Berlin Wall Activity

The new Russian President, Gorbachev wanted to change how the USSR was run. Instead of being secretive to its people, he wanted to let them know how the country is run. He also started to implement some capitalist terms into the USSR!

The USSR was also now not going to get involved in affairs in other Communist countries. The USSR also reduced spending on military arms and defence. Gorbachev told his wife in 1985 ‘We cannot go on living like this’ as he realised things in the USSR needed to change. Gorbachev’s way of thinking had a huge impact on ending the Cold War and developing more positive relations between the USSR and the USA.

In 1981, America gained a new president – Ronald Reagan, he promised Americans that he would stand tough against Communism, Reagan began upping America’s spending on military arms and began a more confrontational approach with the USSR. Gorbachev was keen on not spreading Communism and relations between the two countries began to open up and get much better.

Demonstrations occurred in East Germany in 1989, calling for changes to the system of government. Gorbachev visited East Germany in October 1989 and informed political leaders the USSR would not get involved in its affairs in East Germany. Demonstrations continued – people called for free elections and democracy.

Hungary – a previously communist country announced it would be holding free elections. This spurred people on in East Germany to protest even more, on the 9^th November 1989 the government in East Germany announced the opening of the border crossings into West Germany

People began to dismantle the wall, within a few days over one million people had seized the chance to move from East Germany and move to West Germany. West Germany and East Germany were formally united as a country on 3^rd October 1990.

Tensions in the world seemed to be easing by the day while the power the USSR held over Eastern Europe seemed to be dwindling quickly. The new Germany joined NATO and in 1991 the Warsaw Pact was dissolved.