
Summer GDR citizens occupy West German embassies in
Czechoslovakia, Hungary, East Berlin
• 15,000 people escape
August Hungary recognises escaping GDR citizens as
refugees
Summer Honecker on leave due to bladder cancer
September “sealed trains” of refugees from Czechoslovakia
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9. The Protestant Revolution
• Breath-taking Change
– Oct 1989 40 years of GDR celebrated
– Oct 1989 “Gorby Save us”
– Oct growth of new opposition groups
• New Forum, Democratic Awakening…
– Monday demonstrations in Leipzig 25,000 people
– Military forces despatched to Leipzig while Monday demos
spread
– Oct 18th Honecker ousted by Egon Krenz
– “Wir blieben hier….”
– West Germany refuses to extend credits….
– Nov 7th Politburo reorganised and more freedoms discussed
– Nov 9th Wall opens
– 4,000 people leaving GDR a week
– December Politburo Resigns
– December 1989 SED changes name to SED-PDS
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10. 2 States?
• Helmut Kohl
– Grabs initiative
– 28th Nov 10 Point
Plan
– Calmed European,
US and USSR fears
– Negotiated the
bankers
– Unity Chancellor
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11. DDR 1949-1990
• Socialist alternative
to capitalist W
Germany
• Anti Fascist
• SED leading role
• Never really
independent
• Possible to live an
ordinary life
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12. www.germanwarfilm.co.uk
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