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Regan's words actually played a key role in the end of the Cold War?
On June 12, 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan delivered a landmark speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The most eye-catching slogan was: "Goba Mr. Cheev, tear down the wall!" Reagan called on Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in his speech to break down the Berlin Wall surrounding West Berlin, which had separated East Germany from West Germany since 1961. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the influence of this sentence became even more prominent in the Kremlin, and Reagan's speech became one of the turning points in the end of the Cold War.
"We welcome change and openness; because we believe that freedom and security are mutually reinforcing, and the advancement of human freedom can strengthen the cause of world peace."
Background
Reagan's speech was not actually the first time he mentioned the Berlin Wall. When visiting West Berlin in 1982, he once said: "I want to ask the Soviet leader a question...Why does this wall exist?" Human rights issues have always been a major focus in his relations with the Soviet Union, especially in 1986 In 2016, he told Bild: "I call on those responsible to tear it down today."
However, the day before Reagan's visit to Berlin in 1987, 50,000 people protested against his arrival, causing the German authorities to mount the largest alert in history. On the day of the speech, several areas of Berlin were completely closed off to prevent protests. At the end of his speech, Reagan mentioned some demonstrators and questioned whether these people had considered that when the government they seek is achieved, no one will ever be able to act as they do now.
"Mr. Gorbachev, open this door! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
The reaction and legacy of the speech
At that time, the speech did not attract much media attention. A follow-up story in Time magazine noted that it was not until the wall came down in 1989 that the speech was elevated to its current status. East Germany's communist rulers dismissed the speech, once calling it "an absurd display of a Cold War man." The Soviet Union's TASS news agency also strongly condemned Reagan's words, accusing them of being too provocative and warlike.
However, Reagan's words had a profound impact in West Germany and other countries. Former West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl recalled this incident and said that such a challenge was something he would never forget. "He is a blessing to the world, especially to Europe."
In addition, Reagan admitted that he failed to make his story accessible to more people during his speech because the East German police did not allow them to get close to the wall. What is conclusive is that White House speechwriter Peter Robinson said that the inspiration for the phrase "tear down this wall" came from a conversation he had with a resident of West Berlin. She believed that if Gogo The sincerity of Bachev's open policy can be proven by tearing down the walls.
The far-reaching significance of the speech
When analyzing Reagan's speech, many experts pointed out the historical significance behind this slogan. The American media generally emphasized the importance of this speech, but did not necessarily take into account the complex changes in the course of the Cold War. Some commentators believe that what Reagan said does not have a strong influence in substance. But in a 2012 article, another author interpreted Reagan's speech as more than just a political show, but one that helped set the stage for the end of the Cold War.
There is no doubt that Reagan's speech in Berlin left a profound mark on history and played an indispensable role in the end of the Cold War. In 2019, to commemorate this historic speech, a bronze statue of Ronald Reagan was unveiled here.
In the flames of the Cold War, how did rhetoric influence the direction of history?
