'Tear Down This Wall': Reagan's Speech That Ended the Cold War -- Time Magazine
The fall of the Berlin wall caught the world by surprise. For months, East Germany's beleaguered communist rulers had tried in vain to silence a growing opposition movement and stem the tide of people pouring out of the country. On the night of Nov. 9, 1989, an East German official held a press conference to announce new government travel policies but inadvertently announced that crossings to the West would be opened "without delay." Within hours, thousands of East Berliners began lining up at checkpoints near the Wall. At first the border guards tried to check passports, but they quickly realized it was futile. The masses surged through. Many of them ran. Crowds of West Berliners waited on the other side, hugging strangers and popping champagne. The scenes were stunning. By the fall of 1989 cracks in the communist bloc had started to emerge. But few people imagined the Berlin Wall would disappear anytime soon.
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My Comment: From my viewpoint .... President Reagan was the main person .... but not the only person who helped in laying the groundwork for the Wall to fall down. Pope John Paul II, UK Prime Minister Thatcher, NATO .... all of these leaders and organizations were also instrumental in helping the Wall come down .... and come down it did.