Major Global Events
The Fall of the Berlin Wall 📅 November 9, 1989
Historical Context
The Berlin Wall, built in 1961, divided Berlin into two: GDR (East): Communist regime. FRG (West): Liberal democracy. It symbolized the division of Europe during the Cold War. Part of the Iron Curtain separating East and West blocs.
Causes of the Fall
in the USSR: Gorbachev introduced Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring). Mass protests in East Germany: People demanded more freedom and democracy. Collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe: Hungary and Poland opened their borders.
November 9, 1989
An East German spokesperson mistakenly announced the opening of the borders. Thousands of Berliners rushed to the Wall. Overwhelmed border guards opened the checkpoints. A historic night: East and West reunited, symbolically tearing down the Wall.
Consequences
German reunification: Official on October 3, 1990. End of the Cold War: Soviet influence in Europe declined. A symbol of freedom: Democracy triumphed in Eastern Europe.
1998 FIFA World cup